Denniston Young passes in Canada

Almost every year as Carnival comes around, one thing that is as certain as the pan, mas, beauty shows, soca and calypso, is the passing of someone who contributed to the development of one or more of the components.{{more}}

And this year is no exception. Last Friday, Vincentians received the news that musician and arranger Denniston Young had died.

Young died of an apparent heart attack in Toronto, Canada, where he had lived on and off for the past fifteen years.

He had just turned 51 a few weeks before.

A former resident of Layou, Young begin his career in music at an early age. His persistence and talent saw him becoming one of the founding members of the band Astericks, before he moved on to join D Rebels Band in later years.

The talented musician is said to have worked with a number of junior calypsonians of the day, including Shaunelle Mckenzie and Orande ‘Man Kemmie’ Christopher, helping them to sharpen their skills in the art form.

Persons remember Young visiting calypso tents and voluntarily playing music with the backing bands.

His instrument of choice was the trombone.

“Dennie”, as he was affectionately known, was well respected among older artistes for his musical arrangements. Apart from his work with his bands, he had worked with a host of singers, including Poorsah, Lexy, The Man I, and Toiler, to name a few, and, of course, his famous cousin, Alston “Becket” Cyrus, who at the time of Young’s death was on his way to Toronto to work with him on some of Becket’s 2009 releases.

Some of the more popular songs arranged by Young included ‘Mouth in me Mumma’, ‘Fix it up’, ‘This feeling nice’, ‘Stick the Cake’, ‘Happy’ and ‘Boyie Soca’.

Young was the father of former national footballer Gus Harry, and WNBA basketball super star Sophia Young.

A funeral service was held on Monday in Toronto; he was cremated on Wednesday. A moment of silence was observed last Friday, May 22nd, at the staging of the Layou Carnival queen show. (JJ)