He will forever be known by the hook line "feeling hot, hot, hot."
The Mighty Arrow, Alphonsus Cassell, made a very significant contribution to taking soca international, his 1982 calypso becoming the iconic soca piece in North America, Europe and elsewhere. Notwithstanding the fact of Sparrow, Melody, Kitchener, SuperBlue and the young generation of soca singers led by Machel Montano, Arrow was arguably the biggest superstar of soca to have come out of the Caribbean.
We record his passing at the relatively early age of 60, reportedly from cancer, with good memories and words of thanks for being amongst the first soca artists to take the music abroad, impacting big on audiences who would not have normally come into contact with the music of T&T and the Caribbean. In such circumstances we cannot be parochial, seeking to confine the music to this country and the artists who have come out of here. By doing what he did to place soca on the popular music charts of Europe and America, Arrow and his Hot, Hot, Hot signature piece opened up markets for those who would follow.
While Cassell was from Montserrat, he never sought to claim that soca was the creation of his country, or for that matter his own form of the music. He always said he loved the parental music of soca, calypso, and that he got his inspiration and sense of showmanship from the Mighty Sparrow. He went as far as taking part of Sparrow's name–"Arrow"–for his own, in itself a tremendous tribute to the acknowledged King of Calypso. That he was never charged with seeking to convert his island into the home of soca and crown himself king of the musical form that evolved with Shorty, Arrow boosted his popularity when he performed here.
Only last year April during the Summit of the Americas, Arrow performed in the glittering production of mas man Brian MacFarlane. He was no doubt invited because the visiting delegations would have been able to identify with Hot, Hot, Hot, the familiar and popular soca piece which resonated with audiences in parts of the metropole.
With the reports since his death indicating that he had been fighting the cancer for two years, he must have performed here at the Summit under difficult personal circumstances. But clearly Arrow did not want to miss the gig as he was someone who always relished the opportunity to expose soca music to new audiences. Arrow also doubled in the role of a businessman in his native island. There he developed his own record label, had recording facilities on the island, and clothes shops and other forms of business operations.
This must certainly have demonstrated to his fellow entertainers throughout the eastern Caribbean and here in T&T, the home of the calypso and the spawning place for the bards, that they have the capacity to rise from the historical circumstances of calypso and steelband. Arrow also made a tremendous contribution to the tourism economy of his island. The tourist board of Montserrat used his music and images widely to promote the island in North America and Europe. Undoubtedly, some of that promotion of soca in a Caribbean island must have rubbed off in other tourism economies around the region.
Perhaps there is a lesson here for the local soca industry to follow to expose the music abroad in non-traditional markets. To follow his lead would extend the contribution and name of the Hot, Hot, Hot man out of Montserrat beyond his time here with us; he was part of the West Indian family who shared the calypso and soca artforms of T&T.