Iere Theatre Production transported audiences to the 1970s with a powerful re-enactment of the life of legendary chutney singer Sundar Popo at Naparima Bowl, San Fernando, from June 5 to 8.
The crowd was fully engaged singing and clapping in response to memorable scenes in the play. One of the emotional high-points was when Shabir Mohammed, in the lead role of Sundar Popo, sang one of the chutney legend’s hits, A Mother’s Love.
Vividly recreated for the production was the 1970s Barrackpore bar where Sundar would beat rhythms on tables, sing with friends, and write lyrics that would one day reach the world.
Written and directed by Victor Edwards, recipient of the Chaconia Medal (Silver), Sundar covered the 30 years of the chutney singer’s musical career.
In his director’s note, Edwards wrote, “The play’s main focus is the arc of Sundar’s performing career as he blossoms from a Caroni night watchman to an internationally recognised performer. Sundar must be credited for creating a genre of music and for creating the environment for the development of a whole cadre of performers.”
Key scenes featured Sundar’s carefree days at the bar with friends, improvising songs, and bonding over shared dreams. His tender relationship with his second wife, Surajie, his heartbreak following the death of the aunt who raised him, his struggle with diabetes, and his eventual passing were poignantly portrayed. The narrative charted his rise from obscurity to international stardom with clarity and compassion.
Among the attendees was Navindra Roopnarine, Minister in the Ministry of Culture, who noted, “Tonight’s performance holds particular resonance, as it centres on the life and legacy of Sundar Popo, a name that requires no introduction in the cultural landscape of our nation.
“While chutney music as a genre existed long before Sundar Popo, it was Sundar Popo who brought that tradition out of the private sphere and into the national and international spotlight. He modernised it.
“He took the familiar rhythms and themes of his ancestors and layered them with contemporary instrumentation and calypso structures.”
