Elsworth James grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, and despite an uphill battle, he created an impactful and flourishing music career. He had formerly suffered from drug addiction, and following his release from America’s Betty Ford Clinic, him and his family made the move to Toronto, Canada, where he would remain sober for 35 years. James took risks, and was commended for his bravery of entering the 1970’s pop music scene as a ‘big Black man’; the genre was typically known to be biased towards his ‘type’. He first broke into the industry with musical acts ‘Succession’ and ‘Double Feature’. He would later enter the realm of Calypso and Soca with hits “I Love Calypso Music” and “Pan from Heaven”. In 1984 he released his smash “”Afeisha”” (an ode to fatherhood- inspired by his daughters birth).

He became a top promotor of the 80s and 90s after creating his own production company with the purpose of promoting Soca music internationally. He booked acts like Superblue, Machel Montano, Beenie Man, Roy Cape, Lord Kitchener, Sparrow, Shadow, David Rudder, Ronny McIntosh, and many more. He would fervently stand behind his pan-Caribbean vision to expose Calypso, Soca, and even reggae from every island, to the world. He is described by his wife as ‘kicking down the doors’ of the Molson Amphitheatre and other entertainment conglomerates in order to produce his lavish shows. His son, Kareem, followed in his steps and is now an Emmy-nominated song writer living in L.A. His daughter sees how he shaped the industry around him as well, noting that “Caribben culture has grown to what it is today because Elswotth James planted those seeds”.

Even while battling dementia, he continues humming the tunes to his favourite Calypso’s and re-creating those memories. James certainly lived a colourful life of music and his influence is remembered by his family and the many lives he touched.