Gordon Gene Leon Latest Victim.
A major fundraising event is being organized for yet another musician/calypsonian fighting the dreaded disease, cancer.
Caron Tobiere and Steve Etienne — well-known names in calypso circles here — and Barry George, dance producer and entertainment consultant, announced at a press conference at Chesterfield yesterday that musician and tent leader, Gordon Gene Leon aka Chacom is battling the dreaded illness.
Leon is tent leader of De Soca-Lypso Revue Calypso Tent.
They appealed to the public to support the fundraiser slated for next week Saturday at the National Cultural Center towards offsetting Leon’s medical expenses.
Leon, who is battling stomach cancer, is the third musician/calypsonian to have been afflicted by the disease in recent times to bring awareness about cancer and seek public assistance toward their medical expenses.
A massive concert held at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in August raised $53, 000 for musician/songwriter/producer Francis “Leebo” De Lima, who is also battling cancer.
Just last week, another concert was held at the National Cultural Center for veteran calypsonian Cyril “Get Through” Felix, who at the time was also fighting the disease. Felix, however, died the same night of the concert.
Leon is taking his fight with cancer to another level, declaring in an interview with Bernard Fanis of Calabash TV his intention of destroying the disease before it destroys him.
“I am actually starving the cancer by not giving it a breathing space,” Leon said, adding that the diagnosis at the time never broke him or weakened him mentally.
“Up to now, my mindset is that I have stomach cancer and I have to break it,” he said in the interview.
Leon’s fundraiser will take the form of a concert to celebrate the Kweyol language. The annual AnnouManje, Danse, Chante EnKweyol, a kweyol song competition which began in 2012 and forms part of events of Creole Heritage Month, will be transformed into the fundraiser for Leon, the brainchild of the kweyol song competition.
According to organizers, the event will be a festival instead of a competition. Twenty-three artists have already been confirmed for the event and more are lining up to be part of the roster.
“All the artists have agreed to perform free of charge,” Tobiere said.
