By: Bianca Jacob-Stephenson

Five years ago, veteran entertainer Elsworth James first began losing things, and then getting lost during walks around his Toronto neighborhood. Two years later, he faced a devastating diagnosis: dementia, a neurodegenerative condition that affects 50 million people worldwide. Now in the end-stage of the disease, James endures the ultimate loss, memories of his colorful life, and the family, fans, friends, and foes who made it so.

His wife Margaret, daughter Afeisha James-Kipps, and a tight circle of family and health professionals provide daily comfort as he slips away from reality. “The truth is that Dad is going down fast,” James-Kipps said. “We do not know whether he is going to be like this for many more years or leave us very soon. We are mentally preparing. We want the folks who follow his career, and who love him and his music to prepare as well,” she said.

The decision to share her husband’s condition so many years after the diagnosis was hard-wrought, Margaret admitted. “I wanted to freeze the Elsworth James I know in time. I wanted to keep his dignity and pride intact. I would post on social media pretending to be him. I kept him off the phone so others would not notice his decline. Sometimes people could be so cruel. I wanted to protect him,” she said. Margaret noted that as James grappled with the initial shock of the diagnosis, he too, wanted to keep it private. “We would talk about how dementia impacted our lives and as acceptance came, he tried to leave a few meaningful words behind,” she said. 

Referencing her husband’s remarks, Margaret read on his behalf: “Before I forget, I want to say sorry to my friends, family, and fans for not being with you mentally. Spiritually, I will be there through my music, and my love for you all.” Alluding to the stigma of dementia, James said. “I kept it from my friends. I kept it from all of you knowing it is not fair to the hundreds who inbox me every day wondering if everything is alright. This disease is so hard; most times I cannot remember what to say.” As he tried to describe his challenges with memory, interpretation, thoughts, and tasks,” James noted that the greatest areas of support caregivers can provide people with his condition is patience and compassion. “I have the love and support of my wonderful wife and children who are taking great care of me. When you read these words, do not worry.”

 James penned these remarks when he realized that dementia was an unvanquishable opponent.  Margaret said that James’ legendary battles began at two weeks old, when he was dropped off as a latchkey kid in Trinidad & Tobago, after his mother died in St. Vincent. Derek Antoine, his former bandmate, alluded to his bravery in bursting into Trinidad’s 1970s pop music scene which was overtly biased against big dark skin men.  James conquered yet another battle when a serious drug addiction landed him in America’s Betty Ford Clinic. Later, he moved his family to Toronto and kept his sobriety for the past 35 years. “After all that, and so much more we never expected to be experiencing this,” Margaret intoned with an air of weary finality.

James first exploded into the entertainment scene as co-founder and vocalist with the winning musical acts Succession and Double Feature. He became known for his jubilant personality, melodic voice, and slick dancing. Later, he entered the calypso and budding soca industry with hits like I Love Calypso Music and Pan from Heaven. In 1984, he released his smash hit Afeisha, an ode to fatherhood, inspired when he witnessed his daughter’s birth. In Toronto, James launched a production company to promote calypso internationally, which was a towering goal in an era when calypso was not acceptable mainstream entertainment. 

His wife recalled that James could never do anything small. While his compatriots in the United States were mostly booking backyards and halls in Caribbean-Brooklyn, James was kicking in the doors of Molson Amphitheater, Lamport Stadium, and Metro Convention Center. “He produced lavish shows in the same venues booked by Live Nation, and mega entertainment conglomerates,” said James-Kipps who flourished in her father’s limelight. “With my Mom right beside him, he worked on this level because he believed that our art form, patrons, and artists deserved a certain caliber of class.” 

As a top promoter of the eighties and nineties, James had a pan-Caribbean vision to expose calypso, soca and even reggae artists from every island to the world. For artists, it was often the first opportunity to perform in North America. He booked acts like Superblue, Machel Montano, Beenie Man, Roy Cape, Lord Kitchener, Sparrow, Shadow, David Rudder, Gabby, Drupati, Ricky Jai, Calypso Rose, Ronnie McIntosh, Crazy, Becket, Winston Soso, Krosfyah, Swallow, Ajamu, and many more. James showcased the popular and the newcomer. He shone a spotlight on Caribbean music artists based in Canada. James-Kipps notes, “Caribbean culture has grown to what it is today because Elsworth James planted those seeds. He gave a platform to many entertainers who otherwise would never have been seen, and potentially never would have reached their international greatness and potential.” 

 James may have forgotten the people around him, but still lingering are traces of how to produce an epic calypso production. He spends hours contracting imaginary artists; his living room is as epic a stage as the ones he once ruled. “Every day Elsworth is working on a show,” Margaret said, “he is always telling the band, ‘let’s go, hurry-up’!” When he fixates, a common occurrence in dementia, his imaginary world is real. His caregivers play along to keep him calm.  James’ family is not surprised that his last vestiges of memory involve calypso and soca promotion. “It shows that he loved his culture, and he loved his craft,” Margaret said. James-Kipps added, “and my father loved all the artists regardless of personality conflicts.” 

Bracing for the end, the family fights to stay positive and preserve his legacy. Margaret still mourns the life they had planned. “The Elsworth I know was fun to be around. He was together. He is not what this disease has created. I understand there is no shame in this. It can happen to anyone,” she said. “But I think about how we wanted to walk the red carpet in Los Angeles, where our son Kareem is an Emmy-nominated songwriter, and I feel robbed. Of course, Elsworth wanted Kareem to write soca,” she laughed. “But he also understood the difficulty of earning a stable income in this business.” For his part, Kareem grapples with the sadness that he has lost his father who is still physically present.  “My father inspired me to pursue music and to never stop pursuing my dreams,” he said.

James-Kipps prefers to focus on the intellectuality, not the inevitability surrounding her father’s demise. She can rattle off tons of information and statistics about dementia. Asked how she is doing emotionally, she pauses and then dissolves into tears. “The main takeaway from this experience is to cherish every piece of time that you have. I would encourage those afflicted and affected by dementia to share those experiences, do not fight this alone. It can happen to anyone. It is happening to my father,” she said.

As Elsworth James produces his final epic productions in his living room, oblivious to the real-world panic around him, one can only hope he senses his great legacy. And that, in his darkest moments, his sweet refrain from I Love Calypso Music pulls him through. 

Whenever you’re feeling blue

Just put on your dancing shoe

This sweet vibration will pick you up.

In this he will receive the blessing of the happy music he so freely spread to others.