Cyril Silvan

By Manuel Monestel

He was a big, portly man, with apparently crude ways, but with a tender heart and a great sense of friendship. His deep voice made the stages vibrate and his performing talent seduced the audience from the first song.

He was born in Cieneguita, Limón and began in the world of music since his adolescence, integrating groups such as Raada Band Calypso, Skelintan and Lobster Band, he was also very successful as a soloist.

Cyrilo, as he was called in his beloved Limón, was born on February 28, 1932. From an early age, he had different trades, having to collaborate in the upbringing of his four brothers.

 At the age of 18 he married Mrs. Marjorie Foster Benjamín, with whom he had seven children, all professionals, Loida, Dorla, Tito, Ana Lorena, Elario, Errol and Erika Alterno Foster.

His name was Cyril Alterno, however he used the surname of his adoptive father of Patuá origin, that is, belonging to the community that in Cieneguita came from the French islands of the Caribbean, who emigrated to Limón to work on the railroad and in United Fruit Company.

I met him in 2001 while doing my research on Calypso for my master's degree thesis. He asked me to meet him at 2 pm at his butcher shop in the Central Market of Limón. After waiting for more than an hour he came out calmly and asked me what I wanted to do, at that moment, starving, I told him to go somewhere for lunch, he very smiling and satisfied offered to take me to the best place for local food. It was a little wooden house and in the garage there were a couple of tables, there we sat and ate an exquisite soup that gave me the strength to return to my duty and inquire the calypsonian about his life and work.

From then on, a friendship was forged that lasted until his death in December 2020.

The first time we went on stage together was for a concert at Parque Vargas organized by the International Festival of Arts of the Ministry of Culture in 2003. There were Shantí and Lenkí who joined the event to sing their repertoire accompanied by Cantoamérica . It was now time to start, the presenter had already announced us and the audience's expectation was great because those old semi-retired calypsonians had not sung at a big event in years.

I was nervous because I didn't know anything about Cyril and I asked Shantí to sing Cyril's songs in case he did not show up. We began with the song “Stop”, a composition by Silvan, and just as the trombone and flute introduction ended, just at the beginning of the next measure, that great performer appeared out of nowhere, all dressed in white with a white hat and a black ribbon, he held the microphone firmly and sang: “Ashantí are in a bar…”. So that´s how he was, Cyril, always surprising, always creating a climate of stage magic. When he liked something about the instrumental solo he used the expression "ay, ay, ay" !!! And at the end of the song he would often exclaim, "That's what the ship brought," as if to say, that's it, that's the song.

In 2006 we recorded the album “Calypso Limon Legends”, where other great calypsonians such as Congoman Watts, Shantí, Lenkí and Junior Alvarez also participated.

In 2009 we recorded the theme Lobster Band with Cantoamérica and Cyril for the album En Clave Afro Caribe.

In 2011 we travelled to Panama to participate in the National Meeting of Calypso where Cyril alternated with Lord Panama, Leslie George and Ringing Bell, it was impressive to see that meeting of old calypsonians from both countries, how they recognized each other, how they knew the same singing paths. In that same year, Cyril participated in the album “Asia, Africa América” with Cantoamérica and musicians from Benin and Bhutan, recorded live at the Variedades Theatre in the city of San José.

So many festivals, so many theatres and squares that heard Cyril's voice. The International Festival of the Arts, Calypso Moonlight, International Festival of Cahuita, where he participated side by side with Lester Liverpool "Chalkdust", with Marcia Miranda, with Devon Seale, with Guillermo Anderson, Rómulo Castro, The Beachers and many others.

Early one morning in December 2020, I woke up with the obsessive idea of composing a calypso for Cyril. I got up and ran to my studio, which I didn't leave until hours later, after composing and recording the song. I sent it to his son Errol. That night they called me from Cyril's house, I spoke with the calypsonian, his voice sounded sad and melancholic, we talked about our friendship and he thanked for the song.

These are the lyrics of that, my tribute, to the man, to the friend, to the calypsonian:

I come to hear the calypso band

I love it when the singer is Cyril Silvan

The sound is amusing, the song entertaining

The only one Cyril Silvan

I love the calypso band when the singer is Cyril Silvan

 No more trouble, no more sadness

Only goodness never badness

Sweet song of calypso band 

the man singing is Cyril Silvan

Calypso sweet, calypso stand

The one and only Cyril Silvan

Hear him singing with the  Lobster Band 

in the height of the carnival

Everybody running now 

to listen to the Lord of Calypso

A couple of days later they told me that he was hospitalized. Days later came the sad news of his death. In the Mowatt Hall we sang and played that night in honour of the great Cyril, his children sang, his friends accompanied and all the Port of Limón cried, sang and danced for their beloved calypsonian

With him we did records, we did national and international tours, we fought, we laughed together, we hugged and above all we developed an infinite complicity and friendship. Glory to Cirilo and his musical legacy always!