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Pelay remembered at Christmas

Contact: Claudia Monlouis

Tuesday 22 November 2011 – Government has paid tribute to the late Saint Lucian calypso icon Jeff Elva, more affectionately known as the Mighty Pelay.  

Minister for Education, Honourable Arsene James said, the passing of the Mighty Pelay is a major loss to the arts and the nation as a whole. 

“With regard to Mr. Jeff 'Pelay' Elva, I think many Saint Lucians will miss him. We in the Ministry of Education and Culture are going to miss him because he made a massive contribution to the culture of Saint Lucia. He was a versatile singer. He sang on various issues.

“I can remember vividly his calypsoes during the Christmas season. I think when his songs will be played, he will surely be remembered. May his soul rest in peace.”

The minister said the nation can be comforted that trailblazers such as the Mighty Pelay and other outstanding artistes are role models providing inspiration to the younger crop of performers as evidenced by the schools’ calypso competitions organized by the Ministry of Education. 

“We need to have continuity especially in the calypso arena. We are doing something about it. We have calypso competitions within our school system, even at the primary school. For example, the RC Boys have their calypso competitions every year. I think this is a good beginning if we can start at the primary school level and move on to the secondary school level. I think we should be able to get our students especially interested enough so that they can continue when they leave school.” 

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