Manifesto, the song which won the late Justin “Hero” Cassell his ninth calypso crown and the OECS Calypso Monarch, has been remastered and released ahead of Montserrat’s General Elections.
Dyllon ‘Lighta’ Cassell, Hero’s son released the song today, October 1 on all major streaming platforms.
Originally released in 1984, the track is making a comeback with a fresh, modern sound.
Dubbed Hero’s favorite among his vast catalogue, Manifesto was given a musical makeover by Lighta as a posthumous birthday gift for his father. The remix was crafted by Darren ‘Soca Child’ Skerritt of Riddim Up Productions and features live guitar by Deon Ryan and background vocals by Maureen Fry and Dyllon Cassell.
Manifesto has garnered significant attention since its original release, gaining renewed momentum after its debut on Little Lenny’s show on ZJB Radio Montserrat on September 23rd. The reworked version is expected to resonate with both longtime fans and new listeners alike.
The calypso is a popular track around Montserrat’s election season. In the song, Hero declares his candidacy for the next election. He outlines what he calls “a realistic manifesto” for Montserrat’s economic growth. He includes two of the areas which he was passionate about – reviving agriculture and revitalising tourism.
“Music was a major part of Dad’s life. It was not only one of the gifts he was blessed with but the one he was most known for. Dad shared this gift with the world and also passed it on to his children. Were he alive, I’m confident he would be pleased with the remastering of this track. He’d boast about it in his infamous, jovial Hero way,” his son said.
The new version of Manifesto is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
