Sagicor joined in honouring the memory of veteran calypsonian Kirk “Shakes” Mc Ivor, with its associate sponsorship of Let’s Shake it Up, an event produced by the Oh Kaiso Boy committee in memory of Mc Ivor.

The company joined with the Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) to celebrate the life of the former advisor who passed away in January, a media release said.

[caption id="attachment_949424" align="alignnone" width="1024"] File photo: The late Dexter ‘Blaxx” Stewart.[/caption]

During the recent event, calypsonians honoured Mc Ivor’s memory by performing some of his popular hits in addition to their own renditions. Performances came from Wayne “Doppy” Dopson, Gary “De Dozie” Almandoz, and Colin “Man Borde” Borde, among others, as well as guest artistes Michelle Xavier, Robert “Mighty Trini” Elias and Gerald “Gerry” Prudent, the release said.

Mc Ivor retired from Sagicor in 2019, after 28 years of dedicated service. He joined Sagicor (then The Mutual) in June 1990, in the Ian Stone Unit. Prior to his retirement, he was attached to the Richard Daly Branch. An amateur calypsonian, he participated in many competitions under the sobriquet “Shakes.” He won first place in the Sagicor Sports Club’s calypso competition in the mid-1990s, with his rendition of Foot in Mouth Disease, the release said.

[caption id="attachment_949431" align="alignnone" width="681"] Michelle Xavier[/caption]

Vice president of sales and marketing at Sagicor Life Inc Jacinto Martinez praised Mc Ivor’s work ethic and his passion for calypso.

“Kirk and I worked in the insurance trenches together. I came to the then The Mutual in 1993 and Kirk was already here making a name for himself. He never faltered in his dedication and passion for his clients. As a calypso lover and an amateur calypsonian myself, I’ve heard Kirk perform and even performed with him at past Oh Kaiso Boy competitions over the years; his passion and love for the artform was real and unselfish,” Martinez said in the release.

[caption id="attachment_949426" align="alignnone" width="544"] Gerald “Jerry” Prudent[/caption]

“It’s only fitting that Sagicor supported the QPCC and other sponsors in honouring his kaiso legacy and his life. Additionally, losing Blaxx recently and Kirk in January is a real loss to the calypso fraternity.”

The release said his Sagicor colleagues described him as extremely service-oriented and pointed to the excellent relationships he developed and maintained with his clients over the years. A mentor to the younger advisers in his branch, he was always willing to lend a listening ear and provide advice when asked, the release said.

Dopson, chairman of the Oh Kaiso Boy competition, said n the release, “Shakes got the nickname because admittedly he would be shaking on the stage when he performed in the Oh Kaiso Boy shows. He never won the competition but instead he won the hearts of many members and patrons of the shows he took part in because of his witty double-entendre compositions that had most people in stitches and others scratching th