Remembering Our “Soca Warrior”, Sir Rupert ‘The Mighty Swallow’ Philo! — John “Wire” Evelyn

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Swallow is the all-time KING OF LABOR DAY! There will never be another artist to capture the North American carnival seasons as he did with hit, after hit, after hit. There was always a hype among DJs to get a copy of his special party remix 12inches produced by Rawlston Charles from Charlie’s Records at 1271-1273 Fulton St, Brooklyn, New York.  Of Dr. Philo’s many positive traits, including his humility and kindness, the most important one was his total loyalty. He never forgot where he came from; Charlie’s Calypso City, where he first recorded when he came to the USA in the 1970s. And he never left the label.

Whenever he was in Brooklyn, Swallow was always a staple at the store, and there was never a time when he didn’t have time, even a few moments, to chat with anyone. Even perfect strangers. 

Charlie’s Calypso City is a Record Store/World Class Recording Studio and a place where many of the calypso and soca artists from all over the Caribbean limed when they were in Brooklyn. As a matter of fact, up to the last two years, if you were passing on Fulton St., and looked above the store next to the studio, and saw the lights on, you can bet Swallow is in town. Charlie gave the King of Labor Day the keys to an apartment above the record store, which was Swallow’s year-round. No questions asked.

People who walked into the store were usually surprised to know that the quiet man sitting there, relaxed and chatting with Charlie and friends, was the Mighty Swallow. The greeting he would give strangers and their responses are so amazing that they cannot be explained.

King Swallow was a true superstar who knew that giving a DJ an ID (dubplate) of his songs would only enhance the music as it was free promotion. Therefore, he never charged a dime! He was unlike some of the one-or-two-hit wonder soca artistes nowadays who–figure they have arrived–on top of charging ‘big money’ for a dubplate, would sometimes refuse DJs an ID.

From Left: Machel Montano, Rawlston Charles of Charlie’s Records, and Sir Rupert “Swallow” Philo. (thecaribbeancamera.com)

Sir Rupert remained, ‘true to form,’ committed, humble, and loyal to Charlie’s Records. He appreciated the struggle it took to get soca music played in the USA. And, unlike many soca artistes who left Charlie’s label, for so-called greener pastures which later turned out to be barren deserts–as none of those promoters are still around today–King Swallow remained loyal to Charlie’s Records, to the end.  As a matter of fact, this COVID-19 year is the first time in over 40 years; there was no block party on Labor Day Saturday in front of Charlie’s Record Store. For years it has been considered as the best party in Brooklyn. Its 12-hours of free food, entertainment, and drink, was heavily attended and featured performances from The Mighty Sparrow, The Mighty Swallow, Becket, Super Blue, and many other stars of the Caribbean.
Even though Swallow, our Soca Warrior, had many hits, my personal favorite is “Callaloo.” Whereas most songs are made up of verses and choruses with similarity to each, this double entendre was structured with a multitude of musical twists in the chorus and verses. To be sure, Sir Rupert and I had some ongoing personal jokes which I cannot share. I am just blessed to have known him and have him call me “FRIEND.”

Reaching Charlie for a comment on the passing of his friend of 45-plus years, the enduring calypso producer mentioned that he was trying to work around the difficulties associated with travel and quarantine restrictions to get to Antigua for King Swallow’s funeral. And, in his typical, quiet fashion, Charlie revealed that he was also focusing on how to properly memorialize and commemorate Dr. Philo for the New Yorkers. They treasure his sterling contributions to Caribbean culture. Stay tuned to hear from Charlie.

John Evelyn, aka “Wire,” is a member of the once renowned Disc Jockey and promotional group, ”The Rock & Roll Outlaws.”