Ricardo Anthony Has Reunited His Multinational Force Band

With anthems like Hot, Hot, Hot and Long Time, Arrow kept many soca parties jamming. Thirteen years after his death, he is still revered in Caribbean music circles.

Ricardo Anthony, Arrow's former drummer and musical director, has reunited his Multinational Force Band and plans to resume doing shows in the Caribbean, United Kingdom and North America this summer.

"Arrow's body of work representing the Caribbean in the far corners of the globe is a marvel. This type of contribution should never be made to sit dormant while our region continues our fight for global recognition. I witnessed this work firsthand, I was there. The stories are long and very compelling and involves a lot of people known and unknown making great sacrifices," said Anthony. "I had no choice but to put this band back together. Fans have been asking me over the years to do so, and I cannot in good faith leave any of Arrow’s masterpieces laying dormant."

The first date on the Legacy Tour is scheduled for August 6 in Antigua at De Breakfast Fete.

Trinidadian singer Kevon Carter is lead singer for the band which has fellow 'Trini' Glenda Ifill and keyboardist Roland Richards, as survivors of the classic Arrow era which covered the late 1980s to early 1990s.

Argentinian saxophonist Cecelia Tenconi, who has worked with Herbie Mann and Bette Midler, is also a member of the seven-piece band.

It was Ifill who introduced Anthony to Arrow in 1986 and he joined the Multinational Force Band that year as a drumme/percussionist. He became a full-time member in 1987 and left in 2000.

Anthony (as Ricardo Mason) played on several of Arrow’s albums including Classics Plus which contained remixes of the artist's biggest hits.

The Montserrat-born Arrow, who died in that country at age 60, reached a wider audience than most soca artists. Hot, Hot, Hot, covered by American singer Buster Poindexter, remains a staple at frat parties in the United States and events like Spring Break.

"Arrow is not just your typical calypso and soca artist. He is a man with a long and powerful music history, most of which existed with other great musicians long before my time. There have been many versions of bands backing Arrow over his long and illustrious music career," said Anthony. "He has broken many barriers socially and culturally to enable this version of the Multinational Force which was assembled in 1987 to exist today and we are forever grateful."

The Multinational Force Band are expected to perform in London, Orlando, New York and St. Maarten.