A new set of stamps celebrating Bermuda Troubadours were launched yesterday to remember the people and their songs.

These stamps are a commemorative of Calypsonians from the 1930's to 1950's such as, Sydney Bean, Kingsley Swan, Hubert Smith, the Talbot Brothers and Stan Seymour.

Senator David Burch gave the welcoming remarks thanking MasterWorks Museum of Bermuda Art for the use of their images.

"The impetus behind today's 'Bermuda's Troubadours' stamp is to ensure that they, and their songs, are remembered for generations to come," said the Senator.

"Many Bermudians first learned to play instruments in bands linked with the local militia, churches and other community organisations, like the Salvation Army, the lodges and the North Village and Somerset Brigade Bands," he said.

Postmaster General Mr. George Outerbridge and Chairman Dame Jennifer Smith introduced the Troubadours series to the public noting the representation of each stamp and the artist appearing on each one.

The 35 cent stamp represents Celeste & Al Harris, the 70 cent stamp represents Calypsonians Hubert Smith, Sydney Bean, Erskine Zuill, and Four Deuces, The 85 cent stamp represents Calypso Varieties from Bermuda - including Hubert Smith with The Mighty Skipper and the Coral Islanders and $1.10 stamp represents The Talbot Brothers.

The evolution of music in Bermuda was primarily church music, which over the centuries embraced a wide range of styles from the formal works of European composers to the compelling Black spiritual and gospel songs.

Jazz, folk, swing and classical music also had a strong presence on the Bermuda music scene. In the early decades of the twentieth century, jazz became popular and a number of professional and semi-professional orchestras flourished with the expansion of tourism in the 1930s.

In the late 1940s and 1950s Bermuda caught the calypso 'bug'. Local clubs and hotels became infected with the lively rhythmic and harmonic tunes that embodied witty social observations, sexual innuendo and poetic language.

Calypso dominated the music scene until its decline in the 1970s when Jamaican reggae, disco and R&B took over.

The Bermuda Troubadours were well versed in all genres and were capable of adapting their performances depending on the audience.

The stories of the selected musicians provide only a glimpse into their lives and achievements at home and abroad.

Sydney Bean, "Daddy of Calypso" was a prolific songwriter and probably Bermuda's most recognised entertainer and musician.

Sydney received his musical training in church. He taught himself guitar and bass and sang with the Mark Williams Band.

Always dressed in colourful outfits and rarely photographed without an instrument in his arms, he was a pioneer in creating a distinct Bermudian calypso sound.

Celeste Spencer Robinson, Bermuda's Queen of Calypso, reluctantly entered the calypso scene when Lancelot and Robert Hayward heard her unique raspy voice and wrote her into their stage show at the Opera House.

Her popularity was at its peak when she sang with Kingsley Swan's band at Angel's Grotto and then later at Harmony Hall with Al Harris.

In 1958 she toured the military bases in the US with Preston's Love Band and two years later to every American state with Dinah Washington, her highlight was a weeklong appearance at the famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York.

Alfred Harris, Big Al, was a Bermuda music legend.

Al was a phenomenal pianist and made a significant contribution to the development of live music in Bermuda.

By 1945, Big Al formed his own 12-piece orchestra and later his Calypso Band.

In addition to being an accomplished pianist, he also coached many aspiring vocalists such as Pam White and Violetta Carmichael.

The Talbot Brothers started as a "Barber shop" four-part harmony in the 1930s. The original members were Archie, Austin, Roy and their cousin Stovell.

They first began their musical endeavors singing in church and then performing for their aunties and at private parties.

They were prolific songwriters on the topics of love and current local and world issues.

The Talbot Brothers were renowned for their spontaneity and ad-libbing and incorporating members of the audience into their songs.

Kenneth 'Sonny' Flood, Kenneth 'Joe' Hayward, Robert 'Duke' Joell and Cecil Emery started playing together in the 1940s. The Four Deuces were renowned for their aptitude for rhythm. The ukulele and an upbeat tempo that made you move your feet created their distinct sound. Besides calypso, they also performed rumba, samba and the waltz.

At six, Hubert Smith started to play around with the ukulele; at nine he began writing jingles about his friends; by 13, he was singing to tourists on Front Street; at 15 he was spotted by Mark Williams 'grandfather of local jazz' while performing at the Opera House.

Hubert was asked to compose a song entitled 'Bermuda is a Different World' for a briefing tour.

On Hubert's year-round ritual morning swim at Spanish Point, he composed the entire song - lyrics and music composition - but made the change from 'different' to 'another' to create his signature piece and the island's unofficial national anthem.

Erskine Zuill taught himself to play the ukulele by practicing constantly and playing it wherever he went, causing passing tourists to stop along the roadside to listen to him.

He was Bermuda's first entertainer on board the cruise boat Pricilla and was renowned for singing for two hours straight and never repeating a song.

Throughout his time as a musician, he contributed songs to many local records and released a solo album, 'Calypso at the Carlton Beach' with local producer Eddie DeMello.