O’Marde, Dorbrene Eversfield

Dorbrene Eversfield O’Marde was born in Antigua/Barbuda, graduated from the Antigua Grammar School then continued his studies at UWI Cave Hill, the University of Toronto and Tulane University where he obtained a Masters of Public Health. He is best known as a playwright, director and producer of theatre and music, newspaper/magazine columnist, public speaker, and calypso writer, judge and analyst. He has created lyrics and melodies for many leading calypsonians in Antigua/Barbuda, judged national and regional calypso competitions, conducted calypso judging workshops and written and spoken extensively on calypso and other aspects of Caribbean culture and creativity.

Dorbrene has written and produced five full length plays and directed at least a dozen Caribbean, Black American and African plays with the Harambee Open Air Theatre in Antigua and Barbuda.  He was once a member of the Theatre Information Exchange (TIE) and the Eastern Caribbean Popular Theatre Organization (ECPTO).

In his first novel Send Out You Hand (2012) he examines the intersecting lives of men and women pursuing regional goals.  Dorbrene’s second work is a biography entitled King Short Shirt: Nobody Go Run Me (2013) which celebrates the master calypsonian’s seventieth birthday and his fifty years of calypso performance.

In 2010, Dorbrene received the ‘Friends of the Arts’ Sunshine Award and recently he was named Calypso Composer 2013 by the Wadadli Calypso Association.