Regarded by many as a national treasure and goodwill ambassador for Limon and Costa Rica, Walter “Gavitt” Furgeson passed away this Saturday.
If you were in Cahuita in the 70’s or 80’s you may have had the chance to hear him play live in one of the bars/pulperias that marked the center of town and where the bus from Limon stopped.
Limon and Cahuita was considered then another world apart from the rest of Costa Rica.
In those days electricity in Cahuita was yet a dream for most and national borders were still a concept only. The highway from San Jose to Limon was promised but the ancient wood car train built in the 1800s (55 stops and 10 hours) was the way most went to the Caribbean Coast. His music was the source of local entertainment on most weekends.
Walter Furgeson encompassed the music and culture of the English speaking Afro Caribbean culture of Costa Rica. He sold homemade cassette tapes of his music out of a cardboard box. Those tapes traveled the world in the suitcases of those lucky enough to have one, making the humble musician an international Calypso legend.
Born in Panama, Mr. Furgseson was just granted honorary Costa Rican citizenship just this past week by the Costa Rica government.
It is truly a sad day here in Costa Rica but we celebrate his long life and the gift of the unique Costa Rican Calypso music he has given us all.
