It was blow after blow last Saturday at the annual
National Calypso Monarch semi-final in Skinner Park, San Fernando – better known
as Calypso Fiesta. A day when Calypsos are sung from high noon till long after
sun down.
It’s also a day Trinidad and Tobago listens for the ‘big’
calypsos of the season. Many of the artistes have their followers. Hard hitting
political commentary bards, Cro Cro
and Sugar Aloes are favourites in the
southland which is fiercely PNM and anti-anything else.
I personally do my objective judging and then quarrel
the following day when finalists are published. This year was highly anticipated
because the 1.5 year old People’s Partnership Government provided excess fodder.
Topics ranged from the ‘Raid on press freedom’; ‘lying to the side’ and the ‘Silk
uproar’. Some competitors even hit their fellow artistes hard (poor DeFosto and Crazy).
Some were downright comical in their presentations
(like Devon Seales’s One is One);
while All Rounder did not deserve to
be in that particular competition. Some stayed away from politics and sang about
other hot topics like the CLICO scandal and domestic abuse.
 |
| 2011 National Calypso Monarch winner, Karene Asche |
For my foreign friends, Calypso has its roots in
African music which was transferred to Trinidad and Tobago via slaves. It is
said that “many early calypsos were
sung in French Creole by an individual called a griot. As calypso developed, the role of the griot became known as
a chantuelle and eventually, calypsonian.” (Socafreak.com).
In other words, they
are the quintessential communicators.
My personal favourite modern
day griot is David Rudder. He is THE consummate and ultimate poet and storyteller
– Griot. He learned his art well.
Calypso has now degenerated
to unimaginative and expected lyrical bashing of a government. And it is so
expected, that if this is not adhered to, the singer does not make it to the
finals of a competition. Like one of my favourites - Mista Shak and ‘The Blueprint’. Surprising that he didn’t make the
finals either? I call it the Calypso Cartel.
But I assure you....politicians did cringe last
Saturday. Ouch!
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Sources and further reading
http://www2.nalis.gov.tt/Research/SubjectGuide/Music/Calypso/tabid/104/Default.aspx?PageContentID=73
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