Toronto Calypso Body Moving
Backwards
By William Doyle-Marshall
The Organization of Calypso Performing
Artistes (OCPA) headed by Collin Benjamin, held its first major meeting for the
year and members overturned a board of directors’ decision to punish one of
last year’s Calypso Monarch finalists – Pat McNeilly (Panman Pat).
McNeilly walked off the stage during
performance of his second selection in the competition due to what he termed a
technical problem involving the sound and the accompanying band. Despite his
action the judges marked his performance rather than disqualifying him from the
contest. Subsequently the board met and decided McNeilly would not be paid his
appearance fee as the other contestants because members felt he had embarrassed
them. McNeilly was not summoned to the meeting so he had no chance to defend his
action competition night. At Saturday’s meeting he informed the leadership of
the organization that its action was illegal therefore its decision should be
set aside.
Judging of calypsos has been a sore
point for decades even back in the Calypso mecca – Trinidad and Tobago. Often
calypso fans question judges’ ruling. We learn that McNeilly’s walking off
stage last year was seen as part of his act by the judges. That amounts for his
high placing in the contest’s final tally. If that is not judging incompetence
then I don’t know the difference between rain and snow. In attempting to defend
the illegal and unconstitutional action Benjamin and his supporters claimed
this was a new development and there were no precedents to follow. However the
majority voted that the decision should be rescinded and McNeilly’s appearance
fee be paid to him. Benjamin and his team were reminded that ignorance of the
law as no excuse. In any democratic court the defendant or accused has to be
given the opportunity to defend himself or herself. Because the board’s
decision was made in what was termed a ‘kangaroo style setting’ members could
not go along with it.
It felt as though calypsonians were
getting ready to take matters in their hands and ensure the board of directors
follow the dictates of democratic operations. They signaled to leadership that
serious action is needed in a number of areas. The practice by deejays of playing
mainly foreign calypsos in Canadian calypso tents; getting local deejays to
play Canadian calypsos at parties and on the Carnival festival parade route;
making available to steelbands compositions by Canadian composers and hiring
new musicians for Calypso Monarch finals while those who worked with the
singers during the season were cast aside were among issues raised at
Saturday’s meeting. The prevailing mood felt as though membership is preparing
to advocate for their concerns to be addressed satisfactorily.
Funding of calypso tents has been a
major issue within recent times. Consequently Master’s Cove Tent did not
receive any financial support for two consecutive years. Benjamin and his board
argued that organizers of the tent failed to follow OCPA rules and that
resulted in the tent not being funded. The dispute arose over days of
operation. OCPA expected the tent to open on Friday nights and had gone ahead
informing its sponsors of this without properly consulting with operators of De
Master’s Cove. Every singer in that tent was bona fide dues paying members of
the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA). Despite having paid their dues to OCPA for
2013 the organization refused to acknowledge the tent over a very petty matter
that could have been resolved. At a previous meeting membership voted that all
three tents are to be funded this year. Very interesting Benjamin told members the
other two tents -- Professionals and Kaiso Forum -- will receive the same
amount of funding as they did last year. But he has to find a way to obtain
financial resources for De Master’s Cove. Some members publicly expressed the
sentiment that all Calypso tents should receive equal funding. If OCPA withheld
funding from one tent over the last two years their money should be in the
bank. If it is not then the executive must account to membership: when was the decision
made to utilize the excess money that should have gone to De Master’s Cove. Is
OCPA spending calypsonians’ money without authorization?
After staging its Calypso Monarch festival
for many years, OCPA should have the formula down pat by now. Clearly this is
not the case. At the April meeting members received a schedule of activities
for 2014. But it is safe to conclude that no consultation was made before the
list of events was presented. Professionals Calypso Tent spokesperson expressed
surprise. OCPA listed calypso tent dates as June 20 through July 13. But that
tent is scheduled to open June 14 and close July 5. The dates were booked long
in advance whereas OCPA did not consult with tent operators before springing its
surprise list on members. This prompted the organization’s leadership to set a
tent managers’ meeting for April 30. This is certainly a case of putting the cart
before the horse. Is this the kind of professionalism calypsonians can expect
for this summer? It surely looks shoddy.
