2015 Canadian Calypso Monarch on Ice

OCPA: Start listening to Membership!!

By William Doyle-Marshall

I never thought in the history of Canadian Calypso development that I would hear that calypsonians will not compete for the bragging rights to be the best in the land. Well it has happened thanks to calypsonians and the body responsible for guiding the future of the artform.

The Organization for Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) has cancelled this year’s calypso monarch competition. It is pointless blaming OCPA alone. Whoever the cap fits can easily draw the string.

     The executive members of the Organization for Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) are careful to point out that they are doing a lot for calypsonians but there is no appreciation of their efforts. A major claim is: calypsonians do not support anything. They do not attend OCPA events nor do they come out to programmes that calypso tents organize during the year. There is some truth in this claim. But one must ask what sort of outreach is done among the calypso fraternity or in the wider music or cultural community in the Greater Toronto Area? It may be useful to consult with John Perez who gets calypsonians and supporters to attend his functions. Remember the memorial for Santa? We were there and there was no major promotional funding involved.

   It was quite a shock last week when Colin Benjamin, President of the Organization for Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) announced cancellation of the calypso finals for this year due to poor registration numbers. That certainly is very difficult to understand. It would have been about two months away from the competition. By this time things should have been well underway and plans set almost in steel. But no. It was not.

                               Finalists in 2014 Calypso Monarch contest
                               King Csosmos, left and Beginner
   The organization's board is following its bye laws of carrying on with its business in the absence of new elections. Okay, that is legal  but where is the leadership?
   According to its mandate OCPA shouldl be promoting fellowship among members and fostering collaboration and exchanging ideas and information between members of the Calypso community. Members have consistently refused to attend meetings thus preventing the ellection of officers to fill vacancies. the big question is: why is this happening? It sounds like the 'felllowship' fell by the wayside and no one picked it up to dust it off and re-start.
   In case anyone decides to accuse me of being biased as certain board members have done in the past, I must refer to the organization's website. Up to quite recentlythere was no new information about 2015 activities. The year is five months old. I must assume that there are no plans for OCPA to function this year at all. So cancellation of the finals is in keeping with the no agenda of OCPA.

   Response to this no finals decision has been surprising to Toronto’s Caribbean community at large. Dalton Higgins, a former artistic programmer at Harbourfront Center is not surprised by the cancellation, given that Canadian calypsonians are not respected the way they should be”.

   Henry Gomez (King Cosmos) is not surprised. “I think we can all agree that we need a formula to inject new life into the organization and Canadian calypso,” he says emphatically.

 Most of the veteran calypsonians didn't want a competition, he says. “We had been telling the board this for some time, but they thought that by registering non-OCPA calypsonians they would generate enough interest for a competition. It didn't work,” he explains.
   The idea for a calypso extravaganza was suggested by senior calypsonians, because there are several grievances to be addressed before going forward. Gomez says some of these include, judging, the back-up band, the emceeing and last year's high cost of tickets for the show. 

   Is the OCPA Board ready to listen?  Of course, calypsonians are waiting on the details for the extravaganza. How will singers be determined and who will make that decision is a major point in the debate. By the way, the decision not to stage the competition this year was suggested by tent managers at their meeting with OCPA board recently. But the organization seemed determined to do what it desires and things backfired. Wow!

   Attendance has been slipping at the Monarch over the past couple of years, notes Stephen Weir, publicist.  He thinks cancellation is a good move to re-energize the association and the art form here in Ontario.

   Knia Sing, Chair of Caribana Arts Group regards the cancellation as confirmation of his belief that an outside organization (Festival Management Committee) operating Caribana activities‎ would only lead to a deterioration and destruction of “our traditions and authenticity”.

   Phil Vassell, Artistic Director of IRIE Music Festival considers this development ironic that OCPA won't be providing the usual forum for Canadian calypsonians at a time when the music has made great strides and has been growing internationally. He understand the need for attracting new and young talent but he contends “there has to be more dialogue about how to go about doing so”.
   Kevin Padmore, composer and former executive member of OCPA regards the development as unfortunate. He sees it as “the result of people who believe that they are far too smart to listen to the people who are beneath them”.

   Calypsonians and calypso fans are continuing to express their shock and regret at no Calypso Monarch finals this year. This could be a useful opportunity for calypsonians to reflect and prepare to move forward. Calypso is growing by leads and bounds and Canadians should be participating in the development of this powerful art form.