Trinidad Calypso Monarch Competition Hot Like Fire

Political Issues Plus in 2016 T&T Calypso Monarch Finals

By William Doyle-Marshall

Caribbeanites from the Diaspora have made their annual pilgrimage down to Trinidad and Tobago to either participate or be spectators in the mammoth carnival celebrations in high swing there. Two of Canada’s top calypsonians are down there as well. Macomere Fifi, many time Canadian Calypso Monarch was among semi-finalists in last Saturday’s Calypso Monarch semifinals at Skinner Park in south Trinidad. She made us proud with her performance of “Before You Gone” – a tribute to the Mighty Sparrow, Calypso King of the World. However she did not make it into the finals taking place later this week. The feeling among music lovers including some in Trinidad and Tobago is that she could have been among the finalists. One caller to Sunday morning broadcast in Port of Spain lamented at her absence. He noted there have been calypsonians selected to participate in the finals whose songs said nothing. The caller told Macomere Fifi and Short Pants, host of the show, Fifi should have been selected by the judges. But as the saying goes “the judges’ decision is final”.

Dick Lochan, Chairman of the Organization for Calypso Performing Artists is in the country participating in a Roving Calypso Tent. He has been a regular on the scene over the past few years.

   Meanwhile, this year’s finalists vying for the 2016 Calypso Monarch consists of Skatie (Carlos James), Devon Seal, Chalkdust (Dr. Hollis Liverpool), Heather McIntosh, Felon Francis, Lady Adanna (Marsha Clifton), Mistah Shak (Selvon Noel), Gypsy (Winston Peters),

Gypsy (Winston Peters) minister in the PP's Government

Karene Asche, Queen Victoria (Victoria Cooper Rahim) and Cro Cro (Weston Rawlins). Brian London is the reserve. Chucky, the reigning Monarch is set to defend the title at Sunday night's Dimanche Gras show, Queen's Park Savannah.

Some lovers of the calypso artform complain about compositions that relate to the affairs of the environment – politics, discrimination, injustice etc. But from all indications the judges are offering all those who attend the finals a mix of presentations that attempt to address serious matters affecting the nation of Trinidad and Tobago. The departure of the past People’s Partnership (PP) government headed by Kamla Persad-Bissessar receives tremendous attention. The high Crime rate, domestic violence and overall warnings to the  People’s National Government that the people are expecting much better treatment from its policies.

   Cro Cro (Weston Rawlins) in his composition “A Message to the Boss” warns “a person who doesn’t take advice, eventually will pay the price”. It was his way of rebuking former PM Persad-Bissessar for not taking good advice. Now that the country has a new Prime Minister in Dr. Keith Rowley, the calypsonian feels compelled to advise him against following the practice of the past Government. It is safe to conclude Cro Cro’s calypso is his mantra for Dr. Rowley to emerge as a respected Prime Minister. Among other things Cro Cro urges the Prime Minister to use his motorcar and only travel by the government’s helicopter in case of emergency. When the PNM got elected recently it discovered there was a massive million dollar bill for helicopter travel by the then Prime Minister.

   “When you play with fire you must get burn. Doh ever play yuh too big, yuh high and mighty and you can’t take this simple advice from me,” Cro Cro sings.

    “Careful when you go Tobago. Don’t drink rum and capsize in Les Coteaux. Doh play dat you going and look for Stalin. If you going, you must carry something for him. Remember to take the bull by the horn. If something wrong, make it right. Don’t say ‘let’s move on. Do everything opposite to Kamla and you would be a respected Prime Minister,” Cro Cro continues in his words of advice.

 Lady Adanna’s composition – A Murder A Day – laments the high murder rate in the country. “I once saw a light at the end of a dark tunnel. All my hopes and energy I used to funnel towards the vision of my nation 2020 vision. Anxiety that I felt for a bright tomorrow has dovetailed into abject sorrow,” she sang to the Skinner Park audience last Saturday.

   She pleads through “A murder A day”, for reliev from the strain as it seems like her people, are going insane. “A murder a day, bodies falling like rain. A murder a day, tell me when we will be sane again, again and again. Though we boast about we oil and wealth abundance but if we do not help the poor that is repugnant,” Lady Adanna warns. She questions the reason for this “sleazy, sleazy situation: how we deal with the wealth and its distribution.”

  Chalkdust’s offering painted a picture for understanding a Trinidadian’s attitude particularly when he or she is annoyed. “When Trini Vex” is the title in which he contends everyone in this world gets vex now and then. But in the case of a Trinidadian the behavior is completely different. As an example Chalkdust sings “when Muslims get vex they don’t commit crime. They does go Syria to see Jesus before dey time.” When it was the case for former Prime Minister Kamla to get vex, Chalkie told the Skinner Park crowd she sends texts to her drinking partners informing that she will not be drinking scotch with them again. The eight-time Calypso Monarch compares his brothers and sisters in T&T with Londoners regarding price hike for transportation. Chalkdust said the Londoners will not ride the transit but elect to use subway instead but Trinis would take their car very early, without license and drive it on the priority route.

   Newly crowned Young King Felon Francis, offers his view of sweet Trinidad. “You may not understand me or see that I truly love my country, full of culture, resources: a people that loves to party. See most of us think about self and won’t admit when she needs help. So it’s time to admit she sick or she’ll never come back to health.   While urging his peers to spend their money on party and fun, Francis calls on them to remember their land is in recession. “We keep talking ‘bout bringing down crime but without drastic measures we wasting we time. We got to stop being so ignorant. Move your problems from the back to the front. You see this is the only way, if we want to fix tomorrow we must fix today. Living in love, love, love but we does love without peace,” Francis warns.