A calypso flurry?!

The Calypso’s emergence from the cane fields and slave yards to the tents and stages of today would have involved it in many controversies. We remember in modern times the case of De Man Age; of the State’s radio station developing technical problems when a song critical of the government was being played and of officials pulling the plug at the Victoria Park; And of course, Zion- I last year. I consider myself a fan of the Calypso and of Calypso music. While still a young student at secondary school I had the privilege of having in my home every year Sparrow’s annual album, listening to calypsos on Radio Trinidad and Guardian. Caribbean Pete was my teacher. His songs were sung at the back of a shop at my home. I remembered vividly when I heard the news that ‘Young Sparrow’ had dethroned him. I have said all of this to make the point that I have for long been a fan of the calypso, have delivered lectures on it and made at least one presentation at a UWI Trinidad seminar on the calypso, part of an ISER/UWI CALYPSO RESEARCH PROJECT IN 1986.

So last week’s controversy involving ZION -I at the On Tour Calypso Tent show captured my attention. I am a fan of ZION-I. I like his hard hitting, coming from the heart compositions. On Social/Political commentary however Abijah for me takes the cake. I repeat what I wrote about some time ago. At an address at a Calypso Symposium held at the UWI Centre here on September 10, 1988, I stated then that there was an emphasis on social and political commentary and bemoaned what to me was a fact, that the fun and humour had gone out of Calypso and that there was no reason why social commentary could not be communicated this way. I drew attention to the naturally funny and humorous Calypsonian Professor and spoke highly of Poorsa’s “Mouth in me Moma” and his composition the year before, “Eyewater”. One of the calypsonians who was critical of my position was Abijah and I can state today that Abijah is one of the best exponents of what I was calling for then.

Now to go on to Zion I, I do not like name calling in calypsos. The argument that when you call a name, there will be others carrying that same name does not hold water because the Court deals with context. I believe that a well-crafted calypso would reveal what you are talking about. Of course, Zion I has a different approach to the calypso. Just listen to his calypso last year! We as calypso lovers and also calypsonians have to be aware of the realities on the ground. In slave society the enslaved mocked their masters, knowing that they didn’t understand what they were singing about but all those who were enslaved understood what was being sung.  It would have been part of their conversation. Mrs Carmichael, the wife of a plantation owner was mystified by the songs the enslaved sang. She said they had fertile imaginations, composing impromptu words to their songs that were in her opinion ludicrous, singing it over and others joining in a chorus. What she didn’t realise was that the songs were ones mocking her and other planters.

Today our reality has to do with the law which really protects the rich and powerful who are in command. Based on people’s reaction, the assumption is that Zion-I’s reference point was a matter that did not make its way through the Court system that might in their minds have settled the matter once and for all. I don’t know, but if that is so, one cannot simply dismiss and pretend that there are no legal implications. But there are other aspects. IPA, the Tent leader had spoken about untiring efforts to attract sponsorship for the Tent and was obviously concerned about the reactions of certain people and companies on whom they depended. The threats of libel suits would always be hanging out there and others including the radio stations that covered the event might find themselves vulnerable.

I have for long been critical of how the Tents are organised. I have limited my attendance because of having to sit for long periods before the shows start. I realise that the organisers face many problems and are badly in need of financial support. I would really like to see a long ‘Tent’ season, with calypsonians singing at different times, not only their competition songs, but songs involving picong that would entertain patrons at the Tents. A longer tent season and with better organisation we might realise that the calypso is still more popular than we think; that it remains the peoples’ ‘thing’ and that the calypsonian is still the peoples’ messenger.

The CDC manager had spoken last year about having only one song being sung at the finals. I am against that and feel that it will do little to develop the art form. A year ago, I believe, I was looking at the Calypso finals in Dominica and realised that the crowd it attracted seemed to have been as big as or even bigger than the crowd that used to be attracted to our Soca finals. The challenge for the calypso fraternity is to find ways of getting around the many obstacles, legal and others, that would appear once songs are produced that mock the rich and powerful. Fight them on grounds that you create.

What about a well-organized calypso seminar/workshop/symposium with good facilitators to look at the many challenges and to ensure that we keep the calypso alive. Efforts also must be made to continue to reach out to the young people. The Chairman of the Calypso Association and his Committee should use what has happened to pull the Association together and overcome any fallout from the unfortunate Zion I issue.