Zion-I coming back with vengeance (+Video)

“You subdue me this year, I come for you next year again,” the controversy-stirring calypsonian Alvin ‘Zion-I’ Dennie has promised.

Singing a preview of a song he wrote on his experience in Vincymas 2022, the calypsonian sang: “This year is more fire…beginning to end…Allyo victimise me before, victimise me again…Allyuh think I joking, feel I come to play. ..Even though is jail or cemetery me ain really care…”

After staying out of the arena for seven years, the popular Zion-I came back to the microphone for Carnival 2022 to be greeted by pushback from the Carnival Development Corporation(CDC) and the state-owned VC3 television channel in relation to lyrics that have been said to be defamatory in his song ‘Hypocrites’.

‘Hypocrites’ hits out at various groups including the Government, and the judges and audiences at calypso shows. (see video of an edited version of ‘Hypocrites’)

Even though the calypsonian was forced to, and did change his lyrics before the competitions this year, his performance was not shown on VC3 – which is the only

entity that was allowed to stream the events for Vincymas 2022.

Instead, viewers who paid to see ‘PanKaiMas’ on July 3 were treated to a looping of advertisements when Zion-I took to the stage. This meant that only persons present at Victoria Park that night witnessed his performance.

Acting Operations Manager of VC3, Anthony Dennie, who provided “No comment” to SEARCHLIGHT saying that he’s “said enough”, had, however, earlier admitted to local media entity iWitness News that this decision had been taken even before the show, and subscribers had not been informed of it.

The official explained to iWitness News that they did not show the performance of Zion-I “because of the fact that there were instances in the past – and this is VC3, this is not CDC – where calypsonians would have submitted their lyrics and still would have gone on stage and changed their lyrics.”

He also claimed they had to “liberally coax” Zion-I to sing the revised lyrics at the finals.

Zion-I told SEARCHLIGHT that he was not informed that he would not be shown during the livestream, and only heard afterwards that his performance had not been shown.

“I was very disturbed after because I wonder ‘what is so bad about me and my song?’” he contemplated, “why hide me? why hide me from the world?”

“…I mean come on, I’m singing to the world like everyone else…And why were [other finalists] given the opportunity to sing to the world, but I can only sing to the local audience? It was victimisation,” the 63-year-old commented.

In response to a question on how his experience was this year, the calypsonian thought about it for a while before concluding that it was “unusual”.

“…The sort of problems that I went through somehow it affected me emotionally in many different occasions you know?” he explained.

While saying he did not want to be sarcastic, he noted “to be realistic…to me is demonic. Yeah. I think I had a real demonic assault from the CDC in this year’s semifinals and finals.”

“I really, really, – and I don’t know why. I just don’t know what was so wrong about me- you know I keep singing from since 1986 and somewhere along the line, all through the season I just face problem from the preliminary shows up to the finals,” he contemplated.

At the semifinals, the calypsonian was warned that if he sang the original lyrics, his microphone

would be cut. Chief Executive Officer of the CDC Ashford Wood said he told the singer this because Zion-I had said he would sing the original lyrics.

The calypsonian said that at the time, he was asking what if he forgot his lyrics and dropped in the older lyrics. He felt the way he was approached was like he was a “wanted” man and said he felt stressed during the performance.

However, Zion-I said he is okay now.

When SEARCHLIGHT spoke with the calypsonian on Wednesday, he explained, “I ready for them, I ready for them.They give me a challenge so I’m showing them I ready. If is tomorrow I ready. And I go hit them real hard… the issues that I going drop on these people…you would want to know ‘boy this ain’t easing up’”. A friend recently reminded him of how hard-hitting his songs from years ago were, Zion-I explained, when the person played them back to him.

“…When I listen them, I can’t believe is my songs. And they real hard hitting, punching the Government too…so is not now I punching them. I punching them all the time,” Zion-I said calmly.

“I don’t go down.You subdue me this year I come for you next year again,” he stated, adding “…And I would sing on any Government. I am a supporter of the NDP (New Democratic Party) but that doesn’t mean if the NDP gets into office that I am going to sing in bed with the NDP.”

“I am going to sing for the people. I am the voice of the people. So anyhow the politicians go the wrong direction I hitting them. Anyhow the society goes wrong I hitting them. Because my duty is to stabilise the society.”

When asked if this was his duty as a calypsonian, he confirmed this, saying “That’s my job.”

He also concluded, “trust me, all in all, this year wasn’t nice for me. But…I think they make me more stronger because I could tell you – you see next year, as long as I live, what I would be singing, it will hurt them even more.”