Church leaders respond to use of religious symbols in carnival

by Bria King

Religious leaders see no problem with the use of the cross and other religious symbols in calypso or soca songs as long as they are used in an appropriate context.

During Delroy ‘Fireman’ Hooper’s winning performance at last weekend’s Soca Monarch competition with his song “Amen”, patrons could be seen brandishing crosses and dancing wildly in the audience.

Since then, many persons have used social media and the radio to condemn Hooper for what they say is making a mockery of the cross.

One person on SEARCHLIGHT’s Facebook page commented that “the
Lord is not please(d). What they did here is so wrong and may God have mercy on St Vincent cause he will step in. I don’t care if it’s soca, don’t bring Jesus into it. The Lord do not like when people mock him.”

Another person simply stated “I don’t like this cross business.”

But, Bishop Sonny Williams, the General Bishop elect of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies International said that whether the use of the cross is seen as a mockery is dependent on the intent of the artiste or song writer.

“My view is if we praise God in any way and any form – once that’s the intent, then I see no big problem with it,” the bishop said.

“Traditionally, these symbols are not associated with carnival. Things like rum and whining and so on are associated with carnival, but if any subject that has to do with Christianity, I think it’s more the intent.”

Williams said that the cross represents the sum total of the Christian faith. He further said that it is an important symbol as it speaks to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

“The use of it in the song and in carnival could be very controversial, but we often say that carnival is too much associated with drunkenness and sexual violence against women, so I think if an artiste should talk about prayer, then perhaps maybe that might be a good alternative,” he said.

Father Mark de Silva, a Catholic priest, shared a similar view.

He told SEARCHLIGHT in his personal opinion, there was nothing wrong with alluding to religious symbols or phrases in calypso and soca.

de Silva gave an example of Trinidadian calypsonian, David Rudder who released “High Mas” in 1998; a song that mirrored the Our Father prayer. And he said that the song was one that was well done and is still a hit after many years.

patrons brandishing crosses and dancing wildly in the audience to Delroy ‘Fireman’ Hooper’s winning song “Amen”.

de Silva also said that it was possible to bring God into a bad situation so that it can become better.

However, the priest said that carnival in St Vincent and the Grenadines has lost much of its cultural aspects and that there was nothing godly about the festival.

“I’m not happy how they are bringing God into a festival that is not godly. The carnival festival has gone overboard with licentiousness, with alcohol, with everything. It’s just gone overboard,” de Silva said.

Fireman has responded to the backlash he has been receiving for “Amen” by saying that he is a spiritual person.

He highlighted that Amen means “so be it” and is usually said at the end of prayers.

“Music comes from heaven the last time I checked and because music comes from heaven, spirituality is part of music and people always tend to gravitate towards spiritual stuff no matter how a man is,” the soca monarch champion said.

Fireman ‘Amen’ Lyrics

When yo see hypocrite and haters somebody say…

Verse 1
This morning when I rise to pray
I thank the Lord for another day
I pray for the mas and the festival
And to see another bacchanal

So when haters see you ah pass
Jumping up an yo playing yo mas
When bad mind see you an ah cast them spell
Just show them de sign ah de cross
An sing

Chorus
Amen x 5
When yo see them coming
Dust them out, run them, run them
Dust them out, run them, run them
Dust them out, run them
Dust them out, run them, run them
Dust them out, run them
Dust them out, run them, run them
Dust them out, run them
Dust them out, run them

Verse 2
Every year we ah wait to jam
To sweet soca and steel pan
Ah pray for the artiste who ah build dem song
So revellers can unit as one
And when bad mind wah see yo fail
But by the grace ah God you prevail
An stumbling block just ah move out yo way
When yo show them de sign an wave
An sing

Chorus
Chanting (danga danga dinge dinge) x3
Just show them the sign ah the cross
An sing

Chorus
Repeat Verse 1 and Chorus