I looked at Mash from my home

Mar 31, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
I looked at Mash from home and on Mash Day it was the biggest ever – as usual. There’s no shame in the claim that it was the biggest ever, if it was. Over thirty floats? Impressive? I suppose.
The thing is, I saw a 1986 Mash Celebration and that was one of the biggest ever, check the records and you’ll see why. Still, this year had its highpoints – I heard on the television more bands playing Guyanese 2010 Soca songs. Unlike last year when most bands were playing songs from other countries dating back as far as the mid nineties (and the funny thing was that those bands entered the Guyana National Park playing those songs) – but I digress. This year it was a plus hearing so much local talent.
The talk of the country this year was the Junior Calypso Monarch. She took that title and also won the AIDS song Calypso Competition, great. Ms. DeFraites skill lies in her excellent singing abilities.
However, I am uncertain if she wrote the lyrics and melody for the song that made her the Junior Monarch. If she did – fair try from a junior. If the song was written by a seasoned competitor or songwriter – then it was a job poorly done.
My reason? The first eight bars of the chorus was a duplication of the West Indies Cricket Anthem “Rally ‘Round the West Indies”.
The resemblance was a bit too blatant, no? Still, who knows maybe it was inadvertent…but I can’t be certain it was incidental since those same eight bars are repeated again.
It’s not the first time, though. Remember when Big Red won the Soca Monarchy? Parts of her number were identical to that old Pop song “Hotel California”. The same thing happened in Barbados a few years before, but the judges never realised what had happened until competition had already ended. Melody creators need to be a bit more original; all music shouldn’t be homage.
So – the Mighty Rebel won the Calypso Monarchy; it’s not the first time. Congratulations to him. I suppose only a “Rebel” can constantly come up with that old music with the same melodies and win Monarchies. Still, most persons asserted that there was not a better song that night. Maybe it was, but certainly the merits of originality have not been lost.
Owing to the pressure on calypsonians and a lack of respect for the profession I opted out of the competition this year.
The unfortunate thing is that this lack of respect has persisted. The convenor for the calypso competition misplaced her cellular phone in the band room this season and then announced the alleged theft over the P.A. System.
It’s obvious what was implicit in her announcement. Incidentally, she did find it in her bag subsequently, and did apologise. Had I been a competitor there I would have left quietly, gone home and taken a rest. Permanently.
Who knows? Perhaps I’ll be back on that calypso stage some time in the future. Perchance – when I’m seventy in the not so distant future. By that time I hope most of the current organisers would have dispersed.
There were a number of workshops and seminars on Calypso this past year. I didn’t indulge. I have held several; of the same in and out of Guyana including one at the premier learning institutions of Guyana. The thing needed more this year is not seminars for the calypsonians but workshops for the convenors and organisers. Maybe I should help them.
Over the years they still have not learnt: Advertisements for the Chutney Finals were rampant for weeks prior to the final show. The Calypso Competition began trickling down days before for the Quarter Final, similarly for the Semi Finals and the advertising for the Finals seemed to be almost indiscernible; if it was earlier only to a select few.
Certainly the organisers are not unaware of better advertising tactics. If they really are pressed for funds, why not have one poster for all three events?
Advertise the finals from the inception with the posters for the preliminaries -ask the public: who will be the next Calypso Monarch. One advertisement covering three competitions. It’s not rocket science.
End of Seminar.
Sweet Kendingo

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