Calypso always in trouble

Dec 14, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
The last Mashramani Calypso competition held earlier this year was surrounded by some incidents. A particular one was Sweet Kendingo’s refusal to go to Bartica by ferry claiming that the travelling hours are too long when one has to perform the same night.
As a conciliatory measure a jet boat was made available and all calypsonians enjoyed a one-hour trip to Bartica.
As usual the treatment meted out to us calypsonians was synonymous with that meted out to lower class of animals. One would expect that since this was a calypso competition, then the interest of the calypsonians would be paramount but this is not so. We come last, “dead last”.
Just consider the fact that the jet boat was moored and calypsonians boarded with ease. To my amazement we were asked to disembark. The Convenor and another member from the Mash Committee had to board first then the lesser class of animals, the calypsonians, were allowed to board.
I laughed; until now I am still laughing but it is laughter tinged with indignation. Semi-finals started at that venue by the Bartica Stelling. The dressing room was deplorable. It was simply an area back-stage consisting of one little table and two chairs.
Mighty Smoker and daughter were given the privilege to use same because he is differently abled. The rest of us were left to stand or stoop for the entire duration of the competition while our costumes were hung on the stelling gates. The convenor for calypso or any member of that committee was never seen backstage.
Now we are heading for a new Mash Season; the auditions for 2012 Mash calypso competition were held on November 19, 2011. I understand that I have passed the audition.
Every year auditions are held around this time. I wonder what difference it would have made if the audition was held two weeks after National Elections rather than a week and two days before.
Please note the results for that audition were made available only on Sunday December 4, 2011. You may wonder what elections have to do with calypso. Mighty Rebel, Sweet Kendingo and Ras Marcus— the politics of the land have made those calypsonians what they are.
These calypsonians have the natural skills to take a “whack” at the politicians and their policies. They caused the crowd to roar with laughter. From the early eighties to now we have maintained that. I remember vividly Rebel with “Riceton” and “Desi you wrong”. There was Sweet Kendingo with “Is facts we facing”, “We want more money”, “Get ready” and “You got to sing Calypso”.
Rebel retired this year; Ras Marcus is still here; what of Sweet Kendingo? The politics of the land is at a stage where it has never been. For the first time a man from Essequibo is Guyana’s President.
For the first time the government of the day has fewer seats in parliament than the combined opposition. The elections campaign was exciting. APNU was on the street again. Sadly we the calypsonians cannot give an analysis.
Everything is set for a good analogy between the two leading political parties. Over the years, organisers have behaved worse than monkeys and the treatment handed down to calypsonians has been more appalling than that given donkeys. To return to the prior point, patrons would go to the semi-finals and finals to hear “What dem boy say bout the politics”.
But those witty boys could only write what they had predicted and nobody could have predicted this. The senior calypsonians with their political wits are in a dilemma. We write and sing to please the crowd when we have a chance to. The committee has killed that.
The young monarch, Professor, did not hand in his lyrics at the auditions. He would have that chance to write what he wants. The junior calypsonians lyrics should have been in also because the winner goes to the National finals. The exact thing happened last year.
I made a significant hullabaloo about it. Rebel was the reigning monarch, he subsequently retired.
If some lyrics have to be in at a specific time and another set of lyrics whenever, it is not a level playing field. The calypso committee does what it wants every year and it is disgusting.
When one’s intelligence has to be constantly insulted by a pack of minorities (there are more calypsonians than people in “charge” of them), it is time to cease conversation. The Minister should dismiss this useless body immediately. I will return after that because right now they are more important to calypso that me— a three-time calypso Monarch and the only Calypsonian to win “Road March, Soca and Calypso Monarchies, and the only Guyanese to represent Guyana on a World calypso and Soca competitions. “Calypso Always in Trouble”.
Sweet Kendingo

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