Latest update January 28th, 2025 12:59 AM
Latest News
- ‘With hands on oil money, Govt. ditches promise to set up Petroleum Commission’ -Shurwayne Holder
- Oil minister lashes PNC for failing to commit to renegotiation of Exxon deal while Gov’t refuses to do same
- Drug trade putting tremendous strain on security forces – Min. Benn
- New Cotton Field Secondary School to cost $1.7B
- Shadow foreign minister calls out CARICOM over silence in face of recent aggression by Venezuela
This individual’s misguided claim of collusion and drawback is ludicrous
DEAR EDITOR,
It is with shock and horror that I read a letter to the editor dated 1st March 2018 captioned ‘The judging was stacked’ in Kaieteur News by one D. Browne, where the writer pointed out that two production houses were in collusion with the Convenor and Judges with decisions that would favour these same two companies.
Ambiguous as it is, it became a little more direct when the writer said that the first five places in Calypso went to these two labels, of which my company got 2nd in King Perai – Deh frighten Green and 3rd in the 2017 defending Monarch – Something Coming.
Let me say that there were only four prize-winning places in the Seniors and I wish to state categorically that there was no collusion with me (Bonny Alves), my label or anyone associated with my brand!
I can strongly represent my case which begins with the Junior Calypso Competition, a competition the writer mentioned that the decisions were fixed. I would like the public to know that I had six songs in the Junior Calypso and Junior Soca Competitions which was staged the same night with four contestants, two of which were doubling.
One of my Contestants Niomi Alsopp who sang Juan and the Speaker, was strongly favoured to win, acquiring almost 40,000 views on Facebook in one week, plus an excellent on-stage performance presentation and crowd response on the night, where many thought she would win that competition.
At the end of the day, my label, SSignal Productions, of eight top places got nothing, not even fourth, so SSignal Productions left the Junior Calypso and Junior Soca Competitions with Zero!! Is this evidence of Collusion?? The decisions given were certainly not in my production house’s favour and so the argument of collusion with SSignal Productions in the Junior Competitions does not hold!! But I am not insinuating that those who would have won and placed were in collusion.
In the Senior Calypso competition SSignal Productions had the defending Monarch Diana Chapman – with a very strong song titled Something Coming – who placed 3rd, and a very witty calypso in King Perai — Deh Frighten Green who placed 2nd. The renditions were very well received by the audience, justifying that their positions were earned and not fixed. These are the only winning positions SSignal Productions got in 2018 after entering five competitions, with 11 artistes and 14 songs!!
We understand in competition these things happen. We have been in the business long, and besides, there were other good songs in the competition. To my mind, some people are just sour losers. You cannot win a competition based on lyrics alone; if so, then let’s all go on stage and recite our calypso! There are other critical elements that need to be considered such as diction, tonal quality, intonation, presentation and articulation, and it is articulation that defines a calypsonian from someone who can just sing a calypso. Calypsonians thrive on controversy, it is one of the elements that fuels a calypso, especially when satire is added to it. There is much more I can say, but this is all I will for now.
Editor, I am simply responding because my integrity is questioned and challenged, which I must defend with all my might, and this was done without proper research and groundings, greatly diminishing the writer’s misguided claim of collusion and drawback, which is ludicrous.
I would like to add that Mr. Sean Bhola is in no way affiliated with SSignal Productions.
Ms. Bonny Alves
Director, SSignal Productions
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
‘Govt. must come clean on gas-to-energy project’
– spending US$2B on a project without financial, environmental studies is criminality at its worst – WPA Kaieteur... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
