With each passing year, the quality of our traditional calypsoes continues to deteriorate. Once upon a time, Calypso Fiesta on a Saturday at Skinner Park, could have held one's attention for its entire duration. That is most certainly not the case today. The blame for this conspicuous deterioration rests squarely with the politicisation of the traditional genre.
Today, Calypso Fiesta has morphed into a PNM party group! It is not just "political" but it is safe to say that it belongs to the PNM. It is also quite obvious that the people who adjudicate on the lyrical contributions are also owned by the PNM.
I looked at Mr Shak's performance as he lamented our society's hypocrisy and could perceive a certain amount of "tentativeness." No such tentativeness came from Devon Seale–he knew that his lyrics would find ready acceptance.
It is as though the judges at that competition are PNM party apologists and are prepared to advance any artiste whose lyrical content favours that party.
Skatie's contribution at any other civilised forum would be condemned as a racist attack against the Chinese community. What Karene Asche sang at that competition does not fit with the definition of "calypso." Her rendition was more like a dirge or a doleful melancholic hymn. Gypsy exhibited his usual obsession with "little black boys" in a song which epitomised amateur psychology.
Where is Crazy? Has Sugar Aloes retired? Why were we denied a contribution by the Original de Fosto Himself? Never mind what they sing, it seems to me that Cro Cro, Chalkdust, Devon Seale, Skatie and Karene Asche and a few others will always go to the finals. This kind of corruption is inevitable once the PNM is involved.
Poor Cro Cro! He and all looked tentative! And he had a right to be! He is obliged to show allegiance to his party, never mind the job cuts, salary freezes, penny-pinching, the absence of a plan and the overbearing attitude to their claim to being "in charge." All of that up in his face so he could only offer papsy "advice to the boss" who is in charge but has no plan. But plan or no plan, the Prime Minister has shown his party that he is "one of the boys"–he in every fete, feting till fete done and he even pushin' pan!
Calypso, if it continues to be restricted and politicised, and the PNM cabal that runs it continues to do so and show favour to their boys notwithstanding the rubbish they attempt to pass off as "art," calypso as we know it will continue to be starved of freshness and creativity and will one day cease to exist. It is better that it dies than to continue as it is going.
Steve Smith