Akash Samaroo
Senior Reporter/Producer
akash.samaroo@cnc3.co.tt
“Yellow is the code!”
That was soca star Neil “Iwer” George’s response to Guardian Media’s pointed question on if he is supporting the United National Congress (UNC) and Kamla Persad-Bissessar in the upcoming general election.
“Iwer” shocked many on Tuesday evening at a UNC political meeting at the La Joya Sporting Complex when he appeared on stage at the end of the night’s proceedings to serenade Persad-Bissessar as the party celebrated her birthday.
The soca artiste told Persad-Bissessar he had two gifts for her. One was a bouquet of flowers, and the other was when he took off his jacket to reveal a navy-blue UNC T-shirt.
It was a move that sent the crowd into rapturous applause.
He then broke into a rendition of his hit song Water; however, he changed the lyrics to say, “PNM on fire, Stuart Young on fire, the people want Kamla!”
Guardian Media sought to confirm with George yesterday if it was a genuine endorsement of Persad-Bissessar and the UNC, to which he said, “Was I wearing a UNC T-shirt? So then that speaks for itself. I took off my shirt; I was wearing a UNC T-shirt. I told the lady I have two presents. I brought a bouquet, then I took off my T-shirt and had on a UNC T-shirt. Do you think I still have to answer if that is an endorsement?”
Iwer advised that Guardian Media listen to the words of his song to better understand his position.
On the La Joya stage, Iwer sang, “Ten years now, the people suffering, raising tax, and raising everything. Now it’s time to vote them out of here.”
In the interview with Guardian Media, he said, “All the evidence is in front of you.”
He added, “Anything you say in politics could follow you for the rest of your life. And I only say what I could defend. And what I say in the song, I could defend that. And if you look at the consensus amongst the people in Trinidad and Tobago, 90 per cent of the people would agree with the chorus of the song that the people want Kamla.”
When Guardian Media underscored that some entertainers would defend their appearance at political events and say it was just a job they were being paid for and not necessarily support for the party,
Iwer responded, “I wouldn’t say that.”