When the saxophones start belting out the santimanitay melody at the Extempo Monarch finals, the rhythm can often give you goosebumps. It is T&T’s call to war—extempo war.
Extempo was born out of calypso and is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad around the turn of the 20th century. Through insults and rebuttals, extempo artistes slug it out for four verses each against their opponents.
Much like calypsonians, their art form serves as a source of edification and analysis of national affairs, even if it is done through humour.
The art of extempo
It is not for the faint-hearted. Extempo artistes walk out onto the stage, dip their hand in a hat, and pull a paper that reveals the topic they’re about to sing on. They find out for the first time along with the rest of the audience, and when the saxophones start, ready or not, they have to begin singing.
In a conversation with the Sunday Guardian, Joseph “Lingo” Vautor-La Placeliere, who won a hat-trick of extempo monarchs between 2007 and 2009 and went on to win another title in 2015, told us the key is to stay in touch with news and current affairs.
“Extempo is actually considered the brain of calypso because of the fact that you have to be on point, in the know, and aware of what is happening at the time. In calypso, you can rehearse, take out a line, change a word, but in extempo, you don’t have that luxury,” Lingo said.
He said reading was essential to being an extempo artiste, not just so that you are aware of the news of the day but to also expand your vocabulary, which is so crucial when required to find words on the spot.
Calypsonians and their respect for extempo calypsonians may often be the stars of the carnival season, but many of them have an adoring respect for the work of extempo artistes. Heather Mac Intosh, whose father Short Pants is an extempo artiste, told the Sunday Guardian, “I think those persons who are extempo artistes are true geniuses. It takes everything. I sit for days and weeks to be able to create one verse and chorus and these persons are able to do it spontaneously, having just chosen the topic and not only having constructed the verse and chorus but also to rhyme. I do have a great appreciation and admiration for those who are able to do it; I’m just not brave enough.”
Emrold Anthony Phillip, who goes by the sobriquet of Brother Valentino, said extempo has helped calypsonians develop. He said, “Extempo, in the most down to earth words, was a hustle. When tourists came about, an extempo artiste would walk around in a park or the botanic gardens and he would serenade them, and he wasn’t singing calypso to them; that is where the extempo started and how the calypso itself developed.”
Brother Valentino said the extempo artistes would not do it for fun but to actually make money.
David Rudder said while extempo music was not just a T&T thing, he believes it is the best in this country because of the melody. However, he said while T&T has one standard musical form to back the rhymes, the country should be able to use different styles of musicals.
It’s a point Lingo agrees with. He added, “We have the same four melodies every year, and if you go to Extemporama, some of the artistes actually take other melodies and do their extempo. I would like to see some new innovations brought into extempo. For example, if you can allow the extempo artiste to bring their music sheet and sing to a different melody. That is in the qualifying round. Of course, when you have to square off, that might not be possible.”
Extempo artistes are so revered by calypsonians that in 2009, The Mighty Contender sang “Yuh cyah buy one” which encapsulated the challenge of extempo versus calypso.
“People buying song and they winning crown, but the extempo bards they have it hard. Pull a topic from a hat, right away they must sing on that, ask Black Sage and Lingo, yuh cyah buy ah extempo,” The Mighty Contender sang as part of his contribution 15 years ago.
Extempo, freestyle, and the future
Lingo said he has always had concerns about the future of extempo music, given that many of the artistes performing at every Carnival are on the older side. However, the Trinbago Unified Calypso Organisation started a freestyle monarch two years ago in a bid to engineer some interest about young people in the art form.
It’s a move that has gained the support of Lingo. He said, “I think it’s a little harder because you have a minute-and-a-half to do a complete song, and usually they play a rhythm rather than a melody, so it’s a little more difficult, but it’s designed to get the younger people involved, so I hope that is a step in the right direction.”
As a traditional extempo artiste, Lingo said he was not fazed by the decision and evolution with regards to the introduction of the freestyle monarch. “The only thing constant in life is change. I welcome the new innovation alongside extempo artistes. It gives the younger artistes a chance to rub shoulders with the people that are there in extempo at this time. It [freestyle monarch] should improve as time goes by.”
As part of Calypso History Month in October, I visited Leslie-Ann Bristow, whose sobriquet is Lady Africa, for a conversation on extempo.
She has been the face of women’s extempo for years, and she has serious concerns about the number of ladies competing in extempo. She said more females need to be encouraged to take up the challenge.
Extempo artistes have a unique gift of educating people in a humorous way. Lingo said this was critical if an artiste is to succeed in the art form.
He explained, “You should have the ability to take a serious topic and inject some humour into it. If they give you any topic, you must be able to get the audience to respond in a light-hearted manner. That comes with experience, though. It doesn’t just happen.”
For now, the bards of the past like Gypsy, Lingo, Lady Africa and Black Sage continue to lead the present while trying to usher in a future to ensure extempo doesn’t become extinct.
