THE CALYPSO COURTS are now open; audiences are being called to order; and Calypsonians, who have witnessed the events of the past year, are imparting their interpretations, making their appeals, and passing judgement on politicians - some with predictions for the future.
“Time you gon answer..” sang I-Soursop; “Same old Slaves,” chanted Jungle Lion while Lala crooned “You got to have Love if you want to make it in this world.”
PROUD SOUNDS Calypso Tent brought all the humour, innuendo and theatre that have become essential parts of the seasonal celebration to Sprat Net on Sunday night.
Totally new ‘unexpected’ information was brought to light: Patrons learnt that St. Kitts has now been kidnapped by Sesame Street and that COOKIE MONSTER has all the power here. Cookie Monster?? Yes, he comes to our country, can be found in the Courts, on radio and TV and he has all the power. It did not take the audience long to figure out who this was and the laughter and screams were uncontrollable each time the chorus came around. Who else but The Unexpected could do this to our minds?
In a year that was highly polarized politically, there was no scarcity of political calypsos. Fully dressed in a clown suit, Short Pants pointed out very clearly which politicians were clowns; Rockerfella was remaining Labour “no matter what they did to me” and Godfrey begged the crowd to understand his dilemma – he wanted land for his family so he was forced “to sing for me supper”.
Crime was obviously uppermost in the minds of all and did not escape the calypsonians’ compositions. “Save the Youth,” sang the rejuvenated Ayatollah. “Badness outta style,” Lord Matt cautioned, while Quantash grieved over the “Murder Cry”. Honesty sang “For a Better St. Kitts”. But Lala warned “You got to LIE LOW” this carnival, and he demonstrated how you had to get horizontal when the shots rang out!
MC Calypso Reggie was never at a loss for words and kept the crowd alive with local commentaries and revelations, interspersed with verses from his popular tune “Ring de Bell”. Grandmasters Band, uniformly dressed in their Black LIME T-Shirts looked professional and performed to suit. Sprat Net provided just the right ambience for the Tent.
All in all the Proud Sounds Tent production only whet the appetite of the crowd for more. Especially since Unexpected has declared that he will be singing for the ‘4-King Crown’ i.e. the Party Monarch, the Road March, Best of the Rest and Calypso Monarch. We hope he will remain “focused” and not get “off course”.
Lorna Callender
