Guyana Observer News

Torture, Kwame, and yes, low carbon

Thursday, 04 February 2010

…The battle for the calypso monarchy

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By Neil Marks
The themes could have been predicted, and already sound a bit boring. And you can sit and dream all you want that Ras Marcus will plug one of the notoriously cantankerous calypsos he is known for. Once calypso time comes around, you can almost guess what the singers will come up with. They make sure you know what news were the biggest of the year – torture, Kwame, and yes, low carbon – and try to tangle it with some humour. Ras Marcus perhaps brings the greatest surprise, and disappointment, of the year. Known for tunes that are banned from the radio station (remember “What Roger can do” and “Fuh Cup?”) Marcus says he is treading the “safe” path this year and so he will take on President Bharrat Jagdeo’s concept of the Low Carbon Development Strategy and be patriotic. “It’s our 40th (Republic) anniversary; I need ‘lil’ exposure. I don’t want to sing a song about something everyone else will, like torture and Kwame,” said Marcus.

Excuse me, Marcus, do you think we want to hear about money on trees when everyone could care less after the failure of the climate change talks in Copenhagen?
All the best, but we don’t see that going anywhere, unless the panel of judges will be made up of unapologetic propagandists against climate change.
Marcus has been good. A Social Studies teacher by day and an industrial relations teacher by night, he has managed to provoke the ire of the political heads with his provocative lyrics, which sometimes border on profanity, but only by the sound of it. Apart from the politicians, it provokes laughter, helps us to see the lighter side of things that are just plain wrong in society; in other words, social commentary at its best.
So we don’t want this “Money Growing on Tress” business; we want you, Ras Marcus, the real deal. So if this is your choice, you better bring it, and bring it real good.
So, besides Marcus, who else could we hope to breathe some life in calypso this year? Well, there is veteran Winfield James, a Trinidadian who could best be described as the King of “Oye.” He can never sing a song without a few of those.
Vexed about not placing in 2007, he took a break from the competition, but after some prodding, he decided to give it a shot again.
“The Minister (Frank Anthony) said he wasn’t surprised with the quality of Calypsonians, so he invited me to be part of the competition again,” he revealed.
James began singing calypso more than two decades ago and won in 1989 with the song “We got to move on” when the country was in a push to restore democracy.
His song, this year, touches on allegations of torture and murder against the Police and Army.
The Mighty Rebel is also a force to reckon with. A five-time winner, Rebel’s song “All a we know the man” almost certainly focuses on Kwame, the adult in that infamous taped phone conversation soliciting sex from a 15-year-old boy.
Then there is 56-year-old Mighty Voter. He became blind in 1994 due to glaucoma, but a chance meeting with advertising wiz Vic Insanally in the run up to the 2001 elections gave him a break in calypso.
He came closest to the crown in 2004, when he lost to Lady Tempest (also blind) by a mere two points. In 2008, he won the HIV/AIDS Song competition, which goes hand-in-hand with the calypso competition.
This year, he has chosen to sing “Torture”, which plain and straight chronicles the abuse of citizens by the Joint Services. The song is contentious and it will be a miracle if he can get it on the air without it being edited.
“The song has passed the auditions and has been approved for competition, so I don’t see why it would have to be edited,” he argued. We’ll see.
Do the ladies have anything good coming? At least they think so.
Take calypso convert Cyd Hooper. Soca music was just not cutting it for her, and so she has decided to step over into a field in which her father “Lord Inventor” had seen a fair amount of success.
A single parent of four, Cyd’s whole life has been wrapped up in music and so she has decided to try Calypso.
She is among just a few of the contestants to move away from the headlines. Her song “Words of Wisdom” panders to Guyanese creole and sounds light enough to be enjoyed any day.
We come back to the issues of the day with Karen Bennett or “Lady Makeba” as she prefers to be called. Her song “Put two wheels on your heels” sounds like the traditional anthems against domestic violence, but Lady Makeba feels the message needs to get out there.
“It is constantly happening; women are beaten and murdered. My song urges them to get out of abusive relationships,” she said. Her song has been getting good reviews.
These Calypsonians, along with 19 others will take to the stage on February 13 at the Blairmont Community Centre in Berbice, and the finalists will compete for the $550,000 first prize on February 21, at the Thirst Park.

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