Devon, defender of the crown

The 2016 monarch has been preparing his defence since last August, producing his songs, making music videos, preparing set designs, and honing his stage performance.

“I’m going to defend my title and I’m going strong!” he exclaimed.

Seale has two songs ready for the 2017 National Calypso Monarch competition, a social commentary and humorous song called “Cyar Buy Class”; and a political/ humorous song titled, “I Carmona”, both produced by Christophe Grant and arranged by Leston Paul.

He also has a Groovy Soca song, “Paradise”, produced by Twin Island Productions.

“Over the years I have observed many past monarchs, in their defence, they did not come up to standard.

I made a promise to myself and to my fans that I would really defend my title. Plus, as the reigning monarch you have the advantage of being in the finals already so you could very well prepare with your entire team. I feel good about my defence,” he said.

Seale noted that “I Carmona” deals with all the accusations against President Anthony Carmona, such as Carmona’s housing allowance and re-packaging of wine.

“In this song I am performing as if I am the Prophet of Sisyphus, which was President Carmona’s sobriquet. I plan to defend myself, but in the way a calypsonian would do it,” he said, declining to give a taste of a verse and chorus before his first public performance of the song.

Seale argued that all other countries in the Caribbean allow two songs per person at their finals, but in Trinidad and Tobago, the mecca of Carnival and the land of calypso, calypsonians are likely to be limited to one song. He said he prefers the National Carnival Commission’s recommendation to have eight finalists singing two songs, instead of 16 finalists singing one song each in the finals.

He went on to say that, at least in 2007, the decision was made in October of the year before so artistes had time to prepare for that, and spend less money in production.

This year, however, the recommendation was made after the start of the Carnival season so many calypsonians already recorded two or three songs, or made videos which are both costly processes.

Seale is also concerned about the product. He explained that in the semi-finals, 40 artistes sing one song each. Then, in the categories competition, nine artistes present one song each, therefore, there would be nothing new in the finals for the audience to hear if the decision is made to do one song per artiste.

“The two songs give you a balance - maybe one with a party flavour and one with a more serious message.

Also, if everyone sings one song, you can have an idea of who the winner is from the semifinals. When you don’t know the second song there is a sense of mystery and suspense as to who would be the winner,” he said.

Nevertheless, Seale remarked that, over the years, there has been a lot of emphasis on the quality of the music by calypsonians. “Today a lot of calypsonians make greater efforts to be more marketable and more professional because of the amount that is invested by TUCO, the Government, and the corporate sponsors,” he added.

Despite these efforts, he said the support for calypso seems to be dying as every year the audience for Dimanche Gras is smaller.

He said in the past, around Carnival, the event-related entertainment was limited to the mas camps, calypso tents and pan yards. However, now there are many all-inclusive and cooler fetes for persons to attend. In addition, people’s attention spans are generally much shorter and they dislike sitting through long events.

Seale said calypsonians need to recognise they have to find innovative ways to change this and draw people to the event. This season, he will be performing at the Kalypso Revue Tent for the 19th year, and intends to visit other tents to support his colleagues, a well as to scope out his competition.

He is also working on his project called “SealeD in Calypso”. It would include a CD of some of his best songs over his 30-year calypso career, as well as a concert to be held outside of the Carnival season.

He hoped this year would at least be as good for him as the last. During his reign, Seale visited the United States, Colombia, several Caribbean islands, delivering presentations at universities, as well as Costa Rica for the fourth International Calypso Festival.

“It was a very good year in representing the Trinidad and Tobago brand,” he said.

His high expectations for this season is dampened by the latest recommendation coming out of the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) that calypsonians sing one song at the Calypso Monarch finals.

Seale stressed that in 2007, he sang against “one-song” and maintains that position. He even recalled the lyrics: Even in love-making Any one-shot king Running the risk of getting a horn I am a bachelor Kaiso is meh lover Give meh two rounds Lemme carry on.

Calypsonians were only allowed to sing one song in 2007 up to 2010, before the two-song format returned in 2011.