Vintage Kaiso on Fantastic Friday

SMACK in the middle of Carnival comes vintage calypso. With so many things happening on Fantastic Friday, including the Soca Monarch finals, Calypso Spektakula decided to stage a vintage calypso session with songs of yesteryear.

But the star attractions, Sparrow and Rose, failed to appear much to the disappointment of the more than 1,000 patrons at the Jean Pierre Complex on Friday night. But the management, through MC Tommy Joseph, quickly went on the back foot and announced that Friday night’s patrons (with their ticket stubs) could attend the Battle of the Sexes on Saturday night for a clash with Sparrow and Rose. Patrons were waiting for some hits from Rose like “Tempo”, “Her Majesty”, “Fire Fire”, and from Sparrow “Both ah Them” “Ten to One is Murder” and “Condo Man” to name a few. Before the actual show got going, the audience was treated to ex-tempo from Big B and Black Sage, the runner-up in this year’s Extempo finals. They sang on about every topic including the West Indies’ loss to Sri Lanka on Friday and Brian Lara’s tabanca with Carnival. It was then action time with Bally opening the batting.  He broke loose with his hit tune “Party Time” before ending off with “Maxi Taxi Dub.”

Trinidad Rio was his usual self with “No Drawers” and “Back to Basics”. Former Calypso Monarch performed “Shame on You” and “Think Again” although patrons were waiting for his biggest tune “The Driver cah drive”. The funny man of calypso, Funny, went way back (1969) to perform “Farmer Brown” along with his other ditty “Hokey Pokey”. Gypsy was next and he thrilled the audience with his greatest song “The Sinking Ship.” But the UNC politician did not escape heckling from the audience. In song, Gypsy wanted to know who was to blame for the sinking ship, a man called out “Panday”. But Gypsy was just as equal to the task, bouncing back with “For Cane” even adding two new verses in ex-tempo style which brought laughter from the patrons. Cardinal, one of Spektakula’s seasoned calypsonians had everyone in stitches with “No Tailor”. The Road March King of China and Asia, Rex West, did not disappoint. With his usual style and out of timing performance, Rex West went about his business. One American visitor sat in amazement, asking “what is that?” Rikki Jai went back in times with one of his hits “Sumintra” before singing his 2003 nation building song “Unity”. To those who did not know, our own Elvis Presley, Soca Elvis, journeyed to Memphis, Tennessee, to perform “Bring back that urging feeling.” The visitors at the Jean Pierre Complex were certainly amused by the local Elvis Presley. Newcomer to Spektakula, Crazy, failed to perform his leading Road March hits “Dustbin Cover” and “Soucouyant”. Instead, he opened with “In Time to Come”, before getting down to “Electrician” and “This is how ah does Wine”. Scrunter, a former Calypso Monarch and the King of Parang, reminded patrons of his hits such as “Take de Number” and “Woman on the Bass.” Scrunter gave a taste of “The Will” which took him to the Monarchy before he released his season hit “Jumbie”. He also showed the audience how the late Lord Kitchener would have sung “Jumbie”.