Mukesh... Lives each day composing lyrics for the stage

Having taken the crown at the popular pichakaree competition in 2001 and having reached the finals of the Young Kings Calypso competition during February of 2003, Mukesh Babooram, 45, of Henry Street, Orange Valley, Couva has made a name for himself in the field of local composition and singing. He is now one of the most sort after composers in the chutney and calypso world. He won the Best pichakaree at the radio 103 FM’s Hall of Fame in 2002. After this win he was contracted on a weekly basis to sing extempo in Anil Bheem’s programme, “Catch the Rhythms.” 

Speaking from his home, which is just a stone’s throw away from the sea at Orange Valley, where one can hear the waves of the ocean nearby and feel the sea breeze as it blows through the quiet village, Mukesh, who is always dressed in a simple jeans and T-shirt was in a good mood to talk. He said that he started singing at age 32. “I could no longer sit idle by and look at the chutney composers sing two lines, which they constantly keep repeating. They just lack the ability to hit on the real issues of the day. I had to take to the stage and give some strong lyrics,” he said. Although he did not have a good voice for the stage his strong conviction for voicing the issues propelled him to record his composition. He noted that while most of the East Indian-based singers choose to sing songs that either are vulgar or entertaining he had to look at the real issues and sing about them. “For many years the Afro-Trinidadian calypsonians sang against the East Indian communities and no one dared to reply to them. It was under the banner of pichakaree that the Indo-Trinidadians singers had the opportunity to reply to the singers who have been degrading members of the East Indian communities for many years,” he said.

During this year’s Carnival season, Mukesh followed a hectic schedule with the new south based tent where he travelled to 30 venues throughout the country singing his calpysos. He was chosen to sing in Yangatang tent as well. It was while singing with Yangatang, he was selected for the Young King competition. However, it was while on the Young King’s stage he was exposed to the harsh reality that an Indo-calypsonian must limit the lyrics to suit the audience. “I had two songs that were well received in the south tent. Yet it could not score in the north,” he told People. His tunes, “This Year Ah Fighting Back” and “Time To Heal” spoke about the present political climate where the PNM won the elections and where the UNC had to settle for the loss. Commenting on the fact that Calyponians, Ricky Jai, Denyse Plummer and Drupatie Ramgoonai have all made inroads in the calypso arena he said that these artistes dare not sing about politics or against the PNM. They are limited. “Drupatie is accepted because she sings about her Nani and her Hot Chulha. Ricky Jai has to sing about the river lime and talk about the unity with Stalin in order to be accepted. Denyse Plummer had to wear her rasta hair in order to be accepted by the public. I choose to sing about the real issues that is affecting me as a citizen of this country. And I cannot do it. And this is just not accepted,” he said in an angry voice.

On the issue of government neglecting the chutney artistes while pumping large sums of money in the calypso arena, he said that the chutney artistes cannot be compared to the calypsonians because of the mere fact that they do not compose songs that carry long messages that will reach out to the people. He noted that the chutney artistes must get their act together in order to be recognised by the government. He noted also that the government should pump more funds into the whole aspect of Indian culture — in Ramleela, Phagwa, Classical singing and Tassa Drumming.  He noted also that as a Trinidadian he does not have to beg anyone to look at East Indian culture. Instead this East Indian culture, which more than 500,000 people follow in this country, is part of the culture of TT. Mukesh noted that he loves to listen to the voice of Kishore Kumar of India. For him sadness and happiness are temporary and these emotions should be worked out within the human system. “I find the answer to life’s most complicated questions within my own person. I search for the answers whenever I am faced with difficulty and I get the answer that I am looking for,” he said. His parents Seeram Babooram and Rowtie Seeram supports him 100 percent. However they are worried about him when he goes to sing the hard hitting political lyrics. “My mothers always warns me, saying to be careful. It is almost as if I am going out on a battlefield,” he said. Mukesh said he would like to marry and settle down to writing lyrics for the upcoming singers.