Luta's perfect vision

Former Calypso Monarch “Luta” (Morel Peters) has some of the best composed calypsoes to hit the local stages through the years. It has been almost ten years since he took the Calypso Monarch title but many still remember his winning political commentary “The Driver Driving Good.”

Luta has been to the “big yard” seven times in the 30 years he has been in calypso. Though he did not make it to the Monarch finals last year, he is not discouraged as he has a hard-hitting political commentary that is going to rock the audiences this year. He will be singing his “Perfect Vision” and “What Side Yuh On” at the House Of Stars which opened on Friday at Club Caribbean, Wrightson Road. “Perfect Vision” deals with the present political climate in the country. “I believe that the people really look forward to the many calypsoes that are political commentaries. Politics affect people of all walks of life and it is a serious topic to deal with in calypso,” he said. In this song he talks about the education system. He noted that the system plays an important role in the development of the youths. “If the system is not working then it can affect everyone involved,” he said.

Luta is a woodwork teacher at the Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive School and has been in the teaching service for 24 years. For him, teaching and performing are like the same. “When you have to teach children you must be able to reach them, and in performing you must be able to reach your audience out there, whether it is on the spot or via the air waves,” he said. Luta was born in Point Fortin and was always fascinated by calypso as a child. “Although we seldom heard calyposes on the radio when I was a kid, I did not miss any of the rare ones you would hear. I loved listening to music and I found myself rhyming and composing my own poems and songs as I went along.” He grew up with an aunt who was a religious person who did not like calypso. This deterred him from calling his composition calypsoes.

It was after he left secondary school (Point Fortin Vocational Centre) that he started thinking seriously about calypso. Being shy as he was in those days, he could not muster the energy to go on stage himself. So he would write songs and give to his friends to sing in the Point Fortin tent. Although Luta did not like the way they were delivering his songs, he did not complain. However, his music won many Point Fortin competitions. “Many times when I listened to my friends singing the songs I would get angry and upset because they were not expressing the tunes like it should be expressed.” While teaching the boys how to sing his compositions, Luta thought about taking his song to the stage himself. In 1972, he put aside his shyness and sang his calypsoes for the first time.

In 1973 he placed third in the finals of Scouting for Talent. In that composition he urged performers to sing calypsoes instead of the pop and R&B tunes. “While Aretha Franklin and the other pop singers might have enjoyable tunes I had to encourage the local singers to try a calypso,” he said. In 1985 he won the Young King title with “English Language” and “Man’s Destruction”. Luta has given us songs such as “Think Again”, “Why We Lose,” “Save Something”, “Culture Love”, “Productivity”, “Beauty Queen”, “Vote for Change”, “Democracy”, “My Name is Calypso”, “Long Time Calypso”, “Sing a Calypso”  and “Granny Say”. Luta has performed on 17 occasions at the National Calypso Monarch semi-finals. Several awards decorate his home including South Trinidad Calypso Monarch 1982, first runner-up National Calypso Monarch competition 1985, Young King 1985, National Independence calypso competition 1987, Best Social Commentary 1991, Best Nation Building Calypso 1992, Most Humorous Calypso New York 1994, Best Nation Building Calypso 1992 and the 1994 Monarch title.

On the issue of music sampling he supports the decision by the Trinbago Unified Calypso Organisation (TUCO) to  prohibit such music from competitions. “I believe that TUCO should be commended for making this decision. They are giving the people who are creative a chance to cash in on the big prizes. The younger stars must be able to put in enough effort in their composition. And in so doing they would be worthy of a national title,” he said.