Randy Glasgow backs ‘Chutney-Soca Warriors’

A LEADING cultural promoter has come out strongly in support of the call from some quarters to change the name of the national football team to “ChutneySoca Warriors.” And he believes that chutney music, an indigenous East Indian artform could have a bigger impact than soca, a derivative of calypso at the upcoming World Cup Football Finals in Germany. Randy Glasgow yesterday joined the chorus of voices in the ongoing debate as to what name the football team should be rebranded with  leading up to Trinidad and Tobago’s first ever appearance in the World Cup in June. The team is currently known as the Soca Warriors and already there is some dispute as to the origin of the name with at least two prominent persons —  a commentator and a former national player and coach-claiming to have coined the sobriquet.

However Glasgow said he is interested in the marketing aspect of the rebranding exercise and he strongly feels that “Chutney” should be added to the “Soca Warriors.” “If you want to market Trinidad and Tobago, don’t do half, do the whole thing. East Indians make up close to 50 percent of the population,” he said. He called on Jack Warner, FIFA vice-president and Special Advisor to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation to seriously consider his suggestion in the interest of national unity and the potential economic benefits to be gained in the long run. Glasgow says he puts on at least 35 shows annually in the United States promoted as worldbeat packages, featuring soca and chutney among other musical genres.

He said chutney is best positioned to attract interest in Trinidad and Tobago especially in Europe and every effort must be made to capitalise on this rare opportunity offered by the national footballers. “It is my opinion that chutney is bigger than soca in Spain, Netherlands and other countries in Europe. We must let it be known that it belongs to Trinidad and Tobago and have people identify us with it,” he said. He cautioned that the situation facing the steelpan in which other countries are making a bold claim on its  invention may soon be repeated this time with chutney music. “My fear is that pretty soon, promoters in France and the Netherlands will be calling India to get chutney performers because we have been neglectful in highlighting our own,” Glasgow said.

He said chutney music is a “sleeping giant” that is separate and apart from soca and should be marketed as such. “There is the opinion that ‘chutney is inside soca’ but I do not agree. “They are two distinct types of music that for all intents and purposes can not be marketed as one. This would not be ideal, said Glasgow. The well-known show promoter said to associate the two musical artforms with the success of the national football team will assist greatly in bridging the racial divide in Trinidad and Tobago. “It would definitely help smooth the relations between the two largest ethnic groups in Trinidad and Tobago. “I also think that it would make it much easier for a chutney singer to appear on a calypso stage and a calypsonian to sing on a chutney stage,” said Glasgow.

He said the World Cup stage is the biggest and best opportunity to get the right message across and should not be missed. Following the success of the national footballers in qualifying for the World Cup, there has been intense debate on what name should be used in marketing the team in Germany. But the controversies  surrounding “Soca Warriors” have forced the officials of the TT Football Federation to rethink their choice. Although registered internationally as “Soca Warriors” it is understood that the Football Federation are once again thinking about changing the name. And Glasgow is hoping that his support for “Chutmey-Soca Warriors” will be given consideration.