Calls for Rowley to deal with Chutney row

An angry Ramrajie Prabhoo, 53, called on Prime Minister Rowley to intervene to save the chutney artform which she said is slowly being destroyed.

She said it was important the Prime Minister intervenes since the competition receives financial support of the government and complaints on this issue over the years have fallen on deaf ears.

Prabhoo said traditional singers are unable to make a breakthrough to winner’s row because they have kept chutney in its purest form while, “one man” who mixes and/or remakes Bollywood songs end up winning one million dollars almost every year.

“As children, we worked tirelessly to build the chutney culture and today what we hearing? No chutney in the chutney!” As someone who had laboured long in the culture, Prabhoo said it hurts to see her and other singers efforts at composing original melodies, completely ignored by show organisers.

“Too much Bollywood is killing the artform,” she cried.

“We too talented for that.

Chutney must be traditional! You have to keep the culture alive. All this Bollywood thing, all this Michael Jackson thing, this man’s melody and that man’s style and a set of drama (on stage) and that is winning money!” She called on Singh to put the 2017 chutney monarch edition on hold and review the criteria of the competition.

Apart from borrowed melodies, Prabhoo said there is too much drama on stage.

Artistes, she added, usually travel abroad to purchase props and don’t focus on singing. “It is being overdone and has now become unbearable.

East Indian artistes can no longer sing East Indian songs, you have to sing, jump and wave and put your hands in the air. That is what you have to do and if you don’t do that, you are not an artiste.

Look at me, I like to put on my sari, but I does feel shame now. I want Prime Minister Dr Rowley who is looking at every cent being spent, to look into this private event that is funded by government and poor taxpayers,” she said.

Prabhoo’s son Naresh, 40, who is also a singer, called for quality performances and not quantity as he is not happy with the direction chutney music is going. Echoing similar sentiments, singer/comedian Kenneth Supersad said he remains baffled that a Bollywood melody can win a chutney soca competition.

Efforts to reach promoter Singh yesterday for a comment proved futile.