Kaiso House alleges ‘sabotage’

OFFICIALS OF the Kaiso House Calypso Tent have been seeking a meeting with National Carnival Commission (NCC) Chairman Kenny De Silva over the alleged sabotage of the performances of calypsonians Shadow (Winston Bailey) and Singing Sandra (Sandra DesVignes-Millington) during the Calypso Monarch Finals at Dimanche Gras on Carnival Sunday night.

They warned of possible legal action if the matter is not amicably settled. General Manager of Kaiso House, DeLamo (Franz Lambkin), issued a statement about the turning off of the stage lights while the two artistes, who are leading members of the tent’s cast, were performing in the second round of the competition. In the case of Shadow, the lights remained off for almost the entire duration of his performance and he was forced to limit himself to a small section of the vast Savannah stage which offered only dim lighting. The lights also went off for a short while when Singing Sandra was in the middle of her performance.

Both calypsonians, who are former Calypso Monarchs, were reported to be very upset about the situation since they strongly believe it negatively affected the way they were judged in the competition. “We are of the strong view that the stage lights were deliberately turned off during their performances,” DeLamo said yesterday. “This put them at a clear disadvantage because they could not be fairly judged, especially in the ‘Presentation’ category. “These artistes will be seeking punitive damages in court if this matter can’t be amicably settled.” Up to late yesterday, the Kaiso House officials were unable to make contact with DeSilva to discuss the matter.