The other side of ‘never again’

THE EDITOR: I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Mighty Chalkdust on his victory in the Calypso Monarch Competition 2004 and also Mr Brian London for placing second. I would like to let Mr London know that his performance was excellent and he just has to wait and his time will come. My views are that the second, third, fourth and fifth contestants performed marvelously and any number could have played, it was just a matter of experience.

A message to Sugar Aloes, the time has come for you to consider changing your focus on the lyrics of your songs. The UNC and Mr Basdeo Panday are out of office for the past two years and I don’t think your usual style would have the same effect as when they were in office. A thought for Cro Cro, you would have to seriously consider changing your style and re-examine yourself as to why you did not make it to the big yard on Carnival Sunday night. Was it the attempt to sing the “Last Call” or the words, “Bandit” or “Kidnap” in your controversial song “Face Reality?” Maybe the time has come for both of you to seriously consider using the Chalkdust approach for your 2005 compositions by singing on things that are corrupt, business people that are involved in anything illegal or dishonest which are of no benefit to the country. Remember the lyrics to “The Driver Can’t Drive?”

Consideration could be given to nation building, national unity and songs on one people, one country and one love. When was the last time Mr Panday publicly supported Mr Manning on any issue? You see gentlemen. Barbados tried to interfere with our natural resources and by extension, our economy. Although negotiations are in progress, the Barbados Prime Minister and his Attorney General are making erratic and hostile statements, encouraging their fishermen to still go and fish in the Tobago waters. As a little boy I always knew Barbados as the land of the flying fish. Today the fish have migrated to Tobago waters and we should ask ourselves, why? Is this an act of God or maybe the hostile manner the Barbados fishermen used that caused the fish to migrate to the Tobago waters? Our country is threatened and the Opposition leader saw it fit to come out and publicly support the Prime Minister and he must be complimented for this. The time has come for all calypsonians to form their own political calypso union and concentrate on singing on any person, thing or group that they are sure is affecting our country. I am expecting to see very soon, a true calypsonian compose a song on this issue.

The fact of the matter is that the lyrics of Cro Cro’s song “The Last Call” clearly tells us that after all he has done for this Government, there is a problem between certain officials of the party and himself. There was serious disappointment over some of the promises made and now that he has helped them to form the Government, they refuse to take his call. Maybe if there was an election this year, Cro Cro would have made it to the savannah and Sugar Aloes might have placed higher or even won. Finally, this is my call to all calypsonians, be it Cro Cro, Massive Gosine or Sugar Aloes, that when writing their next calypso, they should not take a political side, rather stick to lyrics on the issues affecting the country. Failing, the result could be “Never Again” in the big yard. Good luck to all the calypsonians for the year 2005.

BROTHER BALLY
Arima