Heed these lyrics

THE EDITOR: I’ve finally heard Cro Cro’s calypso and there’s nothing in it that should have caused such a condemnation. If all those who were in sympathy with the letters appearing in the dailies read between the lines of the calypso they would have seen a more subtle message calling for justice for all those, because of their high positions, robbing the country. But this is not the point to be made. No one is going to kidnap anyone on Cro Cro’s advice. Those who would kidnap do not need his advice. The fact is that very few of us heed the advice of our calypsonians. We go to the tent to shout “Kaiso boy,” “Dat is a classic” or go to Skinner Park with signs “Big yard song,” “Big lyrics song,” but when we leave, we leave everything, taking nothing. “But who would think so highly of a calypsonian to really take his advice?

In the words of deceased Mighty Unknown:
All dey mean is calypsonians must sing on bacaanal An’ make road march for dem so to jump for carnival...

that’s how we really feel about our bards. We might have been well on our way to Vision 20/20 had we all followed Maestro’s advice of 1977 at the Dimanche Gras show:

Mister Voter, mister Voter
The government can’t take we off the shelf
If we doh make efforts to help we self
You must remember that our behaviour
Making one class inferior And all others superior
You jus’ cyar sit dong an’ bawl
And de government go fin’ food for all
Yuh foolin’ brother man yuh foolin’
Some sit dong expectin’ miracle
Yuh eh see all we getting is pool table
Yuh foolin’ brother man yuh foolin’
Educate yuh children at any cost
Get back the land we forefathers los’
Leave colour TV For folks wid plenty money
Give yuh children schoolin’
Or else brotherman yuh foolin’

Nuff said, only to ask, “How many of us know which lands our forefathers lost?” Reading all the media reports and confirming same with several persons who understand and love the art form I must conclude the results of the calypso competitions, from preliminaries to finals were a bit disturbing. Anyone who saw Protector’s performance at the Dimanche Gras show must agree he had no place being there. Maybe if certain things hadn’t taken place his inclusion would not have looked so bad. In the style of the present Reigning Monarch, Mighty Chalkdust, from 1977, I comment:

But when judges put Protector in
An’ leave Devon Seales right dey hanging’
An’ he stay dey Ah say eh eh
An’ when Valentino alas!
Had no place on savannah grass
Ah get sane An’ ah put on meh guns again

My very good friend, an ace calypsonian, in discussing the events of the season started to hum a tune, with a smile on his face, I was sure it was De Fosto’s “War 2004.” When he sang a verse, the lyrics were not from War 2004 but an old Sparrow tune. Talk  ’bout original melodies! To conclude, Valentino’s lyrics came to mind as I watched bands like Poison, Harts and Legends:

An when carnival come an’ pass
De people does go back to dey race an’ class
So de only ting to bring we together is mas.

EDWARD “TEDDY” PINHERIO
Barataria