THE UNDERRATED CALYPSONIAN

THE EDITOR: I have just listened to Bally’s 2005 CD featuring his 2005 “Ah Cyah wait for carnival” and some of his hits from yesteryear. I have a question for the people who selected the best 200 kaisos of the 20th century. How in Heaven’s name not one of these eleven selections made your list? How? Did you listen to any of these kaisos? What I would like to do is to lock all of you in a room and play this CD till you apologise to Bally for this grave injustice. This CD is full of history, full of great lyrics, full of puns, full of humour, full of social commentary I can go on and on and on. Did you listen to Pam-pa-lam... “A war had to start to keep us apart, since then Carnival never break mi heart...” That is history when WW2 stopped Carnival. What about “Jupiter?” more history! Did you listen to the numerous puns in “Calypso Coup?”

We cannot forget “Party Time” and “The Magicians,” these were the selections which won him the Young King title in 1987 and the very next year “Party Time” won the Road March category of the Bucks Calypso Competition (which caused such a furore when he was placed 6th and not much higher. Anyway that’s another story). Bally, I can only say to you that despite all the injustices that you have been subjected to your courage and commitment to the art form is remarkable. You are one of the most underrated calypsonians of all time. The people who are called upon to adjudicate on your work fail to see the greatness of your efforts and I make no apologies for this remark. I wish to congratulate you on this fantastic CD.

Even though I was talking about the other selections, I also find “Ah Cyar Wait For Carnival” a super kaiso and I wish you the best for Carnival 2005. The next project I would like to undertake is a CD of your unrecorded works. I understand that you have quite a number of selections which were never recorded that can fill another CD. Bally I wish to thank you for the memorises as our radio stations do not play these songs. Please give us some more soon. I shall be buying several copies to send to my friends abroad so that they too can hear good kaiso. Well done Bally and once again all the best for 2005. 

BRIAN PILGRIM
Diego Martin