Jacob, 24, published the latest song titled ‘Announcement ( IM SORRY ) 2017’ on Friday last on his You Tube channel ISLANDBOY RICKJ HD on Friday. The channel stated that Jacob wrote and recorded the three-minutesand- 42 seconds song.

Members of the public, in particular the Hindu community, had criticised Jacob for filming a music video at the Sri Dattatreya Yoga Centre in Carapichaima.

In that video, Jacob was seen cavorting around the temple and its murtis (Hindu gods). On Thursday, president of the Sri Dattatreya Yoga Centre, attorney Ramesh Persad-Maharaj, had described the video as being an “offensive Chutney video”. Many people on social media also condemned and criticised the video, which was subsequently removed from You Tube.

In his latest song, Jacob made no reference to the centre by name. However he repeatedly apologised for his actions. Jacob insisted that he never meant to cause pain to anyone and that he put himself to shame.

“ I did not mean to cause no pain, I put myself on display. I put myself in shame. I am a dreamer and I am just chasing my dreams.

I wanna be somebody…I never kill no body, never rob nobody, never steal no money. I am very sorry. What more them want from me?” Jacob sang in his song.

Saying that he was ashamed for causing distress, Jacob added that he tried to clean up the mess yet there is “one set ah commess on facebook, the papers, the whole entire Internet (sic) . ” “But I only meant good, I was misunderstood. If I could, then I would lace up my shoes and run away for good. I’m sorry again for the pressure and pain but the hurtful words them stuck in my brain. Sometimes you lose and sometimes you win like I am losing again. I keep my head in ths sky and my pencil and paper, no time for no hater (sic),” Jacob said in his song. Jacob also noted that since the controversy, his life is in danger from persons who want to ‘shoot and stab’ him. Jacob apologised adding that no man can judge him but God.

Dr Hollis Liverpool, programme professor at the Academy of Arts, Culture and Public Affairs at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), noted that the Carnival Studies programme began in 2012, and that students needed a first degree from an accredited university in order to enter the programme.

“We get hundreds of applicants who want to study how to make a mas, or how to manage a mas band, or how to sing a calypso. Some of them feel very depressed when we tell them it has nothing to do with that,” he said at UTT’s campus on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain.

Instead, students study subjects such as Caribbean Carnival and Culture, Caribbean History and Civilisation, Social Sciences, Research Techniques, Panyard Studies, Calypso Tent Studies, and Ethnomusicology.

All the courses are research-based, not technical.

Liverpool, prominently known as veteran calypsonian Chalkdust, remarked that on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Carnival Studies students were on the road, but not playing mas. Instead, they observe and make notes for their public presentations on topics such as alcohol consumption, sound, attitudes, and costume design.

After all that research, the resulting theses highlight plans, initiatives and improvements to existing systems, including the length and content of shows, judging schemes, and policies. Every year, Carnival bodies including Pan Trinbago, National Carnival Commission (NCC), Pan Trinbago, and the National Carnival Bands Association (NCBA), are invited to the presentations.

“After that, they present their research to the individual bands, camps, and tents they worked with, it is for those people to make the changes in their bands.

But you can’t force a calypso tent to accept your suggestions,” said Liverpool. However, he said one of the biggest hindrances to improvements was change. “The problem with NCC is the change. When the government, board or chairman changes, they sometimes change policies and then we have to start all over again,” he said.

He also noted that, to a large extent, Carnival was a traditional entity, therefore there would be no overnight changes.

Liverpool said after leaving the programme, students sometimes go straight into doctoral programmes in cultural or creative studies at UTT, the University of the West Indies (UWI), or at universities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

He recalled that one student called him to say she was employed at a government ministry, full time, doing research. “Companies and other entities use the same scientific basis for research that we teach.

We show students how to do research so they can apply their skills to other areas,” he said.

In addition to research opportunities in the region, his students would be equipped as lecturers and teachers at educational institutions; and marketable to several public entities, including various NCC committees, Pan Trinbago, TUCO, and NCBA. “It is because of our presentations to them that our students have been taken on quite a number of NCC committees,” he added.

He also noted that students could become judges of steel pan and soca, as well as manage, plan, and assist in the running of regional carnivals across the country.

Liverpool also indicated that UTT has linked with the Carnival Institute, not only as a source of information for the students, but all the theses were forwarded to the institute. However, he said, the Institute did not have the finances to publish them.

According to Liverpool, what UTT needed, was a publication committee in order to publish theses from all its departments. In the mean time, he hoped that private companies would become involved in assisting students to do so.

Suriname international Dimitrie Apai bagged a double by netting on either side of the break, only separated by teammate Jamal Charles’ first half strike, before setting up Connection’s final item scored by Neil Benjamin Jr.

Connection, on 34 points and four games left, moved to the top of the standings for the first time this season while celebrating a fourth consecutive win.

However the taste at the top for coach Stuart Charles Fevrier’s men may have been temporary with Central (32 points), who have led the table all of this season, coming up against fifth-positioned Ma Pau Stars yesterday at the Larry Gomes Stadium. The Couva Sharks, also with a rescheduled game in hand against Defence Force, are hoping to make history by becoming the first team to lift a third successive Pro League crown.

But with former champions Connection determined to put their hands on the title later this month, an exciting race to the end is on the forecast.

Electrifying was Apai on Friday, the Surinamese forward put Connection 1-0 ahead 20 seconds into play after catching Defence Force cold. Apai controlled an intelligent Kevon Goddard pass with one foot and with the other foot quickly fired low past goalkeeper Andre Marchan.

Grenada international Charles, coming off a last week’s hat-trick against Club Sando, handed Connection a 2-0 cushion in the 33rd minute which lasted into the break.

Apai, though, wasn’t done. The diminutive attacker completed a wonderful team move to make it 3-0 four minutes into the second half with his eighth league goal this term—six of them coming in his last four appearances.

Apai then turned provider just before the hour mark when he slipped a pass into the left of the area and Benjamin made it 4-0 with a brilliant left-footed strike past Marchan.

Defence Force, fourth on the standings with 19 points, finally found a consolation item through defender Jamali Garcia, who headed in a Devorn Jorsling corner for a 4-1 finish. Jorsling, who leads the league scorers’ list this season with nine goals, saw his first-half free kick pushed behind by Connection goalie Julani Archibald and eight minutes from time he was denied by the crossbar.

Defence Force’s miserable night was compounded in stoppage-time when referee Joel Cox issued ‘keeper Marchan a direct red card for a high boot challenge on Andre Toussaint some forty yards away from the goalmouth. An ugly end for this season’s First Citizens Cup champions who entered play on a six-game winning streak in all competitions.

In the earlier game of the Hasely Crawford Stadium double-header, Trinidad and Tobago Under-20 forward Nion Lammy rescued cellar- placed Point Fortin Civic to a 1-1 draw with St. Ann’s Rangers.

Rangers had led through midfielder Jameel Antoine who redeemed himself after squandering a excellent first half opportunity by volleyed past Civic custodian Miles Goodman off a substitute Kathon St Hillare’s right side cross in the 58th minute.

But Lammy struck in the 75th minute when he directed substitute Jeremiah Kesar’s cross past goalkeeper Cleon John to level the score. It was only the third point for Civic this season, who remain anchored at the bottom, while seventh- placed Rangers join Police FC on 16 points.

Police, sixth on the table, travelled to third-positioned Jabloteh (23 points) yesterday in the second game of a double-header at Barataria Recreation Ground with tailenders Morvant Caledonia United and Club Sando in the first game.

Waited with in mid-pack in the 1800 metres race, Galviz pounced on his field as they turned for home and won by a comfortable two lengths over stablemat Man to comeThe 8-5 pre-race favourite King Arthur was never seen with a chance.

The day began with a shock winner in Mirkana who was a 25-1 long shot And that set the tone fopr the day’s nine-race programme as favouriters took a beating most of the day.

Young apprentice Joey Reyes had a memorable day, landing two winners including a chance ride Free Passage and he shared riding honours with Sheldon rodrigo who also went past the winning post twice.

But Shaffique Khan ruled the trainers, saddling three winners on the day’s ninerace card including the eremic Trinidad Limited Steve Bennett three-year-old maidens handicap over 1200 metres with Rough N tumble.

Local racing will have a dark day on Saturday, but will return on January 28 with the feature being the group three Caribbean Turf Championship over 1800 metres on the turf course.

The right-handed batsman is yet to be dismissed in the tournament and continues to pick up Man-of-the-Match accolades while putting the Guyanese club on the brink of the title.

Batting first, Club Crusoe posted a challenging 187 for the loss of nine wickets after their 20 overs as they attempted to secure a spot in the final for the second straight year. Tobagonian power-hitter Navin Stewart smashed 47 runs off 22 balls, which included six sixes and one four, while Leron Lezama made 39 runs off 30 balls and Christopher Vincent contributing 34 runs off the 19 balls he faced. Demerara’s bowlers Derwin Christian and Kellon Carmichael both claimed two wickets in their designated four overs as they went for 21 and 32 runs respectively.

In response, Gajanand Singh proved why he is the batting star of this tournament as he smashed another unbeaten score, this time making a scintillating 88 runs off 46 balls in a superb batting performance where he delivered eleven fours and two sixes in the process.

Derwin Christian accompanied him at the crease, where he also made an unbeaten score of 42 off 23 balls to help guide Demerara to victory after 19 overs. Christian stroked two sixes and four fours during his time between the wickets.

Ancil Nedd and Christoper Vincent took one wicket apiece for Club Crusoe, both going for 21 and 34 runs respectively after their four overs.

Demerara await the winners of yesterday evening’s second highly anticipated semi-final between Cane Farm and Merry Boys as the final is scheduled for 6pm at the same location today. Cane Farm boasts a number of national players while Merry Boys have also been in great nick too.

Summarised Scores: Club Crusoe 187/9 (20 overs) – Navin Stewart 47, Leron Lezama 39, Christopher Vincent 34, Derwin Christian 2/21, Kellon Carmichael 2/32 vs Demerara 192/3 (19 overs) – Gajanand Singh 88 not out, Derwin Christian 42, Ancil Nedd 1/21, Christopher Vincent 1/34.

In a match featuring several present and former West Indies stars such as Lendl Simmons, Nicholas Pooran, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Daren Ganga and Dinanath Ramnarine, it was really no surprise who would be the star of the show.

Chasing 179 for victory after Ganga’s men posted a daunting 179 for seven from their 20 overs, the Lara XI went in hot pursuit of the victory target. Lara led the way with his whirlwind knock which featured five sixes and seven fours.

Chanderpaul, who still represents Guyana in First Class cricket at age 42, was also among the runs with 53 not out off 38 balls with six sixes. With the scores tied in the 19th over, Chanderpaul hit Ganga for the maximum to win the match in 18.3 overs.

Ramnarine, the former West Indies leg-spinner and ex-president of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets for 25 runs from four overs and had the added bonus of dismissing Lara. Ganga, celebrating his 38th birthday as well, finished with two wickets for 16 runs from his three overs.

Ganga, who won the toss and decided to bat first, had earlier given his team a positive start.

The ex-Windies opener struck a positive 48 off 31 balls, glittered with two sixes and two fours.

He was ably supported by an aggressive Nicholas Pooran who slammed 31 off 16 balls, including three sixes and one four. Surprisingly keeping a lid on things was Chanderpaul who took two wickets for 10 runs from three overs.

Eearlier in the day Barrackpore United faced Victoria United in another charity match. All proceeds on the day go to the Daren Ganga Foundation Scholarship Programme.

Summarised Scores: GANGA XI 178/7 (20 overs) – Daren Ganga 48, Nicholas Pooran 31, Shivnarine Chanderpaul 2/10 vs LARA XI (18.3 overs) – Brian Lara 67, Chanderpaul 53 not out; Ganga 2/16.

The six premiership division teams will compete at the Munroe Road Recreation Ground in Cunupia from 9 am, while four teams will face off in the championship division at Bamboo Recreation Ground from 9.30 am.

Preysal Achievers and Moosai Sports will seek to defend their titles in the championship and premiership divisions respectively.

Mafeking Sports and Cultural Club (Mafeking SCC), newcomers to the TTWCA, will campaign in the championship division.

Players Sports Club, winners of the 2016 championship league competition, joins the premiership division this year.

PREMIERSHIP DIVISION (Munroe Road Recreation Ground)

Group A Moosai Sports vs Players Sports Club

Moosai Sports vs Phoenix Women

Preysal Phoenix vs Players Sports Club

Group B (six overs per team) Hibiscus Ladies vs Cricket Lovers

Hibiscus Ladies vs Technocrats

Technocrats vs Cricket Lovers

Final – Winner Group A vs Winner

Group B CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION (Bamboo Recreation Ground) Match One – Preysal Achievers vs Waterloo All Stars

Match Two – UWI vs Mafeking SCC

Match Three – Preysal Achievers vs UWI

Match Four – Mafeking SCC vs Waterloo All Stars

Match Five – UWI vs Waterloo All Stars

Match Six – Preysal Achievers vs Mafeking SCC

Final (six overs per team) First Place vs Second Place

The 2016 monarch has been preparing his defence since last August, producing his songs, making music videos, preparing set designs, and honing his stage performance.

“I’m going to defend my title and I’m going strong!” he exclaimed.

Seale has two songs ready for the 2017 National Calypso Monarch competition, a social commentary and humorous song called “Cyar Buy Class”; and a political/ humorous song titled, “I Carmona”, both produced by Christophe Grant and arranged by Leston Paul.

He also has a Groovy Soca song, “Paradise”, produced by Twin Island Productions.

“Over the years I have observed many past monarchs, in their defence, they did not come up to standard.

I made a promise to myself and to my fans that I would really defend my title. Plus, as the reigning monarch you have the advantage of being in the finals already so you could very well prepare with your entire team. I feel good about my defence,” he said.

Seale noted that “I Carmona” deals with all the accusations against President Anthony Carmona, such as Carmona’s housing allowance and re-packaging of wine.

“In this song I am performing as if I am the Prophet of Sisyphus, which was President Carmona’s sobriquet. I plan to defend myself, but in the way a calypsonian would do it,” he said, declining to give a taste of a verse and chorus before his first public performance of the song.

Seale argued that all other countries in the Caribbean allow two songs per person at their finals, but in Trinidad and Tobago, the mecca of Carnival and the land of calypso, calypsonians are likely to be limited to one song. He said he prefers the National Carnival Commission’s recommendation to have eight finalists singing two songs, instead of 16 finalists singing one song each in the finals.

He went on to say that, at least in 2007, the decision was made in October of the year before so artistes had time to prepare for that, and spend less money in production.

This year, however, the recommendation was made after the start of the Carnival season so many calypsonians already recorded two or three songs, or made videos which are both costly processes.

Seale is also concerned about the product. He explained that in the semi-finals, 40 artistes sing one song each. Then, in the categories competition, nine artistes present one song each, therefore, there would be nothing new in the finals for the audience to hear if the decision is made to do one song per artiste.

“The two songs give you a balance – maybe one with a party flavour and one with a more serious message.

Also, if everyone sings one song, you can have an idea of who the winner is from the semifinals. When you don’t know the second song there is a sense of mystery and suspense as to who would be the winner,” he said.

Nevertheless, Seale remarked that, over the years, there has been a lot of emphasis on the quality of the music by calypsonians. “Today a lot of calypsonians make greater efforts to be more marketable and more professional because of the amount that is invested by TUCO, the Government, and the corporate sponsors,” he added.

Despite these efforts, he said the support for calypso seems to be dying as every year the audience for Dimanche Gras is smaller.

He said in the past, around Carnival, the event-related entertainment was limited to the mas camps, calypso tents and pan yards. However, now there are many all-inclusive and cooler fetes for persons to attend. In addition, people’s attention spans are generally much shorter and they dislike sitting through long events.

Seale said calypsonians need to recognise they have to find innovative ways to change this and draw people to the event. This season, he will be performing at the Kalypso Revue Tent for the 19th year, and intends to visit other tents to support his colleagues, a well as to scope out his competition.

He is also working on his project called “SealeD in Calypso”. It would include a CD of some of his best songs over his 30-year calypso career, as well as a concert to be held outside of the Carnival season.

He hoped this year would at least be as good for him as the last. During his reign, Seale visited the United States, Colombia, several Caribbean islands, delivering presentations at universities, as well as Costa Rica for the fourth International Calypso Festival.

“It was a very good year in representing the Trinidad and Tobago brand,” he said.

His high expectations for this season is dampened by the latest recommendation coming out of the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) that calypsonians sing one song at the Calypso Monarch finals.

Seale stressed that in 2007, he sang against “one-song” and maintains that position. He even recalled the lyrics: Even in love-making Any one-shot king Running the risk of getting a horn I am a bachelor Kaiso is meh lover Give meh two rounds Lemme carry on.

Calypsonians were only allowed to sing one song in 2007 up to 2010, before the two-song format returned in 2011.

And from there her melodious voice takes you on a journey that includes idyllic, poetic imagery, the exploration of identity and the daily struggles of life.

Sunday Newsday caught up with the Trinidad-based Guyanese singer, songwriter and flautist to discuss her career, her love/hate relationship with the flute and her new album.

We begin her musical journey at about age five as Osman began performing in the children’s choir at church. At home her father, a jazz and classical music connoisseur, would be playing Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and the “Rat Pack”.

As she wrote music for church that jazz influence from home came through. At age 11 her family moved to Dominica and she joined the Kairi School of Music, which is now defunct. She participated in their annual musicals and this was her first experience seeing other people craft music. She also learned about using the stage, audience interaction and gained confidence – the basics for a performer.

She furthered her music talents by taking lessons and from the recorder graduated to flute and voice.

The saxophone is her first love – it pairs so well with jazz – but her father thought it was too large an instrument for her and she should learn the flute or something else.

“It is a love/hate relationship with me and the flute. We grew to love each other. Right now we not so sure how we feel about each other.

We going through a rocky patch,” she analogised.

She explained that the flute is a very unforgiving instrument and “when you do not come home too often and engage in conversation she let’s you know and when you try to start a conversation she is like ‘no I not talking to you’.” Osman stressed that dedication and practice is necessary and she has determined this year that every day she would spend some time with the flute.

On becoming a jazz singer she said that part of her did not think it would happen. After all she was a Pentecostal church girl looking at a career in the sciences and later English literature.

A major contributor to her career was her decision to remain in Trinidad after she came her to do an arts and culture enterprise management postgraduate diploma.

“And I realised Trinidad was a good place to sort of build a career in the music industry,” she recalled.

She explained that her homeland of Guyana, “as beautiful as it is”, does not have much of a music scene and it would not be possible to perform a jazz artist as she does in Trinidad.

As part of her arts and culture diploma and afterwards she was able to musicians and people in that field including guitarist Marva Newton with whom she would subsequently perform together with for a number of years.

“So it was that sort of trajectory. It is still something you do on the side. Even now it is something I do on the side. (But) it is taking up a much bigger chunk of my life and my thinking life as well,” she said.

In 2013 she launched her debut album Letting Go which was a collection of songs she had written over her lifetime. The name of the album was chosen because she was finally releasing this material and it was a reflection of “who I was”.

“Extremely personal and very vulnerable and scary thing,” she recalled.

She described the reception to Letting Go, produced by Jason Dasent, as “okay” for a debut album in Trinidad and in a niche market. She said that it is a “hard space” especially as an emerging artist who is not soca or calypso.

Osman recalled, however, that the album “had to be done”.

“You can’t call yourself an artist if you don’t produce work,” she added, describing the album as a portfolio of her work.

Last year she felt that it was time to do a second album and had a body of work built up from her regular performances. She reasoned that if she wanted to take herself seriously as an artist, and remain relevant, she needed to release new music.

On the title of the album she explained that certain elements, like water and the forces of nature, had been featuring heavily in her music. It was also drawn from her view of life where she wants to focus on simplicity and finding the core of things where she finds her strength and fuel.

Elemental, she explained, represents not just nature and environmental awareness “but what makes us who we are” and the elemental nature of constructed identities.

Her identity would be as a writer, artist, wife and mother.

“Two people I would really like to thank for their support are my manager, Roger Watts and my husband, Veron Rose, who puts up with me,” she quipped.

The album features 10 tracks: three covers and seven original songs. The covers are “Morena Osha” by the late local musician Andr? Tanker, “Redemption Song” by the legendary Bob Marley and “In?til Paisagem” by late Brasilian songwriter Ant?nio Carlos Jobim. The original songs were written at different times of her life and while in different moods. Her favourite is “Everybody needs a song” which features the line “come to the water, let yourself ride, all of the feelings you’ve hidden inside”.

The song “Not Enough” was originally a jazz tune but she added a reggae vibe when she performed it with reggae artist Collis Duranty at Kaiso Blues Caf?.

“It was magic,” she recalled.

The song “River Calling” was produced by Mark Andre Augustus who also produced “In?til Paisagem” Osman said Augustus brought a Brazilian and Latin American feel which resonated with her as she is from South America.

“I thought Guyana jungle, Amazon,” she recalled.

The remainder of the album was produced by Keon Jeffrey and features her band of Wayne Guerra (keyboards), Sheena Richardson (percussion), Makesi Joseph (drums) and Natasha Joseph (pan).

Guest appearances were made on “Not Enough” by Courtney Fadlin (sax) and Duranty. She also thanked Theron Shaw who played on and arranged “Morena Osha” and “Oh Brother”.

Osman also displays her poetry talents on the album with the track “The Dark”. She explained that in her debut album she tailored everything to what the audience wanted and would expect but for this album she wanted to give them her poet side, which is what they would also experience in a live performance. She describes herself as an artist and not an entertainer and her music as “the kind of music you sink into and centre yourself”.

“I believe that everybody has a purpose. And I believe that my purpose is to use the gift of music and words to help influence my community.

The society in which I live. And it could be something simple as helping people feel they belong to a community and they are not alone. It could be something as profound as making them aware of their place in the world and the shared humanity,” she explained.

She explained that improvement could be an incremental shift in attitudes and mindsets and how we feel at the moment.

She also wants to connect everyone to their “Caribbeanness” and the people that share the space with them. She said the realisation of connectedness would make us a better people ranging from courtesy and kindness to changing world governments.

Over time her music started to shift from traditional jazz sound to “Caribbean folk” incorporating drums and certain rhythms, though it is still not as Caribbean as she wants it to be. “Something that sounds like home. What we do here or what we can do here,” she said.

It is reported that two of the ATR aircraft are out of service and that the parent company has loaned CAL an aircraft to assist in alleviating this shortfall.

Is the public aware that when the ATRs were first brought into service to replace the Dash 8s which had given good service, that the CAL captains, who had preferred the 78 seater Dash 8 Q400,as the replacement expressed their dissatisfaction with the performance of the ATRs to the management.

The reaction from the management was a request to the captains to immediately withdraw their letter of complaint or face disciplinary action. Remember that the captains were flying the aircraft while the management were happily esconced in their air-conditioned offices at Piarco.

In my opinion, the management should have been pleased to receive a list of aircraft “defects” for forwarding to the manufacturer.

The Airbridge has been operating at a loss even with the Government’s subsidy.

The flying public has been complaining of poor service ,frequent delays, and inability to obtain a seat especially during the peak periods of Carnival, Easter,August and Christmas.

But there is no money available to upgrade the service and to lease aircraft for short periods. Now CAL is proposing ancillary fees to increase its revenue.

In my opinion if there are approximately 800,000 passengers using the service annually a minimal increase of a paltry $50 on a one-way ticket will increase CAL’s revenue by $40 million annually.

The $150 one-way fare was introduced in 1994, 23 years ago.

Are you aware of any commodity which has retained the same price for the past 23 years.

Why is the Government reluctant to implement a small increase in the fare while maintaining pressure on the CAL management to reduce the burden on the Government purse.

It is stated that the cost to CAL per passenger is $600 to $800 for a round-trip ticket.

Let’s be realistic and accept a small increase of $50 on a oneway ticket while at the same time demanding an improved service.

Ian Lambie via email