Of the 17 contenders in the lineup – the largest on the competition’s history – nine are women.

The fact that so many female calypsonians were selected for the final speaks volumes for the advancement of women in the artform, said Lynette Steele, known to the calypso world as Lady Gypsy.

“That says a lot for the empowerment of women and it is a great thing to see that we have outnumbered the guys for tomorrow night (tonight),” she told Sunday Newsday.

After labouring in the calypso vineyard for some 40 years, Steele said she was excited to be in the final of the competition.

She was especially grateful that the issues between herself and fellow competitor Lornette Nedd-Reid (Fya Emperess) had been resolved.

Steele was recently upgraded from a reserve to bonafide competitor after she threatened to sue the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) with a lawsuit if she was not placed in the finals while Nedd-Reid remained.

Steele, who will perform Plight of My People, had argued that Nedd-Reid was ineligible to be a finalist on the basis of her nationality as a Vincentian.

Nedd-Reid had filed an injunction against TUCO in the San Fernando High Court to prevent her from being dropped as a finalist.

The court ruled that she was eligible to perform.

Steele yesterday insisted there was no bad blood between herself and Nedd-Reid.

“Everything has been resolved between me and Fya Emperess. I have nothing against Fya Emperess. She is an entertainer just like myself. My problem is with TUCO because they supposed to know better, not her.” Steele said she will address her concerns about TUCO after Carnival.

“When the time come, I will deal with that because I am always victimised by what comes to my mouth. So, I am trying to say less at the moment until the right time comes along,” she said.

On the high number of women in tonight’s finals, Nedd-Reid said: “Our voices are finally being heard in calypso.

Years ago, the men used to be dominant but now we are very outspoken.” Like Steele, Nedd-Reid is also making her first appearance in the monarch final.

“I am very elated.

This is something that I have always wanted.

I have won competitions in St Vincent and in 2012 I won the National Calypso Queen title. So, now, I am performing in the lucky position number seven, which means completion,” she said.

Victoria Cooper-Rahim (Queen Victoria), in her fifth consecutive year in the final, expressed confidence that a woman will wrest the crown from defending champion Devon Seale.

“I am not sure which one of us but the women are strong this year in terms of composition and performance,” said Cooper, a headliner at the Kaiso Showkase tent in San Fernando.

Singing in position number six, Cooper- Rahim will perform The Call To Prayer, a socio-political commentary about the need for citizens to pray for the politicians.

“This year, I am not too focussed about winning the competition as I am about delivering a message,” she said.

Making up the cast of women are former monarch Karene Asche, Marsha Clifton (Lady Adanna), Heather Mc Intosh, Meguella Simon, Terri Lyons and Sasha-Ann Moses who won the National Women’s Action Committee’s Calypso Queen title.

Reigning monarch Seale, meanwhile, is hoping to repeat the feat, with the popular I, Carmona.

“I feel just as good or better than when I won the competition, last year,” he told Sunday Newsday.

“I intend to lead from in front by using my performance to judge others. My performance will be a cut above the rest, I can guarantee. They will recognise that class is class,” Seale said, alluding to another song from the season.

Fresh from his tenth extempo title on Thursday night, Winston “Gypsy” Peters also expressed confidence in winning the title.

“I have always been a confident person,” Peters said, dismissing his critics who waved toilet paper during his semi-final performance in last Saturday’s Calypso Fiesta at Skinner Park, San Fernando.

Peters, who won the monarch title in 1997 with Little Black Boy and Rhythm Of A Nation, will tonight perform a social commentary titled Angry Land about the myriad of social ills plaguing the country.

Describing the piece as timely, Peters said: “We are yet to say how we get this way…Our leaders have to lead by what they do and say.” Rondell Donowa, one the youngest competitors, said he simply wants to do his best.

“I have left everything up to God,” he said.

“I intend to put on a good show for the people because Carnival and calypso is about the people.” Donawa, too, has opted for a social commentary in Lip Service, a song about TT citizens’ penchant for talk and no action.

The attorney, who has been singing calypso for much of his young life, said he was very excited to be in the final of the competition.

“I love the artform.

I love the culture and doing what I love recreationally,” Donawa said.

Four-time monarch Weston Rawlins, better known as Cro Cro, said he was the only calypsonian with lyrics and melody in the competition.

“Everybody else singing hymns. Nobody melody not sweet,” he said.

Rawlins said his the Final Send-Off, a tribute to late prime minister Patrick Manning would surely wet the appetites of patrons at the show.

Dimanche Gras producer Ian Wiltshire said patrons can expect a seamless production.

The show will feature two segments -the crowning of the National Calypso Monarch and a celebration of some of TT’s cultural ambassadors, including award-winning entertainer Calypso Rose, veteran masman Peter Minshall and soca stars Machel Montano and Bunji Garlin.

Awards will be presented to each of the icons, following which there will be a performance by ace pannist Robert Greenidge. A host of foreign acts will follow including Rupee (Rupert Clarke) of Barbados, Teddyson John (St Lucia), Terri Lyons (TT), Skinny Fabulous (Gamal Doyle, St Vincent) and Kreesha Turner, a Canadian/ Jamaican recording artiste and songwriter Wiltshire said the monarch competition is expected to run from 7 pm to 9.30 pm. This will be followed by the icons segment from 9.30 pm to 11.30 pm.

and now litigation? Will kaiso from now onwards be judged by a new criterion, the quality of one’s legal counsel, some may ask cynically after the strange twist of events to decide placement for the National Calypso Monarch Competition at tonight’s Dimanche Gras show? The fact of five calypsonians threatening lawsuits certainly adds a fresh twist to the local adage, “Carnival is bacchanal.” Lynette “Lady Gypsy” Steele successfully threatened legal action to get a place on the big stage tonight by arguing for the disqualification of Lornette “Fya Empress” Nedd-Reid as not fulfilling TT nationality criteria, while Nedd-Reid in turn successfully counter-argued that her progress through the preliminaries and semi-finals now gave her a legitimate expectation for inclusion in the finals.

In the end, both women hugged up for the cameras as sisters in calypso as they attended the draw for singing spots on Friday, initially delayed by Nedd-Reid’s lawsuit.

We congratulate High Court judge, Justice Frank Seepersad, on delivering a timely judgement at 9 pm last Thursday, even as we acknowledge that in life in general no ruling will ever 100 percent satisfy all contending parties. Otherwise, Brian London in court unsuccessfully questioned the arithmetic of the judges score sheets.

Further, post-Carnival legal action against the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) may come from former monarch Duane O’Connor challenging the scoring at the semi-finals.

Moreso Alana “Lady Watchman” Sinnette-Khan is alleging her songs were judged in a wrong category as social, instead of political calypso, resulting in her exclusion from the semi-finals.

So, what does this all mean for kaiso? “This is new grounds for us in terms of legal space” was the sage and discreet comment of TUCO head, Lutalo “Brother Resistance” Masimba, reacting to Nedd-Reid’s successful legal action. Rather than being a largely semi-professional artform of griots whose passion and dedication exceed the pecuniary rewards on offer, has calypso this year lost its innocence to litigation? TUCO now faces a looming headache, firstly in having to pay two sets of lawyers’ fees in Nedd-Reud’s case alone, and secondly, possibly from more legal liabilities, both from this season and future Carnivals.

Clearly TUCO will have to spend a pretty penny on lawyers to draft fresh regulations and entry forms to govern the Calypso Monarch finals.

This could include a blanket exemption clause that the calypso judges’ decision is final and placements are not open to challenge.

TUCO must set down its criteria for artistes to supply proof of their TT nationality, and place an onus on artistes to sign a specific declaration that they meet this criterion.

TUCO must warn that any misrepresentation as to such status constitutes a criminal offence of fraud, including non-disclosure of any alteration in TT status.

Alternatively, TUCO could follow the lead set by the International Soca Monarch competition and abolish any nationality criterion thus opening the show to contenders from as far away as Japan! At a time when groups like TUCO struggle with limited State subventions and when at least one calypso tent complained of low ticket-sales, the last thing TUCO now needs is to be liable to pay out for lawyers’ fees and legal damages by disgruntled artistes. Yet maybe lawsuits should not have been unexpected as the very fact of $1 million as prize money has long signalled that calypsonians are no longer prepared to proverbially “sing for a drink” but that the artform is now irrevocably a serious business.

Meanwhile with six past monarchs vying for the calypso crown, tonight’s show should be highly competitive and enjoyable and we wish the organisers and all the contestants all the best. They toiled hard to enter whether in the tent or the courtroom and one hopes that it all amounts to betterment of calypso.

Moreso, competition chutney today, as I have been reliably told, is far different from another kind of “chutney.” That is, it is part of “lawa” a night-time event preceding a Hindu wedding and including some provocative dancing by “temporarily liberated” Indian women. Sundar Popo made an early transformation.

Anand Yankarran was iconic; his father, a classical type. Today, given its questionable lyrics and Bollywood mimicry, chutney singing has provoked very divided opinions – even copyright and prize-winning questions.

After all, it is taxpayers’ money too.

Though enjoyable to thousands, much of chutney – by lyrics and exotic dancers – is now moving into calypso-style. The inevitable evolution of a country’s culture – in this case, noisily mercenary, lacking the finesse of tradition.

Anyhow, not being an anthropologist like my colleague, Dr Kumar Mahabir, I stop here and go on to this thing about “death wish” and its connection to “our culture.” Defined as “a desire, usually unconscious, for the death of oneself or another,” it’s an intriguing concept popularized by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.

The operative word here is “unconscious.” Further, according to Freud, an important derivative of the death instinct is the aggressive drive, that is, “self-destruction turned outwards against substitute objects.” The “death instinct is the drive to return from where the body came, the inorganic world,” something like “dust to dust.” Murderous gangs, for example, seem to possess a “death wish.” The unrepentant, suicidal drug addict, too.

Acting Police Commissioner, Mr Stephen Williams, devoutly seeking spiritual refuge and protection at last Sunday’s Southern Division inter-faith service, said: “We are in perilous times. I do not know why so many people are angry. It seems Trinidad and Tobago is becoming a very violent place with many angry people.” Sounds like the country is “unconsciously” heading into “self-destruction” mode. Self-destruction to self and others. Look around, listen to talk-shows, scroll Facebook, and watch TV. Is Mr Williams right? This death instinct (thanatos) is always in tension with the life instincts (eros). So when I saw the heated media headlines about “our culture” of the past week, and the boiling, repeated controversies and persistent personal attacks, especially over calypso and chutney, I began to wonder if the artistes, masqueraders, sponsors and even some government “cultural” agencies are really streaming into the slow death of “our culture.” Hear some headlines: “Calypsonians vex with TUCO,” “lawsuits fly in National Calypso Monarch competition,” “calypso comess,” “TUCO calypso bacchanal,” “stiff fines for ‘nasty’ bands,” “legal letter over monarch finals,” “licks for TUCO,” etc, etc. Sounds like a “death wish,” a “bleeding” culture.

Is there more to come? Chutney singers and organizers, from Randy Glasgow to George Singh, have their own fatalistic grouses too. Now, whether you like Carnival, calypso or chutney, no one really wishes bad for such cultural activities. But, sometimes one wonders, given their frequency, is it that quickened grievances, pettiness and dysfunctional organizations are part of “our culture” too? A “death wish” culture? However, some life-giving, heartening cultural events breathe optimism.

For example, Ramnarine and Ravi B subsequently hugged up “with love.” Then this headline: “Musical rivals make peace for Machel Monday.” The young people looked “better cultured.” There was this headline from the peaceful junior school steelpan competition: “St Margaret’s, St Francois school panorama champs,” then with pride “Renegades youths make it 4 in a row.” This was youth-driven culture without adult “commess, bacchanal or legal protocol letters”. So maybe, after all, Freud’s “death wish ” for “our culture” seems mere wishful thinking – for now.

Hosein, of Pascall Road, Piparo, was employed with Community- based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme.

Investigators said at about 8 am yesterday, a tilapia farmer visited several ponds in his garden off St John’s Road, near Brothers Road, Rio Claro, and found a body face down in of them. The hands and feet were submerged and only the back was visible.

He contacted the Rio Claro Police Station and a party of officers responded, among them Sgts Garcia and Gaddar, Cpls Ramshai and Mohammed and PC Denoon. The Eastern Division officers pulled the body, identified as Hosein, from the pond.

There were marks of violence and investigators believe Hosein may have been strangled.

A district medical officer examined the body before it was taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital.

Rio Claro investigators learned yesterday that Hosein’s son Sheik had filed a missing person’s report at Princes Town Police Station.

Hosein went to work in Princes Town on Friday and failed to return home.

Noel sang Twilight Zone, the same political commentary he performed at last Saturday’s Calypso Fiesta semi-final, at the same venue, but did not qualify for tonight’s National Calypso Monarch final at Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain.

Noel, commenting after Friday’s tie, said his goal was not to satisfy any judging criteria but to entertain the audience with his “best performance.” “I was defending so I came there to do what I have to do, execute it to the best of my ability and first and foremost, entertain the people who were there,” Noel said, adding, “the judges have their job to do and I understand that but I try less and less to be concerned about that and just put my best foot forward.” Asked if he was surprised, Noel said, “I wouldn’t say I wasn’t surprised that I won because as long as judges are involved, the thing could go any way but as I say when I step on stage, competition or not, I just try to put my best foot forward and give my best performance.” “My primary focus was really to come out and give a good representation of myself and my song and entertain the people,” he said.

Noel previously won the competition in 2012.

Asked if his victory made up for being left out of the national final he said, “Well, I always hold a high standard for myself and what judges do and what judges don’t do, the only thing I hope is that the judging is fair and transparent.” “But as I say I know it could go any way so it is just about doing my best, Fiesta, South Monarch whatever, and let people, at the end of the day, people going to judge, people going to have their views so I just go and do my best,” he said. Noel however declined to be drawn into the legal battle faced by calypso’s governing body, the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation, saying: “I have a personal view but would really rather not share that right now.” Ballantyne, who also won the Couva calypso monarch competition on Friday night, said she felt “good” and “accomplished”.

“I wanted to put my best foot forward and end off the season with a win because I entered other competitions and I don’t think I got the results I wanted,” she said.

Ballantyne sang a social commentary, Calypso and Country, a song about “trying to get calypso and country on the same level in terms of development and growth and not denying one or the other.” Ballantyne, a former Digicel Rising Star winner, who sings with IMIJ and Co, plans to return to the studio “as fast as can be” to start working on new material.

That was how a mother described her two sons’, one of them a police officer, narrow escape from death yesterday when gunmen shot them in an attempted robbery.

“It is a double miracle. It is a miracle that they are alive. Both of them are good boys,” said Marian Le Gendre.

Her sons, PC Larry Le Gendre, 35, and his brother Lawrence, 30, remained warded at San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) up to last evening nursing gunshot wounds.

Le Gendre, of the Mon Repos Police Station, sustained a gunshot wound to the face while Lawrence was shot in his neck.

The Le Gendre family are from Robert Village, Tableland.

Police report that at about 1.25 am yesterday, the brothers, their father, Alexander, 63, and patrons were liming at Country Cabin Sports Bar, Torrib Trace, New Grant. While the brothers were playing a game of pool, three men- two armed with a firearm and the other a cutlassstormed in and ordered patrons to lie down. A fracas ensued during which the gunmen opened fire.

Larry, who is on vacation leave, sustained a wound to the face and Lawrence was hit in his neck.

The accomplice with the cutlass planassed (to beat with the flat side of a cutlass) their father who he sustained minor injuries. The armed men wore masks and fled the scene empty- handed.

The brothers were taken to Princes Town Area Hospital and were later transferred to SFGH.

Speaking to Sunday Newsday at the hospital yesterday, their mother said each time her children go anywhere, she prays for their safety.

“Every time they go out I pray for them. I ask God to bless them and I trust in God. Larry has some bleeding in his right ear.

“The bullet entered his nose and came out his ear. Lawrence is more alert than Larry,” Marian said. She is a mother of three and grandmother of three.

Lawrence, an electrical technician, recalled while playing pool, a gunman came from behind him and a scuffle ensued with patrons. He said he was on the ground when the second gunman walked up and shot him.

“That time, Larry was already shot. The bullet entered and exited my neck. We are lucky to be alive,” said Lawrence.

Up to yesterday officers of the Princes Town Police Station were reviewing CCTV footage and investigations are continuing.

Police report that at about 11.45 am residents heard gunshots and upon checking found the body of the 28-year-old father of four. A report was made to the Marabella Police Station and investigators, among them Sgt Francois, Cpl Bahadur, PC Matloo, and officers of the Southern Division visited the scene. On arrival, they followed a trail of blood near the Guaracara River and found Gibson’s body in a yard.

Gibson, police said, had a pending matter for robbery at San Fernando Magistrates’ Court.

Gibson’s father Junior Gibson, 54, of Ste Madeleine, told reporters yesterday he did not know the circumstances of the killing adding that the previous night a man visited the area, asking for his son. “I cannot say if that was linked to the killing.

I got a phone call from my daughter today and she told me that they shot him. I don’t know what happened,” the father said.

Asked to describe son, Junior Gibson responded: “He was allhow.

I cannot say good, I cannot say bad. I last saw him alive yesterday (Friday).” Homicide Region III is continuing investigations.

This follows a report in yesterday’s Newsday, that passengers arriving for Carnival from several international flights on Thursday and Friday were left restless and angry after having to wait long hours to clear immigration because there were not enough officers on duty. One person said there were only two officers to deal with passengers.

Posts from affected travellers on social media said passengers, mostly tourists, sought repose on their suitcases, chairs and even the floor in some instances to cope with the inconvenience.

Flights were said to have arrived from Miami, Toronto, New York, St Lucia and other parts of the Caribbean.

Cudjoe told Sunday Newsday she had been in contact with the Ministry of National Security, under whose purview the Immigration Division falls.

“We got information from the (Acting) Chief Immigration Officer (Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews) that a full complement of staff is out. In fact, there are 26 officers on schedule right now and there are 15 stations,” said Cudjoe, who claimed she had received no personal reports about the inconvenience passengers endured at the airport.

Cudjoe said according to information reaching her, the immigration officers on duty on Thursday and Friday were bombarded with an influx of passengers from several international flights.

“What they said is that they are experiencing an influx of a large number of flights that would have come in, a number of chartered flights and other regular flights that came in also. But all of the stations are being operated at this point in time.” The minister also said Carnival is in a period where there are no other major international events taking place.

“So that the reports from the airlines is that we are expecting quite a large number of people coming in this year.” Even so, Cudjoe avoided making any pronouncements about the success of Carnival 2017.

“I think it is still too early to call,” she said.

“But at the end of it all I think we will continue to work with all of the necessary authorities to tally up the numbers to see what the performance actually was.

“As of right now, the priority is to get these visitors in and immigration cleared so they could go and have a good time and enjoy the Carnival season.

“What we experienced at the airport is very important. Even though immigration is not under the Ministry of Tourism directly, we have to continue to work with immigration and other entities so that so that they could fully understand an appreciate the role that they play as the first point of contact when tourist or even our very own workers come to the airport.” In a statement last evening, the Ministry of National Security confirmed a full complement of immigration officers are on duty at the airport.

“Immigration officials have noted that the increase in passenger arrivals is in part compounded by the arrival of several charter flights in addition to the regularly scheduled flights.

Flights are coming in at the same time or very close together with hundreds of passengers disembarking from each flight,” the ministry said.

“The increase in arrivals on account of national festivities and the resultant longer wait time for passengers is not unique to Trinidad and Tobago and at times occurs at international airports in other parts of the world.” The ministry said immigration officials at the airport are monitoring the situation and continue to welcome citizens and visitors upon arrival.

In a subsequent statement, the ministry said Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon visited the Chief Immigration Officer at the airport yesterday and spoke with officers on duty.

Dillon and the Chief Immigration Officer discussed measures that have been put in place to deal with increased arrivals.

Dillon commended the officers and encouraged them to warmly welcome citizens, residents and visitors

The ministry indicated it is pursuing the requisite steps toward eventual passage of legislation to give effect to speed spot camera enforcement. The ministry added that at this time there are no fixed cameras and speed traps at Corinth Flyover; Gasparillo Flyover; Munroe Road Flyover; Caroni Flyover; Grand Bazaar; Seereeram Brothers; San Fernando Flyover; Golconda Flyover and Penal Flyover. The ministry says people can peruse its website and social media pages to verify the veracity of reports of any speed spot, fixed camera and speed traps.

So let us toss away our worries and concerns, if only for the next two days—and of course tonight when we will fete until dawn, when the first iron rings in the pre-dawn darkness to set J’Ouvert shuffling and jumping through the streets. But to really enjoy the fete, we would have to ignore the fact that the “sameness” which grips my writing has gripped and smothered all of the one-time inspiration and creativity of mas. And for years now! While I admit to not having followed the offerings of calypso, my understanding, from reading comments, is that the selections this year are largely forgettable, and this sadly has been a trend over the past few years. If I am wrong, please do correct me and point me (and many of us) to the songs that have people roaring with laughter in the tents and jumping in the streets. I accept that soca Road March offerings do have the players jumping in frenzy but there is hardly much with which they can sing along as they jump.

I watched some of the Kings and Queens on television, and the truth is, that if you had never seen Kings and Queens before, you might find the colours, the movement, even the inspiration to be magnificent.

However, if you have been around the past few Carnivals you will acknowledge that these are almost repeats, with change of colours and fancy names, of what we have been seeing year after year now. And are they costumes or carts? Almost every presentation, with all the brilliant colours and “movement”, is a wheeled carriage which is pulled or pushed by a masquerader harnessed into the device. These are not costumes to be carried and displayed by masqueraders but wheeled floats which could just as well be pulled by a donkey.

But all that said, they are still beautiful works, which light up our Savannah stage with colour and movement, and create enjoyment for the players and spectators, which is really the point of it all. Hopefully inspiration will return to these creations and Dimanche Gras will once again become a truly magnificent and original spectacle.

But much of J’Ouvert has become refined with almost formal presentations and most of the old picong excised, so one wonders how to describe it—its intent and its portrayals? Carnival Monday has faded as the T-shirt presentations look like leftovers from J’Ouvert. But Carnival Tuesday has expanded in terms of numbers of bands, players, music trucks, support trucks—like wee-wee trucks, bars, and boudoirs– and apparently enjoyment, which is the most important thing! But costumery and presentation has disappeared, replaced by endless Las Vegas styled sequinned and feathered dancers.

Can anyone really tell one presentation from another? Or even this year’s costumes from previous years? But does it even matter? People are enjoying themselves and band presentation is an industry, far removed from the historic and mystical themes of years gone by and the skills of specialist individuals.

Regardless of the pleas to “bring back the old time days”, Carnival has evolved and is evolving whether I or the NCC like it or not. Maybe that is why the judges bestowed Band of the Year on All Stars steel orchestra who play traditional sailor mas in the same costumery every year? So, unless we can, by creativity now hiding, bring music and bands which are new or even nostalgic enough to recapture the imaginations of all who create or play mas, we better just settle for and enjoy the experience of “wining of a sequinned bumsee!” But whatever and however we play, it all comes to an end by Ash Wednesday morning and we will still have a nation and a society reeling with (reasonably peaceful so far) anarchy, corruption at every level of endeavour, rampant, unstoppable crimes of murders and now kidnappings, a judiciary unable to cope with case loads, filth everywhere and the ongoing destruction of our beautiful and world-acclaimed natural environment. But none of our calypsonians nor our J’Ouvert are able to properly comment on these ills any more. So how will we ever be able to lift our society to carry on until the next Carnival? The days and weeks ahead will tell.