Road March is on
Posted: Friday, January 30, 2004
by Peter Blood, Trinidad Guardian
This week, Iwer George submitted a brand new single in the 2004 Road March derby called "The Carnival Come Back Again," adding to what is already one of the most competitive races in years.
National Junior Monarch Patrice Roberts had the honour of being first out the gates when she released her CD at Christmas, with the contender "Sprinkle." Unfortunately, due to little airplay and with none of the soca bands playing this selection, it cannot be considered a contender.
In contrast, also launching his CD for Christmas, Shadow has been the most popular artiste this Carnival, with several of his songs enjoying heavy rotation on air and in fetes. In the Road March fray as well, this past double-winner is back with "De Hornerman Horning" and "Whop Cocoyea."
Last year Road March runner-up Destra is also back in contention, this time with two ditties, "Up in the Air" and "Bonnie & Clyde."
The women are particularly strong in calypso and soca this year, and in the Road March race as well, and among them are 2003 champion Fay Ann Lyons, and past champ Sanell Dempster.
Fay Ann is awesome and is keen on a repeat with "Freedom," and a collaborative effort with her father, SuperBlue, named "Clear the Road." Sanell's "Doh Do Me Dat" is also in the running.
Among the male stars, the fastest growing Road March contender is "Look the Band Coming" by Tobago-born Shurwayne Winchester. This ditty has found immense popularity among women, and is also theme song for television's daily On the Promenade morning programme.
A joint runner-up last year with Destra, Machel Montano returns with the zesty "Craziness," one of Carnival's most infectious songs.
Other strong contenders for Road March champion this year are "Carnival is Bout This" (Naya George); "On the Road" (Chris Garcia); "Warrior Cry," aka ‘Fire Brigade' (Bunji Garlin); and, "The Carnival Come Back Again" (Iwer George).
THE ROAD MARCH STAKES
1. Look the Band Coming - Shurwayne Winchester
2. Craziness - Machel Montano
3. Get on Bad - Onika Bostic and Bunji Garlin
4. Up in the Air - Destra
5. Clear the Road - Fay Ann Lyons and SuperBlue
6. Freedom - Fay Ann Lyons
7. Carnival is This - Naya George
8. Bonnie & Clyde - Destra
9. The Carnival Come Back Again - Iwer
10. Is Carnival - SuperBlue
Saucy Wow, the ultimate diva
SPEKTAKULA Promotions Int succeeded in producing the "Concert of the Month" on Wednesday night with the staging of Caribbean Divas, at Jean Pierre Complex. With almost every seat in the house occupied at the open-air venue, under a starry sky, patrons got a lot more than their money's worth.
Expert stage management by veteran Lennox Toussaint led to a production which built in intensity and excitement with every succeeding act. From opening act, Nikeisha Toussaint to a defiant Denise "Saucy Wow" Belfon, every female performer proved that the women are a formidable lot in Carnival this year.
Donna Pierre's review of the concert also appears in this paper so I won't venture to steal her thunder.
But I must say that Saucy Wow is in a class all by herself, while Destra is a class act and someone who has what it takes to move our soca music forward. A budding songwriter, Destra has one of this year's most original compositions in "Bonnie & Clyde."
I enjoyed every act, and was moved when Rose dug into her archives to unearth "Simon" and present it as though it was brand new. Of course, Singing Sandra is never anything less than regal and her "Peace" song is testimony of the positive, progressive side of this country's young people as this profound social commentary was written by the very popular Dawg-e-Slaughter.
Pure Energy's Michelle Sylvester is well on her way to stardom, once she continues getting the right material, like she has this year with "Go Ahead and Horn Meh" and "Dip Down Low."
Nicole Greaves, Onika Bostic, Lima Calbio, Alison Hinds and Sanell Dempster were all accomplished and polished in their performances and are worthy of being referred to as "ambassadors" to this "Land of Soca."
Horn for the horn men
I am sure that when he wrote Shadow didn't realise how prophetic his big hit this Carnival, "De Hornerman Horning," would be. In an extreme departure from what has been one of the main ingredients in calypso and soca music, horns have been excluded from the majority of recordings this year.
Some of calypso's greatest living "horn men," carrying the age old tradition of enhancing music through the years can only now rely on work in the calypso tents and in the few music bands on the fete circuit. Gone are the days when men like Errol Ince, Frankie Francis, Mitch, and even Brassorama posterboy de Original De Fosto Himself would have fete patrons and record collectors in awe with the mastery of "horn."
It pains me to the pit of my stomach every time I hear so many of this year's beautiful soca melodies, bereft of horns, the space for live horns replaced by a bloody synthesizer. What has gone wrong with our producers, arrangers and recording artistes? I am dying for the day when T&T soca would wake out of the slumber it seems to have been placed in by its protectors, opting for quick-fix, shake ‘n' bake methods to what has always been the sweetest music in the world.
When the final chapter is written on Carnival 2K4, one of its saddest entries would be that somebody really horn the horn man.
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Rose, Belfon barred by Tent
Posted: Friday, January 30, 2004
By Joan Rampersad, Newsday TT
CALYPSO ROSE (McArthur Lewis) and Denise Belfon were not allowed to perform at the House of Stars Wednesday night after they defied orders from the tent's management and performed at the Spektakula Promotions' "Divas of Soca Concert." Rose, a former National Monarch and Road March winner, is contending that the "Divas Concert" was a show but House of Stars considered it a rival tent and banned its contracted singers from taking part in it. Rose told Newsday she found out that she had been dropped from the House of Stars playbill when she turned up at the tent's Henry Street venue following her "Divas" performance. "Fifteen minutes after I arrived at the venue," Rose said, "I was told by the stage manager, not to bother to change my clothes because I would not be performing tonight."
Manager of the House of Stars tent, Peter Budd, confirmed that Rose was barred from singing Wednesday night and said she will not be allowed to perform tonight too. He said in the case of Belfon, she has not yet rehearsed with the band and following her appearance at the concert she may not be singing there for the remainder of the season. Budd pointed out that Denyse Plummer, the other House of Stars calypsonian advertised to perform in the "Divas" concert, was the only one who obeyed the tent management's directive and opted out of the Spektakula show. On Tuesday night, the three soca stars were called into the office of House of Stars director, businessman William Munro and told not to perform in the "Divas" show because it constituted "a rival tent." However, a defiant Rose not only went ahead with her "Divas" performance, but even announced to the audience at the show that she was performing with a lawsuit hanging over her head.
All efforts to contact Munro yesterday proved futile. However, Claude Martineau of Spektakula Promotions, who promoted the "Divas" show expressed surprise at the controversy. "It is so difficult to understand the reason and logic behind it," Martineau said. He added that Plummer didn't perform because she and her manager felt that they should not do it. Although last season while contracted with the Revue tent she performed at the "Divas" concert because it was not then regarded by Revue's management as a rival tent. "Plummer and her manager were trying to argue on the premise that their contract with us was not a written contract but a verbal contract but we all know that a verbal contract is as strong as a written contract.
In any case, the contract we had with Denyse has always been a verbal contract," said Martineau. He too contended that the "Divas of Soca Concert" was a "show" and not a "rival tent." He also said the artistes told him that Munro had indicated to them that it was okay for them to perform at the same venue the following night at a show promoted by Randy Glasgow. "I don't know what Munro's story is. Traditionally, they had been allowed to perform on other shows outside of their tent," said Martineau who insisted that the artistes had valid contracts.
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US Trini-style Carnivals not paying copright fees
Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2004
By Terry Joseph
MUCH of the 2004 calypso music you're currently hearing is likely to form the main soundtrack of Trini-style summer Carnivals in the US but local composers won't be getting any royalties from those performances.
Nor are the majority of North American radio stations and DJs who proudly boast of "spreading T&T culture", by mounting exclusive calypso programming, coughing up any cash for music licencing fees.
In short, where calypso is most played in North America, local creators derive the least from those lucrative exposures. Chutney is likely to enjoy better returns from exposure in India than calypso in any of the comparable metropolitan centres where it is used for entertainment.
This startling comparison came to light during last week's seminars organized by the Copyright Organisation (COTT) in association with CISAC (International Confederation Societies of Authors and Composers).
www.trinidadexpress.com
The seminars, which were held at the Joao de Havelange Centre of Excellence and Mt Irvine Bay Hotel in Trinidad and Tobago respectively, attracted some 90 seniors from the local music industry to a discussion on the theme "Music Licencing, Royalty Collection and Distribution".
Panelist Consuelo Sayago, senior director of international relations at BMI (USA) confirmed that the international agency adhered to the same principle as ASCAP when operating in the North American environment; following only the top dollar and disregarding smaller operators.
Responding to the comment that this country was a net exporter of copyright fees, Sayago confirmed that BMI has over 10,000 licensed radio stations on its register, but limits its collections to only the top 200 grossing acts in the US, in terms of distribution of royalties for live performances.
This system consequently excludes live performances of music at T&T-style Carnivals across the US and doesn't embrace small radio stations that play calypso music for hours at a stretch. Sayago suggested that the best way for COTT members to receive distributions was through use of their music in US films and television.
However, Sanja Tandon, director general of IPRS (India's Pereforming Rights Society) told of a much stricter enforcement in his country. "IPRS is very stringent with enforcement of the laws," he said, nothing that taxis in India have to pay a minimal fee for the use of copyright protected music in their vehicles; a subject that caused a major furore here when COTT sought to introduce that tariff.
IPRS temporarily stopped broadcasting at a radio station until it satisfied copyright requirements and has sued India's Ministry of Trade and Industry and other governmental agencies for failure to obtain a licences, Tandon said, although emphasizing IPRS' intention is not to stop the use of music, but to protect creators.
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Bury the jump and wave
Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2004
by Bukka Rennie
January 28, 2004
I used to wish that some local millionaire philanthropist would, out of the goodness of his heart, build a huge "soca jail" so this society could be spared the agony of hearing, year after year, the boring mindlessness that emanates from our overnight so-called "stars" every Carnival.
The "jump and wave" syndrome began innocently enough when SuperBlue sought to creatively describe in song the phenomenon of people waving handkerchiefs and rags and flags in appreciation of a calypso performance.
The fact that SuperBlue's initial song "Jump and Wave" was an awesome Road March success opened the floodgates to a plethora of rather poorly constructed and silly calypsoes attempting to capitalise and piggy-back on Blue's initial work, moreso as the Road March had by then become the premier calypso of the Carnival season, and was being rewarded as such.
We entered a period of what many of us now refer to as the instructional or aerobic calypsoes: "move to the left, move to the right," "run to the front, run to the back," "dust them away," "take out yuh rag," "leh me see yuh flag," "wave to the left, wave to the right," "wave it, wave it," etc.
It seemed as if we were trapped in a never-changing, timeless zone, when no longer was there any purpose in honing the craft that is the poetry of calypso. The aim seemed solely to arouse people emotionally and expose basic instincts without any component of catharsis or cleansing as was the norm with the calypso art-form of yesteryear.
But just as T&T's Carnival artists seemed stuck in this mould as if by the doing of some wicked wizard, the bards from Barbados, Grenada and St Vincent began to take up the mantle of sensible soca, with attractive melodic lines and at a rhythmic pace that was destined not to tear one's heart out.
It was painful to us to be so pleased and enamoured of the work of the likes of Edwin Yearwood, Red Plastic Bag, Allison Hinds and Square One, and more recently Kevin Little, Rupee, Talpree and Militant, while Machel Montano, the most disappointing of all, continues to lead the charge of his cohorts of T&T at blinding, breakneck speed like a mad bull chasing after a red big truck.
One is, therefore, not surprised that the international label that signed Machel to do some original work has since seemed to have given up on his possibilities, while spotlight, in this regard, has now fallen on Rupee and Kevin Little.
I am quite certain that Mr Clarke, in particular, will not disappoint, largely because he seems too focused, humble and measured a person to mess up golden opportunities. His offering for 2004 about "giving thanks and praise while in the mas because we can never know if it shall be our last" is the kind of intelligent work we can expect year after year from this young Barbadian.
Ras Shorty I went to his grave pleading and begging and exhorting our young soca bards to get serious about their craft, to no avail.
Yet, there are signs of hope.
Shadow, with his creative "Stranger," put an end to the "jump and wave" genre just as he predicted when he intoned that he was reluctant to "get on the soca boat for fear of sinking it." After SuperBlue's original there will never be a more ingenious "jump and wave" than Shadow's "Stranger." Between those two giants, one senses that the fad has finally been brought to an end.
Super, in his offerings for 2004, has slowed his music down considerably and has reverted to his previous approach to composing.
Shadow, on the other hand, is pointing to the future with his ability to bridge the hip-hop/rap genre with authentic calypso and provide a product that is appealing to both the extremes of the music market. He continues to be the man of the moment in both philosophical content as well as rhythmic form.
If SuperBlue's turnaround is complete, then he may be the only challenge to Shadow's supremacy, particularly as the verbose Rudder has now sought "refuge" in Canada.
The major problem is that there is no longer an "apprenticeship" period, as informal as it was, for the young wannabes. The old practitioners of the art-form tell tales of their experience when they were taken "under wing," so to speak, by the more accomplished people and how they were, in this way, nurtured in the art-form.
That no longer happens. Like instant coffee, there is now instant calypso star. One effective way of dealing with the problem is to be more critical of who and of what we reward. If we reward the "mindless ditties," then that is what we will get.
We cannot allow the raucous, ridiculous, boring Soca Monarch competition to be the most valuable and the most prestigious of the Carnival shows — or, for that matter, to be the show that is broadcast live internationally. One is certain that no one in the US or Europe will watch that offering for more than two minutes.
If we reward only that which is proficiently done then the art-form will improve across the board. The issue is bigger than "sampling." In fact, nothing is wrong with cover-versions and sampling per se, as long as the original work is cited, all the legalities settled and it is done with taste.
What is more crucial is the question of overall lyrical content and structure; the use of symbolic imagery in the story-telling; and the power of social commentary.
If these are the crucial issues then these are the matters that must be rewarded. Only in this way will the young folk be forced to learn their craft and, as we used to say, "pay their dues."
The point however is that no one wishes to put themselves up as some form of a cultural inquisition commission. No one wishes to pigeon-hole the art in any predetermined classical parameters. People must be free to experiment and improvise and when they do or don't do so, then the right signals must be sent.
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'Talkative' Shanaqua axed from Kaiso House
Posted: Wednesday, January 28, 2004
By Terry Joseph
SOCA singer Shanaqua has become the first performer to be fired from a calypso tent this season.
She will no longer be performing at Kaiso House, having been paid off for the remainder of the season and effectively fired from the cast, after an altercation with officials.
Operated by the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO), Kaiso House features headliners Shadow and Brother Valentino. Shanaqua was slotted as the show's closing act, doing a song called "Soca Soldiers".
According to Kaiso House manager, King Wellington, Monday night's confrontation climaxed a weekend of arguments between tent management and the singer, on the issue of her adding extraneous material (including "too much chat") to her calypso; extending her performance time on stage.
"I first spoke to her last week Thursday night at Skinner Park, where she was heckled by the audience for this extended version she wants to do every time she gets on stage," Wellington said. "She was stopping the band and going into a whole talk session and that annoyed the audience.
"We are in the business of pleasing people who pay to come to Kaiso House, not upsetting them. I had to speak to her again the following night after she did the same thing but instead of paying heed, she told me that I cannot tell her how to render her song.
"I said it was no longer the song she was selected to perform because it now turned into a talk-show and I told her if she continued to disregard our directions, she would be fired. I mean, this is one o'clock in the morning by the time she is onstage and we are trying to tighten the show and she is doing exactly the opposite, so it is almost a type of sabotage, if you understand our perspective.
"Her argument is that Iwer does that and we don't tell him anything. I explained that Iwer was hired to do that kind of act but she was hired to sing straight kaiso but that didn't move her and she did it again. The management committee felt she was not about to follow our instructions, so we could not keep her.
"Well, she didn't take that nice at all. She stormed into the dressing room and started cursing," Wellington said.
Shanaqua, a former R&B singer while resident in the US and who came to fame in the local calypso arena doing Raf Robertson's "Pan for Carnival" in 1998, could not be reached for comment.
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Truly A House of Stars
Posted: Tuesday, January 27, 2004
By Terry Joseph
CALYPSO and Carnival are in the air long before you reach the gate of Club Caribbean, home of William Munro's House of Stars tent and once inside, the programme fully justified its lofty name.
At the conscripted Port Authority car park brightly coloured fabric draped the chain-link fence corralling vehicles, their passengers either ferried by maxi-taxis along Wrightson Road or choosing to walk the short stretch to the club, accompanied by moko jumbies, fancy sailors and a host of traditional Carnival characters.
At the venue, tents topping out poles three metres high added to an already festive opening-night atmosphere, the house flanked by two massive television screens for closed circuit highlighting.
Al Bushe and The Banga Band were poised to play the national anthem, Karen Bart-Alexander did an invocation, we were officially welcomed and Port of Spain Mayor Murchison Brown declared the season underway.
MCs Trinidad Bill and CG warmed the audience before introducing Kenny-J to do "He's Always There", a Godly entrée for the sumptuous calypso fare that would be served up over the next four and a half hours. M'ba maintained the sober vein with "Cherish Them", then Black Wizard changed the tone in "I Am America", a backhand compliment to the US.
Always good for extracting humour from however serious a topic, Trinidad Rio took a swipe at deadbeat dads in "TTT", which had nothing to do with the State-owned television station, a good thing, perhaps, as Acting Prime Minister (and substantive Culture Minister) Senator Joan Yuille-Williams was properly installed in a front row seat of the full house.
She left shortly after intermission but had soaked up the major part of a show that proceeded without irritation, while some songs were not astonishingly profound, none among them were boring and indeed, the evening offered a pleasing mix of laughs, social and political commentary and other components of classic calypso.
Cardinal has a good song in "From the Horse's Mouth". Clint Thomas supplied the chutney element, making way for the youngest star in the house, former junior calypso monarch Olatunji Yearwood, bedecked in a dazzling white suit, shoes and hat, with a level of showmanship more often seen in glitzy big-budget pop concerts, doing in bell-clear voice, a telling song called "Walk Good".
Apart from Rio, the straight-up comedy slot was filled by Funny describing T&T as "The Fete Capital" and "Lackadoo", a colloquial definition of undersexed adults. Learie Joseph conducted a laugh-a-minute session a-la Jay Leno on newspaper headlines, punctuating with playful pokes at Senator Yuille-Williams.
"I is a actor", he said, "but I don't get to sit in the front row. You acting too but you get a nice seat. You must be wishing he don't come back, eh?" The crowd loved it and kept the warmth for "Perfect Vision", Luta's serious and satirical look at Government's 20/20 development concept.
Singing Francine made her return to the local calypso stage, heralded by the traditional Carnival characters, who danced single file across the ground in front of the stage, adding a flambouyant touch to her presentation, which included a tribute to (the late) Grandmaster Kitchener.
Rootsman was there, raising a much needed cheer for the West Indies cricket team, Black Sage and reigning champion Sheldon John entertained with a memorable extempo "war" and former junior monarch Patrice Roberts struck a chord with "Determined", describing her approach to scoring major achievements in life.
Impulse brought the house down with "King Dotish", responding to several encores, Singing Sonia did her own quality control check in "I Ain't Singing Dat" and Gypsy was magnificent with "Maximum" and "Every Shadow is a Bandit", throwing in an extempo verse for the encore.
The Original de Fosto Himself asked why he hadn't topped the annual national contest to date in "Ah Paid Mih Dues" and crested with the Steelband Panorama favourite pick "War 2004.
Among the senior calypso monarchs on the playbill, Bomber, at 76 a granddaddy of the tent, offered a song of hope in "We Will Rise", saying T&T was simply going through a bad season. He got two encores, answering both with extempo stanzas that cleverly included apologies for not having an extra verse on the ready and a promise to rectify the oversight.
Denyse Plummer rendered "Freedom" and "Caribbean Woman", Sparrow surprised his audience by selecting "Isaac and Abraham" from his spiritual bag and Calypso Rose mad a sparkling impression with "Side Man" and "Tight Shoes".
But it was five-time national calypso monarch Black Stalin who shone with two tribute songs, the first, "Dr Jit" is an ode to musical arranger Jit Samaroo, upon whom was recently conferred an honorary Doctorate by the UWI and "Andre the Lion", hoisting the late Andre Tanker; both cuts from his soon to be released CD Just for you.
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All-inclusive carts facing Savannah ban
Posted: Tuesday, January 27, 2004
By Terry Joseph
SEVERAL of Carnival's most colourful bands are threatening to boycott the Queen's Park Savannah if the National Carnival Commission (NCC) implements a proposed ban on carts carrying food and drinks for masqueraders parading through the venue.
Leaders of bands attached to the National Carnival Development Foundation (NCDF), which represents a significant number of the largest bands, are up in arms over the plan, which they say interferes with the contract between masqueraders and all-inclusive section leaders, whose costume prices expressly includes free drinks and food during the parade.
NCDF secretary David McKell yesterday said a quick poll of his group's membership showed that most member bands with all-inclusive sections would avoid the savannah if NCC implements the proposed band on drinks carts. "In fact, the biggest bands have said their first responsibility is to their masqueraders and if it comes to a choice between pleasing them and the NCC, they would be guided by the requirements of the former," McKell said.
"Masqueraders who sign up for all-inclusive sections do so in the knowledge they will be supplied all day long with food and beverages and our members may be even be accused of fraud or larceny by a trick if that suddenly changes. Worse, a lot of female masqueraders welcome the arrangement as they do not now have to travel with money," McKell said.
National Carnival Commission (NCC) chairman Kenny de Silva is scheduled to meet later this week with band representatives to discuss the proposal, said to derive from complaints by vendors, whose sales reportedly plummeted as a result of all-inclusive sections supplying masqueraders with drinks from accompanying carts.
"The NCC is making it sound like only the vendors are taking business risks," McKell said. "Bandleaders take even larger risks, not knowing if their investments will pay off. In addition, masqueraders are the only performers that pay to perform during the festival so, if any protection has to be offered, it should be to them.
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Jeers and cheers for Gypsy
Posted: Sunday, January 25, 2004
By Gary Cardinez, Newsday TT
Former UNC Senator Winston "Gypsy" Peters came on stage to a mixture of jeers and cheers when he performed at the opening night of House of Stars Calypso Tent last Friday night. But after singing his first song "Maximum" Gypsy had the entire audience clapping and asking for more.
He did not sing more of that song but went on to do another called "Every Shadow Is A Gunman" (Paradise Lost) but not before saying he will never sing a song that encourages kidnapping. After this second song Gypsy got an encore, on his return to the stage he extempored a verse in which he told the audience, "If I was not UNC all you would not jeer at me. But don’t judge me by my politics, judge me by my calypso; this is calypso time." He then left the stage to tremendous applause. Also making a great impact was Cardinal with his version of the stolen liquor from the police canteen. Dressed in "police uniform" Cardinal delivered "From The Horse’s Mouth" to an appreciative audience.
House of Stars has a cast consisting of a mixture of youth and experience with Olatungi Yearwood "Walk Good", Patrice Roberts "Determine", Luta "Perfect Vision", Singing Sonia and "Ah Not Singing Dat". Stalin’s two songs are tributes to Jit Samaroo and Andre Tanker, Singing Francine needs to do more rehearsals with the band and Calypso Rose was just being herself with a great performance. The calypso King of the World, Sparrow ended the show with an emotional song "Isaac and Ishmael."
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Valentino Shines
Posted: Friday, January 23, 2004
Review by Terry Joseph
Kaiso House previewed its 2004 menu on Wednesday at Strand Cinema in Port of Spain, its home base this season, opening with a flourish by Cummings & the Wailers percussionist Bunny "Rocky Blake" Bynoe, who welcomed guests and introduced the band.
It was a fanfare to remember, with Bynoe "conducting" each next riff as he talked us into the programme before handing over to the official MC, Brother Mudada, who reminded us that the same cinema was part of calypso history, before introducing the night's opening act-Caesar B, who rendered a piece slamming radio for lack of airplay; all before a thoroughly distracting set designed by Heather Jones.
Shadow's son, Sharlan Bailey, was up next, singing a song called "Shadow's Son", ushering the night's first masterpiece, "(Parental) Neglect" by newcomer Anthony Johnson. Although a well-tested theme, Johnson gave it new treatment and rendered his song in fine voice, offering us additional verification from Proverbs 13:24. He got the night's first encore, a sincere accolade later cheapened by routinely bringing back singers to do an additional verse regardless.
Then it was time for Kaiso Mac with an uninventive song about "Cellular Phones", perhaps made even more difficult a proposition by following Anthony Johnson. Co-host Cliff Learmond now joined, introducing Twiggy, who asked "What Have You Done?" to help combat crime.
Now it was the moment for Brother Valentino, to whom the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO), hosts of Kaiso House, has dedicated this season, in respect of his 40th anniversary. Delivering "Where Calypso Went?" he too earned a rich encore. The song traces calypso history with flawless research and in unexaggerated terms, asking at every chorus what went wrong after the art achieved so much so early in its life.
Marvellous Marva, bedecked in red, white and black, gave us "Cry, My Beloved Country", leaving the stage to Bunny B's
What Columbus See", the song that earned him second place at the recently concluded Police Calypso Contest and one that was well-received Wednesday. Nicole de Coteau made her debut with "50 Percent Airplay", finding easy solidarity with her calypso colleagues and solid audience appreciation.
Former joint-monarch, Delamo doing "Crime" suggested that the poor should see a few rich criminals locked up which, he thought, might reduce their enthusiasm for lawbreaking, taking time out to throw a jab at Rudy Giuliani's intervention. Describing it as the adversity section of the programme, Mudada then introduced Soft Touch with "War" and Exposer with "If We Try".
TUCO president Protector has a good song in "Weapons of Mass Destruction", in which he suggests to George W Bush that child abusers and drug pushers should be among his next group of targets. He then backed up with "Monday Morning", a Jouvert treatise onto which he tacked a few humourous impressions.
The crowd wouldn't let Shadow stop at just three songs, so he rendered "Horner Man Crying", "Sing, Boy, Sing", "Whop Cocoyea" and "Come for Your Lunch", all of which were enthusiastically received by his sing-along audience; before the break was taken at 11.20 pm.
Half an hour later, the lights were up again for Dee Diamond ("Is a Long Time"), Mudada himself with "Sweet Like Sugar", a song in praise of advancing age which, he said, increased his saccharine content; a claim at least true of accompanying pannist Noel la Pierre.
Brown Boy's "I'm a Bad-Lucky Man" is another of his rib-tickling pun-laden songs that snare audiences annually, but defending national calypso monarch Singing Sandra was up next and that was serious business. Sandra called for "One Day of Prayer", inducing the curious visual mix of a calypso tent crowd with some patrons waving in Pentecostal fashion.
In the end-game, King Wellington sang a pan-song called "Pan Song", Kaiso House's answer to Denise Belfon came in a plumper called Spicy, whose "Leggo" was certainly more eye-catching than literary (a fact that made single men in the audience call stoutly for an encore), making it all uphill for Brother Resistance to "Rock the Colonial Order", The Millennium Crew to have us "Take Out Something and Wave" or Shanaqua to pay tribute to "Soca Soldiers".
With sparkling accompaniment from Cummings & the Wailers (enhanced by Errol Ince on trumpet and Fitzmellow Thomas on keys) and chorus work from the Kaiso Jewels, it was a night that belonged to Brother Valentino; a ranking one suspects will see him through to the elusive Big Yard come Dimanche Gras.
www.trinicenter.com/Terryj/2004/Jan/2320042.htm
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On A Roll
Posted: Thursday, January 22, 2004
by Peter Blood, Guardian TT
There is so much to report on this Carnival that I am thinking of going to Standards and have Rachel Price get me a good deal on a roll-away bed to move into my office. All of a sudden my nights seem to be rolling into day break with calypso tents now open, adding to the mandatory roster of mas camps, panyards, concerts and shows, and all-inclusive fetes.
The weekend tempo continues to increase with Machel Montano launching his eagerly anticipated Xtatik & The Road Marching Band at National Flour Mills Compound on Wrightson Road tonight. Persons who have been fortunate to witness yesterday's rehearsal with eight handpicked members of T&T Regiment Drum Corps attest that nothing like this act has ever been attempted locally.
Tomorrow night, in addition to the Old Hilarians all-inclusive fete at Bishop Anstey High School premises on Keate Street in Port-of-Spain, there's also Outrageous in Red at Pier 1, and Legends legendary Coolerama Fete at The Anchorage, the perfect recipe for traffic mayhem in the western peninsula.
Sunday's roster of all-inclusive fetes is even more strenuous than last weekend's. McLeod's, Hilton's Safari, bpTT, Crews Inn, Port-of-Spain East Lions, the Diabetic Association and the Lodge Alexandra, down south at the Lodge Grounds, at Ruth Avenue, San Fernando, are all being held simultaneously. The amazing thing is that all these all-inclusive events are expected to be generously patronised.
This evening after work, there are also limes by Barbarossa and Funtasia, at Barbarossa's mas camp at the corner of Warren and Taylor Streets in Woodbrook, and by TriniWirebenders Inc at their camp, at the corner of Rosalina Street and Ariapita Avenue, at Neptune's (next to Irie Bites).
In addition to all of the anticipated Carnival activity to come, there's the addition of two new fetes. Promoters from four cities are coming together to present Fusion Friday on Carnival Friday down Tucker Valley, Macqueripe. T&T's George Bros, New York's Party People Promotions, Miami's Upbeat Promotions and Knock Boyz of Washington DC are the foursome.
At two o'clock on Carnival Sunday morning, HedoLife will host Breakfast Bling Bling 3, at the mansion on the corner of Stanmore Avenue and Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain. For just $90, and up to 10 am, guests will be entertained by DJs Scoobie and marlon Mr Music, as well as have a true Trini breakfast.
Call me if you know where I can get a discount on that bed for my office.
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The Other Kidnap Calypso
Posted: Wednesday, January 21, 2004
by Keith Smith, Express TT
Just in case the current Cro Cro controversy obscures the wider reality which is that other calypsonians are rightly taking an anti-kidnapping stance I here submit this from Calypso Prince, sung in the same Revue tent and receiving same encore:
"Kidnappers cure"
Yuh bad-talk police and army.
On the kidnapping issue
Yuh say them kidnappers slippery
They does leave them police wondering in they shoes
But when ah read around the world
What clergy men could do
Men of the cloth have a key role
To help the police too
So when yuh catch them beast
Police call the priest
CHORUS
Take them in the forest with two prominent priest
Strip them and hand-cuff them to some trees
Them prominent priest I know go solve the problem
Teaching the both side of the Bible to them
First orally teach the religious side to them so they could repent
This kidnapping thing getting to damn prevalent
Them who doh hear go feel
Teach them physically the wrath of Satan
Iron-Iron-Hot Iron
Yuh might laugh at my suggestion
Calling it ah silly joke
But we need that combination
So merger police work with the Holy Book
Cause if them former Acolyte
Highlight what they endure
To them it wrong but it just right
For every kidnapper
They like terrorist
So give them ah taste
CHORUS
Take them to the forest with two prominent priest
Strip them and hand-cuff them to some trees
Them prominent priest I know go solve the problem
Teaching the Bible and lecturing to them
Lecture to them the peril they victim and family does go through
Then demonstrate to them what the devil go do
Ransom is handsome but what sweet in goat mouth sour in be bottom
Iron-Iron-Hot Iron
Now it have some young kidnappers
Averaging bout 12 years old
Escaping Youth Training Centres
And by law they too young for the Royal Gaol
But everyone yuh apprehend
Forget bout the Prison
Because I strongly recommend
Send for Michael Jackson
That's the age limit
He love to relate
CHORUS
Take them in the forest with two prominent priest
Strip them and handcuff them to some trees
With Michael Jackson in toe bringing up the rear
All kidnapping have to done from there
Let father pray for they soul and when he finish give them ah lecture
Then move aside let Michael Jackson take over
So when he "Free Willie" them young fellers will do the "Moon Walk" on land
Iron Iron Hot Iron
Now to all of my detractors
Don't get cynical on me
Because in and every factor
You will be condemning me deceitfully
So why must you defend father
When is he say he gay
Then he colleagues get together
Ordain him then they pray
So come crime stoppers
Priest for kidnappers
CHORUS
Take them in the forest with two prominent priest
Strip them and hand cuff them to some trees
Them prominent priest I know go solve the problem
Teaching what is good and what's evil to them
First make them know that when they do good good does triumph over evil
And kidnapping people you will pay the devil
Then show them when they finish pay the devil years they cannot sit-down
Iron-Iron-Hot Iron
Look, I know that offence is in the eyes of the people being offended and the bigger the perceived offence the bigger the opening of the eyes but what I am trying to forestall here is another of these anti-calypso tirades, people seizing upon a particular calypso to cry down the whole form and, worse than that, people propagandising that that is a collective view, the whole of "Laventy", for example thinking "it good all dem Indians getting kidnap" or some such separatist stupidness.
With respect to Prince's variation on the calypso theme, well, that is Prince, all over, playing for a laugh with a serious subject which is not to say that the "Beetham" boy is taking this kidnapping thing lightly but to say that he is being true to his style, humour bordering on the salacious, without being crude enough to be vulgar. As a practising Catholic I am into calypso enough not to be offended (Lord knows there are priests who have offended us enough) but I don't expect that every person, or group is going to be as blase about calypsoes and calypsonians as I am, my charge against Cro Cro being a lack of craft or what Chalkie calls "spin" as well as everything else, Stalin's "Bun Dem", brilliant kaisonian though he often is, still being among my least favourite in his so rich repertoire.
Below, then, the lyrics of Cro Cro's controversial calypso, the better for you to make your own considered judgment:
Remember the master say
- bam bam bam bam bam
If you do wrong you have to pay
- boom, boom, boom, boom, boom
So dey tief out de treasury
- boom, boom, boom, boom, boom
And dey living hoity-toity
- boom, boom, boom, boom, boom
Dey dress with jacket and tie
Dey tief and living a lie
Dey better pay back
All de wrong ting dey do,
Or the bandit coming for you.
So all dem Carlos, dem jefe sefe, dem who tief
And dem who doh pray
Ah begging mi bandit friend
kidnap dem
All who have coke in water tank
Drug money in foreign bank
Doh mind how de plea and beg
kidnap dem.
All who money ho-to-to
All who know dey rip off Tidco
All dem who brother is hen
kidnap dem
Dey have we money in London and Miami
Kidnapping go build back de economy.
Ah wrong deserves punishment
bem, bem, bem, bem, bem
Tha's why de fraid to walk de pavement
- ban, ban, ban, ban, ban
Launder all Dole Chadee money
- bam, bam, bam, bam, bam
And Banji with Ramesh too hang he
Dey glad Chadee hang that day
Day taught de woulda never pay
But like Sadaam dey have to live in hole
Until all ah dem pay back Dole
So all Chadee family
Who used to depend on he
Begging robocop de friend
kidnap dem
All dem big, big, big store owners
Who does bring coke
In coth containers to fry brain
ah we children
kidnap dem
De children happy in London
We kids turning pusher-man,
Laventille children ketchen de ne-nen
kidnap dem
Dey have we money in London and Miami
Kidnapping go build back we economy.
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San Juan business group slams Cro Cro
Posted: Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Newsday TT
THE San Juan Business Associa-tion yesterday condemned the lyrics of calypsonian Cro Cro's 2004 social commentary "Face Reality," as "irresponsible" and jeopardising "legitimate economic activity by placing aspersions on the business community."
Cro Cro, at the opening of the Revue tent on Friday night, performed the song for the first time and left many eyebrows raised. However, Weston Rawlins yesterday insisted that he wrote his song and if anyone had information they should take it to the police. The song deals with the issue of kidnapping, and it attacks politicians and the business community. President of the association, Gail Merhair, yesterday said it was unfortunate that calypso and soca, which is the true form of expression in Trinidad and Tobago, has been reduced to "this level." She said the implications of Cro Cro's "social commentary should be deemed irresponsible, and clearly sends a negative message to our society."
She added that in "the cloak of art, Cro Cro has targetted and jeopardised legitimate economic activity by placing aspersions on the business community." She also denied that the majority of persons kidnapped in San Juan and environs were involved in drugs or criminal activity. She said there was no reason for Cro Cro to incite one sector, the criminal element, to attack businesspeople to serve his own self interest in the name of controversy. She added that in the association's views, no legitimate business can and should support such statements that put the entire business sector at risk. Merhair contended that Cro Cro's lyrics seem to imply that we should adopt Middle Eastern laws. She questioned, "If it is accepted for criminals to attack ‘illegal business individuals' then is it right for law-abiding citizens to take the law into their own hands? Are we to say if someone rapes we should castrate him or if one catches a thief, should we cut his right hand off, are we breathing a society of lawlessness?"
Merhair said the laws of TT must be obeyed, especially in this "critical time of re-building." "Do we need further exodus of the business sector? Do we need the international community to further view TT as unsafe and unstable? Does the Police Service need a further strain on its already limited human and financial resources to fight crime?" she asked. National Security Minister Martin Joseph on Sunday said he couldn't comment on the issue since he hadn't heard the song. He promised to comment after he has heard the calypso, adding, that he could not agitate anything that could go against law and order.
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Masking fear
Posted: Friday, January 16, 2004
By Terry Joseph
The history of this country's national festival-Carnival-is littered with examples of resistance to change, suggesting that the same people who can so easily (as calypsonian Mighty Duke puts it) "Get on Radical", may well be among the world's most conservative.
It was way back in 1956 when first I discovered this widespread passion for maintaining Carnival's status quo. The scene is an Ash Wednesday night gathering in the front gallery of our Success Village home. My mother, Geraldine, standing with arms akimbo (as if her presence ever required amplification), is piloting a motion: "I want to put it to you all that calypso is now dead," she said.
Mother was, of course, referring to the intervention of The Mighty Sparrow, whose national triumph three nights earlier at Dimanche Gras upset many purists, staid in their fragile conviction that any singer who failed to repeat the opening rhyme of a calypso was per force guilty of killing the art. Geraldine's petition was carried without debate. Sparrow, however, went on to become Calypso King of the World.
As calypso evolved during the second half of the 20th Century, traditionalists expressed similar misgivings at every major change. Veterans threw a fit when Lord Shorty invented soca early in the 1970s. Kitchener, who loudly lamented that the young upstart had destroyed precious art, proceeded to establish the still-standing local record for album sales and soca's best-remembered benchmark with "Sugar Bum Bum".
Unexpected change had disoriented both Geraldine and Kitchener who, rushing to conclusion well in advance of analysis, first disqualified the experiment itself, he later raising a musical toast to Audrey's bottom and mother-at much the same time-relying on Sparrow's 1956 lyrics for suitable picong, as I dressed for a night on the town: "Is the glamour boys again, going to rule Port of Spain," she chirped.
And it has been so for more than 100 years, this annual vacillation over whether Carnival was dying or born again, if changes were for better or worse. "Fire Brigade Water the Road", an early 20th Century calypso petition for relief from dust generated by masquerade bands chipping along unpaved city streets, peacefully co-existed with protest over a 1919 attempt to alleviate the problem by moving the parade to the Queen's Park Savannah.
As the president of Pan Trinbago, Patrick Arnold and his counterpart at the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO), Michael "Protector" Legerton discovered this past week, bringing about change in Carnival has not become any easier with time-no matter how unassailable its rationale may seem in the boardroom.
Albeit for completely different reasons, Mr Legerton's expressed anxiety about the quality of recent road marches created quite a storm, although his remark was not different from widespread public opinion nor, for that matter, significantly removed from the import of a comment in the Port of Spain Gazette of Ash Wednesday 1905.
A long-standing critic of the festival, The Gazette had itself astonished readers three years earlier by changing step, defending calypsonian Pharoah when the latter was convicted of "masking prematurely" in a racially tinged matter. Now back in character, its 1905 report said in part: "Although it is not expected that effusions of the Carnival bards should excel in literary attainment, yet in many past instances, they have abounded with at least some degree of originality."
Mr Legerton's concern had to do with a contemporary situation, the extent to which already popular non-calypso music was simply being adapted to road-march tempo, imbued with quick rhyme and submitted-often successfully-for the competition's first prize; a car valued at upwards of $130,000.
Sampling, his antagonists argued, was simply a change in the method by which modern music is constructed. That change was acceptable to them, quite unlike TUCO's position on how it would disburse funds from The State and the competition's sponsors.
Mr Arnold's troubles sprung from a Pan Trinbago decision to seed orchestras in the Panorama competition, reduce their performance duration from ten to eight minutes and detail a strategy for dealing with the inordinate length of time bands took to set up on stage.
None of the bands seemed to recognise that Panorama had changed from a contest of 21 conventional orchestras in 1963 playing for a total of $2,450 in prizes, to 60 much larger bands competing in 2003 for a first prize singularly worth $320,000 and therefore required new strategies, logistics and regulations, nor did any among them address Mr Arnold's articulated concern about dwindling audiences.
We who sit, watch and listen to the sights and sounds of Carnival appreciate the effort by pan and calypso officials to finally respond to our anxieties and I, for one, feel that notwithstanding the murmur, Carnival 2004 is about to deliver much more pleasing results as a direct consequence of these sweeping changes.
But Trinidad Carnival remains the ultimate jam 'n' whine festival, one in which participants grumble and enjoy with equal gusto, forever fearful of new approaches, masking insecurity with and over-abundance of caution, debunking the long-held theory that you can't play mas and 'fraid powder.
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Sampling trouble for Road March
Posted: Wednesday, January 14, 2004
By Terry Joseph
LOCAL composers who lift musical passages from previously released works 9aka "samples") have not been acknowledging those sources and may be in for big trouble if challenged by creators of the songs the use, according to Copyright Organisation (COTT) CEO Allison Demas.
Over the past few years, there has been an exponential rise in sampling of foreign songs, particularly in the road- march arena, often with not even a reference to its source and sometimes claiming authorship of (and royalties for) the adapted work.
This discovery comes in the wake of a position taken by the Trinbago (TUCO), and carried exclusively in the Sunday Express, in which president Michael "Protector"Legerton advised that songs which borrow heavily from previously released works will no longer be eligible for Road March prizes.
Speaking yesterday to the Express, COTT’s Demas said: "This is very dangerous business. While there is nothing unlawful about sampling per se and it is a current trend in the global music industry, the composer of a work that uses passages from another song needs to secure written permission from the original author in advance of releasing the adapted version containing that person’s music."
On joining COTT, part of the written agreement requires that all music submitted by the member will be original and not infringe on other previously authored material. Furthermore, for each song created, a sidebar provision is made for the persons registering it to declare whether he or she is using a sample or rearranging previously registered work. In such cases, written authorisation must be attached.
"For all the many instances of sampling we have witnessed over the past few years, not one local composer has ever tendered the mandatory written authorisation from the original creator. That practice can lead to an enormous amount of trouble, especially if the song becomes a major international hit, "Demas said.
"It is not good enough to merely credit the original composer in the liner-notes, saying the song was adapted from another, because the internationally agreed practice is that, before even committing the work to recorded format, some financial consideration should be worked out with the creator of the source material.
"Quite unfortunately, this has not been happening and the situation was considered serious enough to be placed on the agenda of COTT’s December 2003 Board meeting, where consideration of a policy to deal with clear and straightforward cased was discussed. A decision was taken to suspend royalties in such situations until the member presents written authorisation for using the sample, because doing otherwise would compromise our organisation.
"The situation has gone too far,"Demas said. "Until a foreign composer sues someone here and collects not just the royalties but perhaps exemplary compensation, locals may not understand the seriousness of this kind of infringement.
"Our songwriters have been getting away with it so far, perhaps because foreign composers of mega-hits consider the local market too small and not worth the effort, but there is no guarantee this will continue forever or for long.
"What a lot of young composers may not realise is that dancehall acts like Shaggy and others secure authorisation in advance for use of samples and, an any event, often use music clips from catalogues of other acts on the same label; so the procedure is simplified,"Demas said.
COTT has acted as mediator in a number of cases where creators recognize lifts from their works in new songs. Andre Tanker was among the more vigilant and enjoyed percentages of royalties from several composers who did not secure permission or conclude deals in advance of using portions of his work.
Nor is the problem confined to calypso and folk music. Chutney, it turns out, is one of the larger culprits, taking Indian classical music and speeding up the tempo to produce chutney jams. "We do have people writing original chutney songs,"Demas said, but several of our members have challenged others who register songs that have been adapted from other works.
"But the (COTT) Board is adamant: If we are notified of such a claim, royalties to the alleged composer will be suspended until the matter is reconciled. Where exact music or lyrics are clearly used, we will take a proactive position,"Demas said.
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Red Cross Children's Carnival launch draws $90,000
Posted: Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Newsday TT
The northern branch of the Red Cross Society of Trinidad and Tobago held a media launch of the 46th annual Red Cross Children's Carnival competition yesterday at the national headquarters, Port-of-Spain. The Carnival competition will take place on Valentine's Day - February 14, at the Queen's Park Savannah from noon.
The competition will be under the patronage of Her Excellency Dr Jean Richards. President George Maxwell Richards will also be in attendence. During the media launch, sponsors presented cheques totalling $90,000 to the Society. The main sponsor Citigroup, formerly Citibank, donated $60,000. Other sponsors inclusive of Dairy Dairy, Colgate, KFC, Castrol, Tampico and Flavorite presented an accumulated sum of $3,000. Funds will be directed to providing security, fully-equipped ambulances and geriatric and first aid courses. In addition, attractive, long lasting, valuable prizes will be given to the winners. The public can look forward to another grand and exciting production with many surprises in store. In following the precedence from last year the DJs will be given a list of acceptable songs to be played on the day.
Registration for the Red Cross Children's Carnival competition began yesterday at the Red Cross northern branch, 7 Fitzblackman Drive, Port-of-Spain, between the hours of 8 am and 4 pm. Tickets will go on sale from 16 January at $20 and $10 for adults and children respectfully. Schools are invited to participate and are encouraged to purchase tickets in bulk. As a result, they will be entitled to a few free tickets. All the homes such as Lady Hochoy, Princess Elizabeth, Jaya Lakshmi, Sai Home and the like are also invited free of charge. Tickets can be bought at the Red Cross northern branch, Craft Creators, Level 2 - West Mall, Westmoorings, Benetton - Level 3 Long Circular Mall, St James and at the Queen's Park Savannah on the day of the show.
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The unsung hero in our environmental history
Posted: Friday, January 2, 2004
by ULRIC GUY
Point Fortin
Environmental history was made in TT involving our Blue and Gold macaws on Wednesday December 17, 2003. With the release of 20 Blue and Gold macaws in the Nariva Swamp. Even macaw birds, can arouse passion and desire in people for media exposure. Oft times, those grabbing the spotlight are least worthy of the glory and accolades that are synonymous with such ventures. The unsung heroes, who are usually those doing most of the work, are the people no one hears about. They are for the most part, eased out on the periphery, where they are left to lick their wounds. I would be remiss, if I fail to reiterate that TT, through the years, has been transformed into a society predominated by transience, complacency and indifference much to our detriment.
The unsung hero, who was hung out to dry in this matter is Bernadette Plair an official of the Cincinnati Zoo, USA, our very own, home-grown, home-bred, who was saddled with the thankless job of bringing this historical event to fruition, without the "red-carpet" treatment being allotted to her, as is customary in most historical events. To add insult to injury she was given minimum media exposure while Pennelope Beckles - Minister of Public Utilities and the Environment and Dr Terri Roth AVP of Cincinnati Zoo, USA basked in the spotlight. The release of the Blue and Gold macaw birds at the Nariva swamp that made environment history began in 1993 with the view of rescuing the threatened bird species from, the endangered species list, back into their natural swamp-land habitat. In 1999 the fore-runner of the project in TT, Bernadette Plair, released the first batch of 18 birds, which was the first phase of the release programme. These birds were brought to TT, from a well nurtured bird population in Guyana. The project from its inception was the "brain-child" of Bernadette Plair.
At that juncture, being the initial stage of the project the event was free of fan-fare, with minimum media exposure, not to mention that there was no high ranking TT Government official or the presence of any official from the Cincinnati Zoo, USA, other than Bernadette Plair - director of CRESTT the coordinator at the project. Lo and behold, during the second phase of the release programme on Wednesday 17, 2003, the fact that environmental history was in the making, "eve ryone, who was somebody showed up." If environmental history was in the making as purported by the press why was not Bernadette Plair, the main collaborator of the project given what was due her, when taking her commitment and dedication into account? Why was she side-lined and over-looked, while Penelope Beckles and Dr Terri Roth, were allowed to steal the spotlight? Minister Penelope Beckles remarked that she was indeed happy to be a part of the historic event. Yet continued to ignore the important part Bernadette Plair played with regards to the success of the entire event. She further went on to bestow praise on the Nariva Community for the part the residents played in helping to preserve the Blue and Gold macaw from extinction. (What part did Bernadette Plair, the Cincinnati Zoo, USA official play in all this?) The empty rhetoric of Minister Penelope Beckles was fraught with displaced praise and can be categorised as being disingenuous.
Why do we continue to eat and breathe politics at every turn? The VP of Cincinnati Zoo and Minister Pennelope Beckles should be admonished for failing to bestow on Bernadette Plair, the accolades for which she is most deserving. Members of the media that covered the event should not be left blameless. All the parties involved should have been made aware of the fact, as to who the main player in this history making event really was: It was neither Dr Terri Roth nor Minister Pennelope Beckles. An event of this magnitude cannot be accomplished by just "showing up." Minister Pennelope Beckles and Dr Terri Roth, just by their presence could not in any way diminish the contribution, dedication and commitment of the "unsung hero" - Bernadette Plair, for whom this was a labour of love. Did not some one say a "king" has no honour in his country when male-chauvinism was the dominating trend? Now with the change of time we can feel free to say - a rancour, from any dispassionate faction of the society.
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Carnival 2K4 Calendar of Events
Posted: Thursday, January 1, 2004
Compiled by Peter Ray Blood
NEW YEAR'S DAY (JANUARY 1):
9 pm: US One and Brown Eyes host a "A Touch of Red," with Iwer, Denise Belfon, Patch and friends, aboard the mv Treasure Queen, Pier 2, Chaguaramas.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 2:
8 pm: Pan Trinbago hosts "D'Pan Ting Now Start," featuring Exodus, Witco Desperadoes, bpTT Renegades and NLCB Fonclaire, bpTT Renegades panyard, Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain;
SUNDAY, JANUARY 4:
4 pm: St Francois Girls' College 2nd Annual all-inclusive fete, music by Blue Ventures, Woodbrook Playboyz, and DJs Production Sounds, Adrian Don Mora and Hurricane George, Lions;
4 pm: Swizzle Stick Entertainment launches Red Eye 2K4 ("Pirates of the Carnival"), music by Caution, H2O Phlo, Iwer, Maximus Dan, Doggie Slaughter, and DJs Adrian Don Mora, X-Caliber, Tweeze, Associate Degree, Signal II Noise and Detrimental, Callaloo Company Mas Camp, Western Main Road, Chaguaramas;
4 pm: Bank Boyz & Girlz fund-raising all-inclusive fete, Marcano's residence, 39 Windsor Road, Valsayn.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 9:
6 pm: 2P's & D'Pod hosts 5 Rivers After Work Lime, at mas camp, Mill House, Tragarete Road, Woodbrook;
Scandal-us band fete, The Base, Chaguaramas.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10:
South Carnival launch;
4 pm: Trinity College stages "Soca in Moka," music by Atlantik and Roy Cape All Stars, Moka, Maraval;
Iwer Property Fete, Queen's Park Savannah.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 16:
Four Kings Concert, Part I.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17:
8 pm: QRC Foundation's Outta de Blue Annual All-inclusive, QRC Grounds.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 18:
3 pm: UWI all-inclusive, St Augustine;
Island People's "Amnesia," Pier 1, Chaguaramas.
JANUARY 21:
Calypso tents open;
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23:
8 pm: Premiere of House of Stars Calypso Tent, starring Sparrow, Calypso Rose, Black Stalin, Shadow, Denyse Plummer, de Fosto and much more, Club Caribbean, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain;
8 pm: Premiere of Chutney Soca tent, featuring T&TEC Gayatones, Chris Garcia, Sonny Mann, Drupatee, Edward Ramdass, Terry Gadraj, Apache Warrior and more, Centre Pointe Mall, Chaguanas.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24:
Hilarians all-inclusive, BIshop Anstey High School;
South Rotary Club all-inclusive;
International School all-inclusive, Mobs2, Chaguaramas;
Holy Faith Convent all-inclusive, Couva.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 25:
Calypso Spektakula Children's Show, Jean Pierre Complex;
bpTT all-inclusive;
Crews Inn all-inclusive, Chaguaramas;
McLeod's all-inclusive, Pier 1, Chaguaramas;
Hilton Trinidad all-inclusive;
Port-of-Spain East Lions all-inclusive, Lions;
Diabetic Association all-inclusive;
Safari Fete;
FRIDAY, JANUARY 30:
5 pm: GHL Kaiso for Life, Lion's Civic Centre, Wrightson Road;
"Bazodee Friday," Club Coconuts, St Ann's;
Central Bank all-inclusive;
8.30 pm: Randy Glasgow Promotions stage "Denise Belfon and Girlfriends...Ladies Night Out," Jean Pierre Complex;
SATURDAY, JANUARY 31:
Youth Fest, Queen's Park Savannah;
De Polis all-inclusive;
Blue Range all-inclusive;
Pearl Gardens all-inclusive;
4 pm: St Mary's College's all-inclusive, CIC, Pembroke Street.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1:
Trini River Lime, Hilton Trinidad;
Mt Hope Medical Complex all-inclusive, Mt Hope;
Poison Fete, Pier 1;
Seal all-inclusive;
Yorke Inc all-inclusive fete, Valsayn;
Magnolias all-inclusive.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6:
Trinidad Guardian calypso monarch final;
Guardian Life calypso monarch final;
BWIA Kingdom of the Clouds;
International Soca Monarch semi-final.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7:
Flying Fish Swim Club Kiddies Carnival;
D'Wild Day Fete, 20 Nagib Elias Drive, Diego Martin;
O'Farrels' all-inclusive;
NGC Sports Club all-inclusive, Trinidad Country Club;
Jess & Friends all-inclusive, Aruac Road, Valsayn;
South Cancer Society all-inclusive, San F'do Yacht Club;
The Farm Fete, Nestle's.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8:
11 am: National Panorama semi-final, Queen's Park Savannah;
Blood Bank all-inclusive, Hilton Trinidad;
Friends of ASCC all-inclusive;
US Embassy all-inclusive;
Maritime Group all-inclusive.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13:
Queen's Park Cricket Club Kaiso Fiesta, Queen's Park Oval.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14:
Is We Calypso Competition, Queen Street, Port-of-Spain;
Kaiso Fiesta (national calypso monarch semi-final), Skinner Park, San Fernando;
Red Cross Kiddies Carnival, Queen's Park Savannah;
International Brass Festival, PSA Grounds;
Kama Sutra;
Xtatik Circus;
9 pm: Trinis International presents Carnival 2004, music by Cassanovas, Hurricane George and Richard Simply Smooth, The Harvard Club.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15:
Junior Panorama Final, Queen's Park Savannah;
Junior King & Queen of Carnival, Adam Smith Square;
St James Junior Carnival, Western Main Road;
Viey la Cou, Queen's Hall;
Carec all-inclusive, Federation Park;
St George's College's Georgian Jubilation II all-inclusive fete;
Heart Beat all-inclusive, Hilton Trinidad;
UNC all-inclusive;
Nestle all-inclusive;
Citibank all-inclusive;
Kairi People all-inclusive, Queen's Park West.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16:
PNM Fete, Balisier House.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17:
Bishops Junior School all-inclusive;
Glow 3
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18:
The Ranch all-inclusive, Santa Cruz;
Customs Pan-o-Brass;
Island People;
Bacchanal Wednesday, Queen's Park Oval.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19:
Michael Headley all-inclusive, Salybia;
Mad Hatters;
UWI Splash.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20:
Roytec Kaiso, Henry Street;
Caribbean Prestige Int Productions' NLCB Fantastic Friday (International Soca Monarch Final), Queen's Park Oval;
Island People's Girl Power;
Cooler Fete, Pier 1, Chaguaramas.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21:
Junior Parade of the Bands, Frederick Street/Queen's Park Savannah;
Trini Posse all-inclusive, Queen's Park Oval;
Poolside all-inclusive, Hilton Trinidad;
Lions Port-of-Spain all-inclusive, Lions;
Insomnia, Mobs2, Chaguaramas;
National Panorama Final, Queen's Park Savannah.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22 (CARNIVAL SUNDAY):
In de Sanctuary all-inclusive, Valsayn;
2 pm: The Wise One's all-inclusive fete, Igneri n Road, Valsayn South;
Trinidad Country Club Fete;
Moka all-inclusive, Maraval;
Brian Lara all-inclusive, Chancellor;
Boys Scouts Headquarters fete.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23 (CARNIVAL MONDAY):
4 pm: J'Ouvert celebrations, nationwide;
11 am: Parade of Bands, Queen's Park Savannah, South Quay, Skinner Park and other venues.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 (CARNIVAL TUESDAY):
9 am: Parade of Bands, Queen's Park Savannah, South Quay, Skinner Park and other venues.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 (ASH WEDNESDAY):
9 am: Chutney Soca Tent Ash Wednesday Cool Down, featuring Miss Bikini and Miss Wet T-Shirt Contests, Quinam Beach, South Coast;
9 pm: Kaisoca Maca Fouchette, featuring the n champions of Carnival 2004, The Mas Camp Pub, Woodbrook.
Thursday, February 26:
Premiere of Talk Tent ‘04, Queen's Hall.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27:
Talk Tent;
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28:
Talk Tent;
Pan Trinbago's Champs in Concert.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 29:
1pm: Telethon for the Arts, Queen's Park Savannah;
QRC Foundation's Apres Carnival-la, QRC Grounds, St Clair;
Talk Tent.
SATURDAY, MARCH 6:
Pan Trinbago's Champs in Concert (Tobago)
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