In the interest of fairness and to provide what I believe to be a responsible contribution to a growing controversy over the originality of Hunter’s 2019 Calypso: ‘Wrapping Fork in Napkin,’ I have decided to take a welcome break from my reading demands to offer this brief commentary for public consumption and/or debate(s).
Firstly, on the matter of originality, allow me to say that nothing is new or original under the sun. I believe that both D-Daz and Hunter dealt with the same topic, but the treatment of the song is vastly different in either case. D-Daz presents what I understand to be a lampoon on Chinese cuisine, using the mask as justification to be suggestively expressive. This is a classic treatment of the Calypso.
Hunter, on the other hand, approaches the project from the political point of view, as a satire against the ambitions of political opponents (I guess in the Dominica electoral system) who aspire to be elected to high office. Hunter uses the analogy that one must get the basics in the kitchen right before they are promoted to cook or chief cook, even to the point where they are in charge of managing the authentic Chinese cuisine (Hunter is making reference to the Dominica –China diplomatic relationship/arrangements here). Like Daz, Hunter employs an element of the Calypso – the mask – to justifiably express his passion.
It is my humble opinion that both songs, though brutally identical in terms of topic, idea and punch line, are different in the other aspects. The melodic structure, lyrical choices and harmony do not correspond. As to how Hunter presents the material (both orally and visually) will give a clue as to Hunter’s kaiso genius. One can only expect that Hunter will create the sort of craft that may complement his “original” idea. Both Hunter and Daz are proficient in the area of rendition.
As per originality and how that could hurt Hunter, that is a matter for the judges to determine, but the last time I checked, originality did not carry the lion share of the points in Kaiso competitions. The Dominica Calypso Association (DCA) criteria for judging ‘The Calypso’ is as follows: Lyrics – 35 point, Melody: 35 points, Rendition: 20 points and Presentation: 10 points. Of course, this may have since changed and if, say, originality now carries 35 points – which I doubt – Hunter may be well advised to revise his choice of topic and/or song for the competition. In the present set up, I believe that originality falls under the heading of Lyrics, and it carried about 5 point or less (do not quote me on that).
This article is copyright © 2019 DOM767
