Things the people should know in defense of the vote and calypso
This article was first published at the end of the first week of the Lenten season, observed by Roman Catholics in the year two thousand and nineteen. It is meant for a Dominican audience in lieu of heightened partisan polarization and bickering coming out of the Carnival-Calypso season, a period which saw unprecedented partisan rhetoric very much common to such climate. The struggle to gain votes and to redefine Calypso away from its oversight responsibility and place it in a sort of bias partisan point of view gave rise to this response. This is an election year in Dominica and I argue that both the vote and Calypso have been paraded as scapegoats of a status quo which is unrelenting in its opposition to the people’s conscious demands for a new social order.
So, Calypso should sing for the downtrodden and it should be taken to them – not to a world and region which do not seem to or has no particular reason to care. I hope this deals with the criticisms levied against the authorities of Dominica Calypso? The Dominica Calypso Association (DCA) has done its fair share to promote, package and market Calypso (although more can be done); it is left to you to respond to the Kaiso consciousness.
There are times in life when certain things should matter more than money. The preservation of a peoples’ way of life, their creativity, the performing art and other foundational practices – like Calypso – must be preserved and protected and I call on all peoples of sober consciences to arise to the call.
Cadence, Soca, Zouk, Bouyon, Groovy Soca, Power Soca and the Bouyon-Soca crossover as was captured by Dada Lawrence with his work on ‘Famalay,’ the Road march song emerging from Trinidad Tobago 2019 Carnival, all came from the nucleus of Calypso. If we now eliminate Calypso, we will be damaging the cornerstone of our peoples’ struggle. Is that what we want?
On a final note, Calypso – the art – and judging of ‘the art’ are two totally different distinct endeavors. Calypso is that which has been explained previously and judging of the Calypso is what it is: making opinion based on a set criteria which governs the performance of Calypso.
This article is copyright © 2019 DOM767
