Dear Editor,

The Calypso Symposium that was televised on Sunday night, April 19, was very  enlightening, and gave some sort of hope that our calypsonians are not prepared to sit and accept the sad and deteriorating state of this fine art form brought about to some extent by themselves, but moreso because of fraud, as was implied by some of the participants.

I was particularly attentive to the blunt, emotional and passionate contribution made by Mr Hector Stoute, which I totally endorsed. Too many times people who do not know one iota about calypso find themselves pompous and arrogant judges, some of whom are brazenly contemptuous of the struggling calypsonians. Songs/compositions are rudely condemned and cast aside without any form of advice or encouragement. The Mighty Rebel was even more on target than he could have imagined. Not only are calypsonians not seen as “fit to drive cars,” they, as well as steel-pan players are classified as the lowly and thus treated as riff-raff.

I remember hearing a radio announcer who was interviewing a calypsonian, in a sardonic tone upbraiding him about calypsonians only “drinking and smoking.” However, they wouldn’t dare say this about our national poet Martin Carter. How hypocritical and disgusting it gets when seeing the rush to cuddle and embrace the Mighty Sparrow. But definitely we have to work more assiduously to propel our music in whatever way we can. Some time last year I was in a discussion with a nursery school teacher who was pondering on a selection for a school concert; she preferred something that had to do with issues relating to children, thereupon I immediately suggested the calypso ‘The rights of the child’ by the Mighty Duke.

It is a wonderful composition – well put together, good music, well sung, powerful message. Not surprisingly to me, she knew nothing of it.  I arranged for her to get a disc which the Mighty Duke was all eager to send. This teacher was so captivated and hyped up, you had to see her, and indeed she made good use of it at the concert. We have a reservoir of quality music that is stifled, and songs of professional quality dealing with a range of relevant and social issues. Stella’s ‘Cork Ball’ is sound; Big Red’s ‘Guyanese Wine’ is ‘class’ in any part of this world; Blazing Fire’s ‘False Identity’ and so many others are such fine pieces. Something is very wrong with playing local calypso only in the month of February, then Mash songs, and then before the Mash season is over, these excellent songs that artists laboured to produce are scrapped.

In looking at the symposium I also noted that Young Bill Rogers was a bit timid in calling a spade a spade. Consensus should be reached by calypsonians and people in the know with a genuine interest in this art – a committee with simple and specific guidelines geared to enhance its quality. Raw vulgarity, banality, obviously crude, offensive and libellous comments, downright drivel and piffle must be discarded. This body must not be too preoccupied with criticism and what mocks ‘important people’ and those in the corridor of power.

Calypsonians ought not to behave like sycophants and bastardise themselves; they should cultivate substance and make full use of their artistic liberty. They must come together in unison and war on stage; tear down what is obnoxious, build, educate and promote the positive. This is why calypso was and still is considered the people’s mouth piece/the small man’s newspaper. The calypsonians are the ones who paint the pictures and tell the stories in their own chosen style. They must of necessity aim for quality and profundity. I also think that that there should be advertisement for writers/lyricists; there are people who can write very well but cannot sing and vice versa, and there are many writers who would be glad to become involved in this way.

Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe