JUDGES BLANK CRO CRO!!!

"Former calypso monarch Weston “Cro Cro” Rawlins will not get to perform his controversial song Belated at the Dimanche Gras next Sunday as he was left out, to the surprise of many, by the judges on Saturday at the Calypso Fiesta competition in Skinner Park, San Fernando."

This is like a SHOCK to me because amidst all the GARBAGE SONGS, this was one of the best that I have heard for the year (although it is quite true that it was hard to listen to ALL the CRAP and I did not).

There was nothing "controversial" about that song ... and I am not a CRO CRO supporter!!!

It was a very GOOD CALYPSO despite the FUNDAMENTAL FLAW -- nobody talks about CHRISTMAS in FEBRUARY. So he should have dug into his CREATIVITY and constructed a better PAY OFF LINE. That bothered me throughout the song.

Not to mention that the INDIAN GOVERNMENT has been out of office for almost three years and he chose to make multiple INDIAN BASHING references in his composition.

Even so, he was WAY AHEAD of the "REAL CRAP" that the other contestants were spilling.

The bottom line is that once the INDIAN GOVERNMENT is OUT OF POWER -- Calypsonians have NOTHING TO SING ABOUT. And they want to cry because the TENTS ARE CLOSING DOWN.

There was an article written by TERRY JOSEPH vaguely along those line decades ago but I just cannot find it. That and the "CHILDREN OF ERIC" article written in the GUARDIAN some time in the EIGHTIES that somebody kept for me and handed me on the ODD TIME that I went back to THAT COUNTRY and which I regrettably ended up misplacing!!!

I doh know NOTHING ABOUT PAN MUSIC. But if anybody want to talk CALYPSO LYRICS -- doh worry to fret because yuh go get bet!!!

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  • Well, thanks to ODW -- I tried to listen to THE SURVEY!!! And I don't think that CALYPSO is all that good. First of all, it is poorly rendered because she is fighting with the lyrics and she should definitely take some VOICE LESSONS. It is a FALL IN THE LAP TOPIC that is easy to fill with CONTENT and perhaps that's what got the composer a little confused. To me, the song has a structural problem not to mention the LACK OF PUNCH musically.

    I know that it was a bad crop of songs this year but the omission of this song from THE FINALS is NO BIG LOSS to the show.

    On the other hand, a rewrite of this song with a good vocalist and a talented music producer could challenge as an ANTHEM for women the world over!!! But it will take a lot of work and might turn out to be a bit of YESTERDAY'S NEWS!!!

    • Heather Mac Intosh - The Survey - 2018 Calypso Fiesta - Calypso Monarch Semi Finals Live

      • YESTERDAY'S NEWS!!! # ME TOO, CHILD ABUSE???

        Trump aide Rob Porter resigns amid abuse allegations

  • When calypsonians sing against ruling party …”PNM IN TROUBLE”

    You know when staunch PNM calypsonians sing against the PNM, then that party or Government is in trouble!

    Whenever the PNM is in Opposition, calypsonians make merry singing anti-UNC songs, much to the delight of tent managers and at the Calypso Fiesta.

    To hear some of the calypsonians sing against the ruling PNM Government at Calypso Fiesta last Saturday, means that something has gone wrong for this Government led by Dr Keith Rowley.

    Weston Rawlins has been so anti Basdeo Panday and Kamla Persad-Bissessar over the years. Now the people he adored have turned their backs on him. Better known as Cro Cro, he decided to perform “Belated” at Calypso Fiesta, but the judges kicked him out of the finals on Sunday. Poor Cro Cro.

    http://ttwhistleblower.com/when-calypsonians-sing-against-ruling-pa...

  • I agree with you Claude ( which is highly unusual for me  :) )

    Let me elaborate a bit.

    One of the most distressing things to me in the recent past is the increased prevalence of divisive , racist politics , not just in Trinidad , but around the world .

    Racism in his political base had a major role in getting Donald Trump  elected.

    Racial or identity politics is also practiced in Trini.

    Where you and I may again disagree is that you seem to see it only on one side , while i see it on all political sides in Trinidad.

    Anyway , I consider that weak lazy politics

    It is far easier to appeal to one"s racial or ethnic identity , that to campaign on creative and intelligent solutions to real problems that will benefit all.

    Identity politics is weak politics.

    It is the same in calypso.. Political calypsos of today have become weak .

    Or , I should say that the calypso art-form has been diminished by the overreliance on political points of view as their main topics.

    Because they appeal to emotions, and are easily applauded and encouraged if the audiences are made up of politically like minded fans.

    We've always had political calypsos , but they tended to be witty and humorous , unlike today's calypsos , which are like opinion pages of a newspaper , or a social media rant.

    In the old days ( I know you all hate to hear that ) , calypsonians  would sing intelligent topics that made you think.

    Even Cro Cro , some of his best work were not political  -" Nobody eh go know" , for instance.

    And to make matters worse , intense local political content in calypsos have limited their marketability out of the local market.

    So , I agree with you about this particular calypso.

    Even though it was political , it had a point to make , and wasn't just a one sided political rant.

    And , also the point you made about Christmas was also glaringly obvious to me.

    • Time to bring back A man in de wardrobe Vio. I think.

      When I looked it up on Google, Discogs actually listed it as Reggae (genre) Calypso (style). It makes me laugh when deez foreigners decide to pigeon hole music without finding out what is what. Now that's what I call racist.

      • Randi Curvan , living outside the Caribbean diaspora allows me to see things from a different perspective , so let me say this.

        There are a whole lot of "soca sounding" rhythms out there , including soca and Jamaican dancehall that you hear in TV and radio commercials , soundtracks, etc.

        To the average person , they all sound somewhat similar and Caribbean , and since reggae is now the most well known Caribbean genre  they are usually classified as reggae , or even worse "world beat" , which is where they dump musical genres that are difficult to classify.

        Therein lies the difference between calypso and soca.

        Calypso is a unique cultural genre , whereas modern soca is a version of up-tempo pop (world) music , with a Trinidadian accent. 

        • Yes I know what you mean, I've lived in The UK since autumn of 1966 and at that time reggae wasn't even born. London was a home base for Kitchener and Terror. In the US although Harry Belafonte decided to adopt calypso as an art form thanks to films like Fire Down Below, it highlighted the lack of commercial promotion of Trinbagonian music and culture. I was once told by one of my English friends that Calypso rhythms were too complex for anyone to get to grips with. But alas that's all in the past.

          The one good thing is now both Spotify and Tidal do recognise SOCA Steelband and Calypso as search keywords

          So there has been progress.

          .

  • This is SHOCKING to me, true true KAISO. She's not selected.

    The Survey - Heather MacIntosh

    • anyone who dont understand this song something wrong its not just Trini this song is International if you are shame of your game quit and get real

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