PORTRAIT OF TRINIDAD (Lyrics)

What makes these lyrics so powerful?

"PORTRAIT OF TRINIDAD" sung by SNIPER

[Verse 1]
"Trinidad is my land
And of it I am proud and glad
But I can't understand
Why some people does talk it bad
(But I know)
All of them whey runnin' dey mout'
Doh know whey they talkin' bout
They will paint here black everyday
But the right things they would never say

[chorus]
Like our sportsmen
Being rated among the best
Our scholars have sit and passed every test
And put us right 'longside de rest
(But then)
Our pitch lake is the greatest one of its kind
Our sugar and oil is really refined
So you see, friends, this is a real King
Solomon's mine.

[Verse 2]
They does talk some nonsense
Me eh know whey dey doing it for
Bout so much violence
Man, yuh would swear that we fighting war
We have we delinquents to face
But just like any other place
Well the things they does say bout here
Is really too much for me to bear

[chorus]
Because my people are daily making progress
Without any form of stupidness
And in this way we much gain success
For when we moving
We all move as one body
No bickering between you and me
For our policy stand for racial equality

[Verse 3]
So when a stranger spending
A little time in this lovely isle
Every day you see him
He always have a hearty smile
When his time is up to depart
He would say with pride in heart
I'll be back, you could bet yuh life
And if ah cyah come ah go sen' mih wife

[chorus]
And then he'll tell you
He really wants her to come
To drink a rum and have plenty fun
In this great island in the sun
For Trinidadians (as foreigners do recall)
It doesn't matter whether big or small
Or if you rich or poor, friend
We cater for one and all

[Verse 4]
For all ah dem wey talking
Dey either drunk or dey steering mad
Or maybe dey forgetting Mr. Universe belong to Trinidad
And then as you know we have men with talent and skill
With high hopes of improving still
And if you think all this is a lie
The Mighty Sniper go tell you why

[chorus]
Now, our steelbands
Is the best talent in the world
By calypsoes our stories are told
With this rhythm to touch your soul
So Trinidad, this lovely land of my birth
Small, but overwhelming in worth
And as you know Carnival is the greatest
frolic on earth."

The calypso was written by THREE PEOPLE ... one from south who wrote a CALYPSO called SPORTSMEN OF TRINIDAD. When he brought it up NORTH and sang it for two others calypso composers, one composer asked why he was restricting the lyrics to SPORTSMEN. Why not write it about all of Trinidad -- like paint a PORTRAIT OF TRINIDAD. So the three writers got together and composed this song.

Now, it is interesting to hear BARON sing it. I had listened to his version before and DISMISSED IT. I did not like where he put his stresses. But I listened to it again tonight after you posted it and I give it a pass with a little push. I will listen to it one more time.

We have to remember that SNIPER is the one who provided and polished the RENDITION of the song with the band (worked out all the kinks and get the meter to fit into the music as they prepared for the calypso tent season). That was Sniper's job in the tent actually. Work the songs out with the band and then the REAL CALYSPSO STARS come later and do the tent performances; by that time the band was attuned to the overall presentation so they could work as one with the Calypso Singer.

Replies

David V. Trotman January 1, 2016 at 6:16pm

Two other names have been rumored in connectiion with this tune:The Mighty Bomber and The Penman ( Len Ward). I would appreciate your comments.
- Claude Gonzales > David V. Trotman January 1, 2016 at 10:33pm
  
  David: Thanks!!! I forgot Penman's name until you reminded me. Penman wrote the original song. Now, here is where Bomber fits into the story. After the song was worked out in the tent, the management had not assigned the song to any singer so they made a decision to give it to The Mighty Bomber. But Bomber declined the song saying that he was from Grenada and the lyrics did not quite fit his profile. At that point, someone suggested that they just give the song to Sniper to sing since he had it all worked out and was doing a great job rendering it. So suggested -- SO DONE.
  
  Reggie Joseph (PIGGY) was also a part of this whole COMPOSITION STORY.
  
  If you match up Baron's version of the song with Sniper's (word for word in terms of accentuation) you will see the passion and sophistication and feeling for the argument that Sniper MASTERS throughout the song (so eloquently) -- NOT ONE MISTAKE!!!!.
odw December 30, 2015 at 9:46pm

Baron - Portrait of Trinidad
- Claude Gonzales > odw December 30, 2015 at 10:21pm
  
  The calypso was written by THREE PEOPLE ... one from south who wrote a CALYPSO called SPORTSMEN OF TRINIDAD. When he brought it up NORTH and sang it for two others calypso composers, one composer asked why he was restricting the lyrics to SPORTSMEN. Why not write it about all of Trinidad -- like paint a PORTRAIT OF TRINIDAD. So the three writers got together and composed this song.
  
  Now, it is interesting to hear BARON sing it. I had listened to his version before and DISMISSED IT. I did not like where he put his stresses. But I listened to it again tonight after you posted it and I give it a pass with a little push. I will listen to it one more time.
  
  We have to remember that SNIPER is the one who provided and polished the RENDITION of the song with the band (worked out all the kinks and get the meter to fit into the music as they prepared for the calypso tent season). That was Sniper's job in the tent actually. Work the songs out with the band and then the REAL CALYSPSO STARS come later and do the tent performances; by that time the band was attuned to the overall presentation so they could work as one with the Calypso Singer.

This reply was deleted.

Replies

Baron - Portrait of Trinidad