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Looking forward to a successful new year

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Today we commence the 18th year of the new millennium and, after a tumultuous 2017 we face even more challenging times. We can only pray that this year we will be spared the wrath of destructive weather, crime and further economic meltdown.

More immediate and hopefully on a upbeat note we are in the middle of Carnival 2018 and a number of last year’s champions are hoping to successfully defend their thrones and even win more titles. Amongst them are National Panorama winners Massy Trinidad All Stars, Pan Elders, La Horquetta Pan Groove and Angostura Newtown Playboys Steel Symphony; Road March winner MX Prime & Ultimate Rejects; National Calypso Monarch Chalkdust; International Soca Monarch Voice; joint Chutney Soca Monarchs Ravi B and Omardath Maharaj, and others.

The Guardian contacted two of calypso’s stalwart living legends —Sparrow and Chalkdust—to get some of their thoughts on T&T and the calypso art form, and plans they have for the new year. Pan Trinbago president Keith Diaz also offered his thoughts.

Calypso King of the World Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco) was contacted at his New York residence and he said: “For 2018, me, the supreme calypso king of the world, is coming out with a brand new CD titled Politics As We Know It. There have been a lot of things happening and I am putting it all out there. I am right now in the studio and don’t have much more to go for completion.”

The tracks on the Politics As We Know It CD are I Dont Know, Money From Russia With Love, Let Obamacare Implode, North Korea, Is He Redneck Property, Tension in Oval Office, and Please Tell Me Why Vol II.

An album devoted to US and global politics, Sparrow said of his latest work: “I am hoping that Americans will be able to relate to these songs. I think that they will especially as this CD is written for the worldwide market and audience.”

Asked to comment on T&T politics and matters concerning home, Sparrow said: “Based on some of the things I have been hearing it seems that our country is heading for an implosion. This is not happy news for me. The people I have spoken too are saying that they have never seen behaviour as it is has been in politics. It is time for Trinbagonians to kneel and pray.

“Every week I hear of something horrible happening. People around my age are all asking the same question, ‘what is going on in Trinidad’? We out here would like to return home and relax and enjoy some time with our kids and grandkids, but.....”

Sparrow continued: “I would really like to come back home and enjoy everything like I once did, including family and friends, the food and the beaches. I love carnival too much to miss it. But the amount of crime and killing is scary, even for us living in America. We don’t like what we are hearing about what is happening and the bad news can hurt and prevent our people from coming home for carnival and beyond.

“The people who run carnival, including the government and politicians, need to think of our festival as a business that makes a lot of money and realise that news of crime is destroying the image of Trinidad and Tobago.

“It is time for betterment and it will be difficult for every one of us. I believe that prayers are the only answer for a better day.”

Ended Sparrow, “I don’t have a long prayer list, but make it your business and I insist, and, to all pretty Trini girls I send a kiss.”

The bard with the most national calypso monarch titles to his credit, Chalkdust said: “For 2018, I would like to see more people appreciating the art form and understanding calypso because I see so many people who do not understand the art form.

“Take for instance this Massive Gosine calypso about Keith Rowley’s mother. First thing people need to know and understand about a calypso is that it must make sense. If it doesn’t make sense it is not a calypso. So, there’s no need for all this hullabaloo; let the wise be guided accordingly.”

Chalkdust added: “I hope that the government invests some serious money into the art form, despite all the problems of Tuco and Pan Trinbago. Without the arts and culture we would be a very unstable people. You cannot have a country or a nation without the joy that the arts give to people.”

Pan Trinbago president Keith Diaz said: “I would like us to show more love and support for our national cultures. By extension, love for the steelband and our events, whether they are Pan Trinbago events or individual steelband events.

“I believe that now is the time for Trinbago people to support our culture by promoting music played by nationals to provide the artistes more economic stability. This will help alleviate some of the crime in this country.

“I would like the blessing of Almighty Oludumare to bless our country and our people, especially to reduce crime in 2018.”

Efforts were made to contact other 2017 champions without success.


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