(ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT/01)

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Patrick Smikle

ST. GEORGE'S, Oct 1 1996 (IPS) - More than a month after Grenada’s annual carnival celebrations there is continuing controversy over the calypso songs which provided the musical background for the festival.

Under pressure from government appointees on its Board of Directors, the radio and television services of Grenada Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) banned four of the six songs by the calypsonians who won the top three places in the ‘Calypso Monarch’ competition. The station said some of their lyrics are libelous.

Apparently nervous about the broadcasting licence, the privately-owned Spice Capital Radio followed.

Despite the government’s insistence that it did not order the banning, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Grenada Progressive Calypso Association (GPCA), newspaper columnists and private citizens are accusing the New National Party (NNP) administration of censorship. “(Prime Minister, Dr. Keith) Mitchell must not fancy he can tell calypsonians what to sing…” says DLP leader, Francis Alexis.

The weekly ‘Informer’ newspaper reports that persons criticised in one of the calypsos are contemplating legal action for libel.

And after veteran journalist Ray Roberts hosted a GBC Television programme which was severely critical of the bannings, it was announced that he was being transferred to non-media area of the civil service.

The likelihood of controversy had been apparent since July. For the first time in many years, the ‘social commentary’ genre, as against ‘jam and wine party songs’, dominated the offerings of the artistes vying for ‘Calypso Monarch’.

Prime Minister Keith Mitchell and three members of his cabinet were among the audience of more than 3,000, as several of the 18 calypsonians (two songs each) vying for the eight spots in the finals of the competition, pummelled the government in song.

There were charges of corruption, victimisation and mismanagement. Rumours, gossip and news reports of cronyism, nepotism and influence peddling by cabinet ministers and senior government officials were cleverly (and some not so cleverly) worked into song.

“But a sorry for school children in this land/ Dey future in bad hands /Education in a bad state indeed/ The Education Minister can’t read /Man a find them fellows/ they full a tripe when they know is type the woman could type,” sang Findley Jeffrey in clear reference to Laurina Waldron’s elevation from a clerk/typist to Minister of Education. And as if to ensure his meaning was not lost, a subsequent verse commented…

“And Keith Mitchell in trouble/he surrounded by too much dunce people/ the majority of them can’t speak/ One a dem even tiefing carpet.”

The latter was referring to reports that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Grace Duncan, had used carpet and office furniture purchased for the Department of Tourism, to furnish a private residence used as her NNP constituency office.

“A nearly kill meself for this country /When a whole chair and carpet disappear from a Ministry,” sang Raymond Matthew in an offering entitled ‘Die for my country’. This song catalogued other controversies such as the government’s gift of a motor vehicle to ailing former Prime Minister Eric Gairy.

“And while this country’s’ economy continue to suffer/ Dey gi Gairy a brand new motor car.”

There was also a political faux pas by Agriculture Minister Joslyn Whiteman. “A nearly kill meself when the Agriculture Minister lied and embarrassed Grenada/ a know their intention is to kill this country / But they have to do that over me dead body.”

Some of the calypso songs looked longingly at the 1979-83 People’s Revolutionary Government (PRG).

“Oh God a miss them/ Good God a miss them /Sir Eric (Gairy) wouldn’t like this song / but a miss the revolution,” sang Lloyd Pancho.

It could not have escaped Prime Minister Mitchell’s attention that the calypsos which drew the biggest applause were those most critical of his government.

He must have noticed also that several of these part-time entertainers were government employees. Jeffrey who won the ‘Calypso Monarch’ title is a high school teacher and Matthew, who placed second, is a police officer.

Publicly, Mitchell did not comment. Privately, he put out feelers about meeting the leadership of the GPCA about the “quality” of the music.

However, some of his supporters were less restrained. In a front page editorial, publisher of the pro-government ‘Grenada Voice’ Leslie Pierre, accused calypsonians of “confusing freedom of expression in an artform, with licence. Descending to blatant abuse of leaders in our community, however errant, is unsatisfactory and should not be condoned by anyone,” Pierre said.

He was particularly critical of Raymond Matthew, saying the police corporal “has now gone too far and must be made to understand this in no uncertain terms”, and called on the Commissioner of Police to take action against him.

Matthew seemed unconcerned when he spoke to IPS. The calypsonian is the voice of the people and the real opposition, he declared. “There are members of the government and people in the society who might see it differently. But I’m not scared. If they have to do anything let them go ahead and do it.”

Findley Jeffrey displayed a similar defiant attitude. “I’ve made myself the opposition so I kick out against anything, anytime, without fear, without favour. Every year I sing about government regardless who is in power,” he told IPS.

Some commentators felt the spate of anti-government commentary in the calypsos should be seen by the administration as a warning of public dissatisfaction with its policies and performance.

“I have always viewed the calypsonian as a messenger, one who reviews and reflects the society. That is one of the reasons why this year’s calypsos are outstanding,” wrote Milton Coy in the ‘Informer’. “Some of the issues the calypsonians have raised are the same issues they (government) have skillfully evaded or denied.”

A similar comment came from attorney-at-law, Lloyd Noel, who unlike Coy, is known for pro-government views. “This year the political commentaries have been far more intense in the calypsos,” he wrote in the ‘Grenada Voice’ newspaper. “And since the calypsonians would have taken their cues from the political climate, we must look to the political arena and try to get a picture of some sort to see what is going on.”

It was the Trinidadian calypsonian Winston Peters who in a 1989 song commented: “I could write a song to make government strong /I could write a song to bring governments down/I could do it with real humour or venom like a Cobra.”

Two years earlier his ‘Captain the ship is sinking’ which evolved into a virtual opposition anthem, foretold the demise of the George Chambers government in that country.