Calypsonians just not ready for festival
Although some believe there’s no real push to showcase Calypso during the annual emancipation festivities, one organiser has posited that Calypsonians need to work harder so they can be ready for the yearly shows.
Chairman of the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee (VIFFC), Dirk Walters, said Calypso shows are among the most expensive and difficult to plan. But he said members of the Festival and Fairs Committee would still be willing to host these shows at festival time, if the artistes had more interest in their craft.
“The budget alone for a Calypso show is enormous because you have to pay the live bands for rehearsals. Another part of the issue is that several persons from the Festival Committee have reached out to Calypsonians and what they’re told is, ‘I’m not ready’ or ‘I don’t have anything’,” Walters explained.
“Have you all heard any Calypso on the radio or has anybody sent you any new music to listen to? So we need some more initiative. it would be nice if we had a better understanding and relationship with the Calypsonians to put this forward. There are very few great Calypsonians who know the onus is on them to put their music together,” Walters added.
He also mentioned that another challenge is the lack of adequate people who have the skill to spearhead the production of a Calypso show. But he said organisers of the yearly festival events will endeavour to host a Calypso show next year — which will mark the 70th staging of the emancipation festivities.
Challenges with Fungi music
According to Walters, organisers would also love to include more fungi bands in the festival celebrations. But he said it is difficult to book these bands, as they are on the decline.
“I wish even the churches would get involved because this (fungi music) started with the churches,” Walters posited.
He added that more fungi bands have been going on tours and are usually not available to perform at festival events.
Former legislator Shereen Flax Charles has been a major proponent for genres such as Calypso to be showcased at festival events. She said more corporate support is needed as Calypso props and productions require resources to be impactful.
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Are they kidding with all the scandals and material they are not ready? Ok let me go sing some songs I can create an album.
“Dee dah dah duhhhhhhh
I say my Premierrrrr. went a foreign ,
now we nah see he no more,
I say my Premierr went a foreign,
now we nah see he no more,
What foreignnnn went and do,
We nah have a clue,
What foreignnn went and do,
Got my country feeling blue’
And steel pan music almost extinct in the bvi
our culture is just about dead
Ayo kill the festival by charging huge entree fees
I’m not sure if they already have it if not there should be a junior calypso competition among kids.
Real music in the BVI is dead! I can never find myself able to listen to the drivel that sprewed out in this day & age. Who vex, vex!
festival have become a business for some while taxpayers money to enrichen themselves.
What a slap in the face! Really Dirk walters? With you at the helm, NO ONE WILL EVER WANT TO BE READY – to work with you!
Now when this is what you have to say!
I am in shock! Calypsonians need to speak out!
Really Dirky! You put out a Poster early with no Calypso show on it. Since when your stuck up Committee Menbers reaching out to Calypsonians, THAT’S A LIE! Aryo did’nt even call for Registration to see how many People will sign up. Calypsonians don’t have to go around telling you all that they ready. Stop finding stupid excuses. Yall done don’t like Calypso from ever since. Do the right thing and you will get support but aryo not listening to the Calypsonians ideas on how to better the Show each Year. I asked about 6 Calypsonians and no one asked them anything. Maybe the Calypsonians from Foreign aryo asked.
You have to pay the band to do their sound check? Surely its up to the band to perform with a contractual getout if they turn up unprepared?
I don’t know how any EAR, TRAINED OR UNTRAINED, can listen to any sounds call music in this territory for more than one minute and not go insane.
Except for the calypsonians during competition week, there has been only foul, deplorable and objectionable garbage noise being produced for music in the territory for over forty years now.
It is also a sad travesty and testimony to the millions already spent over the years, and is still being spent on teacher music education, elementary music education programs, and high school theory and band music programs.
Yet, nothing in the form of acquired musical intellectual knowledge and or sophistication are materializing within the soul of the Virgin Islands Musical Arts, or the in the general music of the community.
Instead, with each New Year, we get and hear a convergence of noise and indiscernible electronic garbage overlaid with untrained voices…
Perhaps, what is being taught in music classes are not being transferred, or maybe the right or needed concepts are not being taught?
Whatever the problem is, one of the major one’s is those who have the knowledge, skills, know-how and will and desire have summarily shut out from contributing in favor of inept, deficient and well liked and chosen. Say it’s not so.
Meanwhile, its Arts, Music and Cultural Intelligence judge a society.
We are adamant and get angry about preserving our culture . The powers and so called intellectuals what are you actually doing to preserve our culture etc fungi music . Lambasting that we are losing our culture , bringing in foreign culture but yet decline in fungi band, calypso etc . I don’t understand you prople . The emancipation vacuum will be filled with other cultural music if we do not step up to the plate
Then who to blame ???
I agree with you but Second thought. What was that you just said. Menn I’m lost.
We have an excellent music program in the High School. Consideration can be given to getting some of the more accomplished senior music students from the High School to form an All-Star Band. School is usually on summer break so let that be their Summer Project to practice and perform with the local calypsonians, earning some valuable exposure for themselves. And at the end of the project give them a stipend.
Everybody wants to lie about the Calypsonians. When i check the previous Calypso competitions, this is what i see; some enter just for the pay, some are never prepared, but most are up to par.
Imagine one year i went to hear a friend of mine sing, the gentleman incharge of the Calypso Committee was competting and had his Songs played on stage via the music system on stage immediately before the show started , and do you know he won the Competition.
Another glitch , that guy tried Calypso a couple years and couldn’t make it(he sings Soca) and that is the same person who has tried to destroy Calypso in Tortola.
Also they need a Band for the Calyposonians when we come to hear Calypsos we want to hear the Artistes, the music often times drowns out the voices.
I have been chit chatting with some older Calypsonians who said that they have to do everything to get their music going including paying for music ,props, helpers, write, memmorize and practice, transportation at times then to come and perform. They started keeping the show midweek, and the Committee helps with nothing, with the execption of one year. Then when the show ends after midnight they put on an outside Band for one or a two hours and pay a huge some of monies for two hours the most. Look all they do for Queen shows, sponsers,gifts,Scholarships, trips, packages,travel, and other support cant done to come and exhibit her ASSets,even not testing her Brain.
Calypsonians need to keep a walkin show on the Ball field on one of you all big paying nights .
Yet the Festival Committee bring in a set of artists that have absolute NOTHING to do with the heritage of the BVI with WORTHLESS AND SOME VIOLENT LYRICS AT THAT!!!!!!