Chalkie: Shadow a sociologist

In the absence of the requisite training and qualifications, late calypso icon Winston "Shadow" Bailey was a sociologist in his own right and should be remembered as such.

So said nine-time calypso monarch Dr Hollis Liverpool, popularly known as the Chalkdust, as he reflected on Bailey's immense contribution to the artform.

"What people are not saying about him is that he was like a sociologist in the sense that sociologists look at the society and they look at the challenges and problems in the society in relation to poverty, getting married, treatment of old people. So, in his own right, he sang sociology and that for me is the beauty of Shadow," Liverpool told Newsday.

Bailey, 77, died on Tuesday at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope after suffering a stroke last weekend.

His funeral takes place at 10 am on Tuesday at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain.

Liverpool said Bailey, whose timeless contributions include Dingolay, Tension, Yuh Looking For Horn and Stranger, said the calypsonian's unique ability to weave his signature bass line with interesting themes would be his legacy.

"What he did was to say things in a way that other people didn't. In other words he used the colloquialism of the day and traditions of the day, like obeah, to bring about his point. So he became a very unique calypsonian. That was his strong point."

Liverpool, who is also a UTT Senior Academic Fellow, Academy of Arts, Culture and Public Affairs, said his relationship with Bailey was one of mutual respect.

"I had a good relationship with him. It was not as good as some of the other calypsonians because he was not the kind of person who would hug, laugh and kiss you. But at the same time, I respected him and he respected me."

Saying Bailey kept mostly to himself, Liverpool added: "I did not keep him at arm's length but at the same time, we were close, in terms of calypso but not in terms of eating and drinking and laughing, we were not that close."

Liverpool offered some suggestions of how Bailey should be remembered.

"Young people should study his lyrics and, therefore, he needs some school to be named after him where people study the artform, like a wing at the university could be named after him or a masters or bachelors programme."