Kaiso, kaiso goes data stream

BitDepth#1336

MARK LYNDERSAY

KENNY PHILLIPS wasn't waiting this year.

“The season is upon us, and we've heard nothing from the powers-that-be as to our art," Phillips said in response to e-mailed questions about his new series of shows on WACK, which he now bills as a "visual radio station."

On January 14, the shows will begin as Kalypso Kolisseum featuring casts of five drawn from calypso tents who will sing songs from their repertoire as well as new compositions for the 2022 season.

Phillips significantly ramped up his live-streaming capacity soon after covid19 restrictions began in 2020 and the San Fernando station soon became the virtual mecca of streamed live performances of calypsonians.

"Some performers who come back to my stage said it's the only place they have worked in two years," Phillips wrote in response to the e-mailed questions.

"Some don't agree with the donation model. I say bring another model I'll try it, but until then…"

Ainsley King, current head of the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO), responding to questions via a series of WhatsApp voice messages, acknowledged that, "There are those who are depending wholly and solely on the arts.

"We were looking forward to have live events in the safe zones, but with some of the reports that are coming in that seems to be a challenge and to be risky.

"We are unique among the special interest groups in that we are staging a show, and we do plan to do some streaming events, perhaps even the Calypso Monarch competition during the season.

"Calypso is in a position where we don't have to have any gathering. It wouldn't be nice for us to allow the presence and relevance of the art form to just be pushed aside because of the present situation.

"I don't see covid stopping calypso events for 2022."

The long deliberations on a direction for calypso in 2022 haven't met with Phillips's approval.

"You can't tell us what we’re doing for Carnival season 2022 in January 2022," Phillips said. "How can we plan, covid or not? We need to be clear on a direction."

Phillips has pointed the WACK calypso series in his own direction, informed by the response of audiences, both good and bad, to his many concerts in 2020 and 2021.

"I always wanted to tweak the structure of the calypso tent to be more audience friendly and concentrate on entertainment (instead of) just big tunes for the competition. The potential is great, but we have to entertain people first and not just sing to win a brass crown.

"The technology has made our audience the world, and we should be addressing that head on, but we still thinking Port-of-Spain and San Fernando."

"We have submitted budgets to the NCC," Ainsley King said of TUCO's plans, "and we have put forward plans to have the National (Calypso) Monarch competition and we are prepared to stage it once finances are given.”

"I've always been a master of my own fate," Phillips explained. "The Trinidad corporate world (barring NLCB ) does not see local content as important, so I have to do my own thing.

"We were pleasantly surprised as to the response in 2021 (and) people seem to enjoy what we're doing.

"The YouTube numbers were quite impressive and were really thankful to the people who donated through thick and thin. Real cultural ambassadors.

"The response of the diaspora has been fantastic and we have the figures to prove it. Trinidad and Tobago, on the other hand, has to learn to pay for entertainment. We just love complimentary tickets and freeco."

The Kalypso Kolisseum begins online on January 14.

Mark Lyndersay is the editor of technewstt.com. An expanded version of this column can be found there