It should never be about the money

THE EDITOR: When the Mighty Sparrow won his first Calypso Monarch title in 1956, his prize money for the honour was $40. Imagine that. A mere $40 for giving the world Jean and Dinah!

One may wish to argue that the real prize was the title itself and the bragging rights – the prestige – which came along with it. But given the fact that the Carnival queen that same year received a winner's purse of $7,500, the insult inspired the “Birdie” to not only compose and perform National Boycott the following year, but to also organise one with the support of his fellow calypsonians as well.

Fast forward to 2022 and a year fraught with the challenges born out of the covid19 pandemic and the economic downturn. And though we have missed just one year of competition, as opposed to the four years that were missed as a result of the Second World War, the public is both anxious and enthusiastic in its support for the return of this prestigious competition.

When Terri Ann Lyons won the last competition in 2020, her winner's cheque was $800,000. (For those keeping score, that's 20,000 times what the Mighty Sparrow won his first time around.)

But even if this prize was reduced to $80,000, one would have thought that for even the newest of arrivals to the Savannah stage it is the prestige of winning and not the size of the purse which would have been their greatest motivation.

As a lover and supporter of “we culture,” I must say I am indeed disappointed that the executive and members of TUCO don't quite see things the way I do.

Had I been blessed with the gift to write and perform my compositions for a local (and international) audience, I would have jumped all over the opportunity to compete this year. And I would have done so for $800 (let alone $80,000) and the opportunity to join the hallowed ranks of Sparrow, Spoiler, Chalkdust, Stalin, Kitchener and all the other cultural giants who have worn the crown over the past 83 years.

In short, as our cultural ambassadors, our calypsonians owe it to themselves and moreover to us to compete and to have the best among them crowned as our Calypso Monarch – this year and every year.

Or as my grandfather used to say: “Don't ever make money the main reason that you do (or don't do) something you love.”

G ELIAS

Cascade