Raised eyebrows over some Carnival results

THE EDITOR: There has been growing disenchantment from several quarters about the results of some Carnival competitions over the 2024 season. First there was furore over the participation of Gypsy (Winston Peters) in the extempo competition, then the results of the Panorama large bands finals, and thirdly the results of the Calypso Monarch competition.

According to the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO)'s president Ainsley King, "It is just gossip." But is it really gossip? And shouldn't that comment really be coming from the chairman of the National Carnival Commission (NCC) instead? There is just too much "noise" to be ignored. Carnival spectators, participants and the general public deserve an explanation.

If we take each event separately, we would expect that Gypsy taking part in a competition overseen by the NCC, of which he is chairman, to leave a lot of raised eyebrows. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "a chairperson is a chairman or chairwoman is one used as a neutral alternative."

So how come someone who is chairman, part of the administration and is supposed to be a neutral person be competing against other individuals who have no say in the administration of the competition? Isn't that like a referee in a football match playing on one of the sides? Competitions by various entrepreneurs usually have a rule that says to the effect that anyone connected or remotely connected to the entity's administration cannot enter. Shouldn't that also apply to the NCC?

Then there is the comment that bpTT is the sponsor of Panorama and a band sponsored by bpTT (bpTT Renegades) was awarded joint winner of the Panorama. Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore explains that "it is not a conflict of interest." However, eyebrows continue to be raised.

Now, the latest furore about the Calypso Monarch finals with Machel Montano beating out a field of 11 other calypsonians led me to listen to all 12 submissions and critically analyse each one with an open mind to the criteria used by NCC judges.

It was apparent to me that the only message from Montano's Soul of Calypso was that calypso is soca and soca is calypso, which is not really a given but just an opinion by the person who calls himself the "king of soca." And is it that there was an attempt to mesh both because there was no soca competition this year?

Other calypsoes such as Character by young Aaron Duncan, Respect the Tribe by Stacey Sobers and No Excuses by Karene Asche were full of melody, meaning, message and lyrics. The results of the Calypso Monarch competition certainly have and will continue to raise eyebrows for a long time.

On the other hand, questions are now raised about the guidelines under which the NCC operates, who are chosen and how are they selected to judge and, more importantly, if there are guidelines under which the NCC operates.

From what has transpired in the last few weeks, it appears as though the NCC needs an urgent overview.

WKS HOSEIN

Chaguanas