Kurt Allen stars as songwriter but gets toilet-paper treatment at Skinner Park

SHOWING resilience in the face of adversity, as the audience “toilet-papered” him at Calypso Fiesta, Kurt Allen impressed the judges to win a place in the finals of the National Calypso Monarch competition on March 2 at the Queen's Park Savannah.

It was the first time in the 27 years he has been a semifinalist at Skinner Park, San Fernando, that he was the subject of boos and jeers by toilet-paper-waving calypso lovers, because they did not agree with the message in his song on February 22.

And yet Allen reminded that two of his competitors, Samraj Jaimungal (Rikki) Jai and Ann Marie Parks Kojo (Twiggy) are entering the finals with his compositions – Kaiso Chutney and 65 and Still Relevant, respectively.

He said he wrote for five people in the semifinals, including Kerice Pascal’s Tears, and for two others who will remain unnamed.

While all the competitors are his friends, he said he has a special relationship with Anthony La Fleur, aka Squeezy Rankin, recently crowned Young Kings 2025 with his popular Justice. Allen said he has been encouraging him, a former freestyle and zess artiste, to get involved in calypso because he saw his potential.

“He told me, ‘Boy, I not ready for this kaiso thing,’ but when I saw him after he released that song, he smiled, hugged me and told me thanks. I am really happy he has made this move and evolved into this type of artiste.”

Allen also had nothing but admiration for Yung Bredda – Akhenaton Lewis, another zess artiste who has made a crossover to soca and calypso. The Greatest Bend Over and We Rise, the latter of which is his selection for the monarch contest, have been steadily gaining him popularity.

“I am really, really impressed with Yung Bredda in terms of where he came from and what he is noted for doing and handling himself with such professionalism in the calypso arena.”

Allen said while he was sitting in his vehicle at Skinner Park, he saw some young people standing around.

“When they announced Yung Bredda, they all ran from that spot to head stageside. That is something we don’t normally see, young people showing any interest towards calypso. He sang a calypso, so that is what made it more interesting for me. I am really happy for him.”

Asked if he was expecting to be selected, judging from the response of the audience and his perceived anti-PNM song, Allen said he topped the preliminary round, and based on the precedent set before when he did so on two occasions, he made it to the finals.

Last year, he said, when Machel Montano achieved top marks in the prelims, he went straight to the finals.

Although there was a precedent, he knew it was not written in stone and went out among 40 competitors vying for one of 11 spots in the finals to execute and do it well.

This is Allen’s 12th year in the finals. He stayed away from the calypso scene for some time between 1998 and 2007, but returned in 2008 and in 2010 copped the monarch title.

But on Saturday, before Allen, dubbed The Last Bardjohn of Calypso, appeared to perform his biting political commentary Your Turn Now, the Claxton Bay posse, who took up space just in front of the stage, behind the barriers, told media personnel positioned close to them they were waiting patiently for Allen with their toilet paper.

They made their intention known to one of the MCs, Rachel Price, and pulled out the rolls, some swirling around on umbrellas, others stretched out over a short distance, as she got the green light to bring him on.

Price hesitated, singing a line from the religious chorus, “Let there be peace on earth,” and urged them to live in peace.

“Bring him, bring him,” the Claxton Bay posse retorted, with one woman plainly saying, “You can’t come to PNM stomping ground and sing a song like that.”

A veteran and former monarch, Allen braved the stage and gave a performance befitting of a place in the finals, although pieces of white tissue paper were flung at him, landing on the speaker boxes and at the feet of media personnel planted in front of the boxes.

In an interview with Newsday on February 23, after the results were announced, Allen said it was a good experience. He said he was not intimidated, because the situation did not escalate.

“I was there when Denyse Plummer got toilet paper. I was also there when Gypsy and Aloes got toilet paper. Those instances were overwhelming because the entire park was engaged.

“In my case, it was just a handful of people in the front, about 15 of them, but when you looked in the entire park that was not the reflection at all. People were singing along, giving me the thumbs-up. In between the toilet-paper crew there were some people waving placards which said, 'Big Yard Song,' 'Kaiso, Kaiso,' so I was focused on those people.

"Even the ones with the toilet paper, they were dancing and singing along. Looking at them directly, I could see within their eyes and their expressions they came probably to do a job. They were...given an incentive and they came prepared to do that. I came prepared to do what I had to do, so it was evenly matched.”

As a veteran of the arena, Allen said he anticipated what was coming.

“I was prepared, knowing the history of Skinner Park, where once you are singing this type of political song, perceived to be anti-PNM, they behave in such a way.”

He said he wished people had listened to the song before judging him and its contents.

“The lyrics were not anti-anything. As a calypsonian, I was giving an account of what the people were expressing. Everything I said there was factual, in terms of what the people were expressing. For example, it was factual the people were saying Chambers was ‘duncy,’ but it may not be factual that Chambers was indeed dunce. But the people were saying it.

“Every piece of information I presented in the song was factual based on what the people were saying, but I cannot say for a fact that any of the things were true.”

In the end, he said, he felt his performance was good, executed as he planned, with four verses and choruses.

“In spite of the distraction, I was able to do that, and comfortably. I maintained my calm, my cool and respect and love for the people.”