Judging a Calypso

By Ian Jackson

I write from the premise of being the son of the first three peat calypso king of Dominica, the writer and Dad of the three peat female Junior Monarch, as one of Tasha P’s successful composers among scores of others in both the junior and senior level calypso and someone who is second only to Pat Aaron as a calypso composer on island. I normally leave this for others to talk about, but I think it is necessary for this article as I want to satisfy the readers in knowing that speak I from an informed and qualified background as far as calypso composition and judging; having adjudicated as far as Trinidad, the mecca itself.

With this knowledge base which I have put forward in the many workshops I have facilitated; if you are naturally biased to personalities and politics, do not put up yourself to be a calypso judge. If you do not have a library of calypso material which would allow you to have a background, or you are unable to reference because you have not built up an appreciation for the art over a number of years, you may not be ready just yet. If you are not musically inclined; astute enough to recognize when someone is off-key, flat or you simply don’t have an appreciation for literature, the use of language, figurative expression, or in tuned with current events, then you are simply not ready to judge.

Finally if you are incapable of defending your judgement with reasoned arguments based on the criterion of lyrics, melody presentation and rendition as effected on the night then stay away from judging and just enjoy the calypsos like everyone else.

Having stated the above, I must say that Dominican judges have been on point in crowning the monarchs throughout the 62 years of calypso competitions. Also, 95% of the time get the runners up correct, but would be allotted a lower percentage as they don’t always get them in the right order. For instance there is an inherent bias to place a defending Monarch somewhere close to the crown even if he/she is weak and would have been lucky to be in the finals if the artist took part in the semis. You would really have to make some grave uncompromising errors as the Dice did last year to literally X yourself out. Quite conversely in Trinidad Monarchs are treated on a level playing field.

Let’s look at lyrics which consist of subdivisions where you are called upon to exhibit wit, cohesion and so on. If you are not schooled in composition, do not read and don’t have a grasp of language and structure or have a good grasp of the fundamentals, you can and will be lost and maybe even thrown off by a bouncy good sing-a-long melody or blown away by the wonderful stage presence of the calypsonian and incorrectly conclude that this is a good composition. The same arguments can be extended to melody; ideally a musician, a player of instrument, a singer or someone who through their general involvement in matters pertaining to vocal execution should be best equipped in casting judgement. It is not uncommon for poor singing, diction or articulation to fly pass adjudicators. Others may realize something is wrong but cannot identify, define or express it. They can’t make a clear distinction if it is the band, the artist or both and this is sad. A judge who is worth his salt should be able to identify such flaws and articulate them.

Lyrics and Melody carry equivalent points, 35 each and so account for 70% of the scores and so you are left with rendition whose maximum score is 20%. Now can you listen to the brass intro, the chord structure of the melody and judge the ease and dexterity of how the calypsonian rides the given melody with a voice that evokes the intended emotion? Or are you one of those judges who thinks rendition is just having a good voice or tone?

Calypso is an art form where people sing and not necessarily a singing art form. There is a difference because an opera singer with good range and technique who may not have what it takes to render a good calypso.

Not every singer will be a Bobb, a Webb or a Tarina. We need the Jaydees, Karessahs and the NCs who though not award winning vocalists can sufficiently vocalize a composition and can move an audience when it all comes together. Anyone singing Sour’s “I enjoy my life” may not execute it or even vocalize it as well as he can. This is because the calypsonian and the song is one entity and cannot be put apart. This is why calypso cannot be judged in segments or rounds as a queen show; it is all inclusive in one appearance. The line “drink rum” has to sound like someone whose voice is affected by the ‘spirit of man’ and so it resonates with the singer

Granted a great voice is indeed a plus; but one gets the feeling that calypsonians are already given marks in the rendition section before they even open their mouths and this is wrong. If we had to base the art heavily on this criterion then Pink Panther or Chalkdust would never have the accolade of winning the most crowns in TNT over guys like Baron or Sugar Aloes. The main thing is not to lose your key, as your tone is even more important and that is why Kassav’s Jean Claude with his husky but palatable tone has endeared legions of fans who go in a frenzy when it is his turn at the microphone.

Well, by now the Dominican public should be knowledgeable enough to understand that crowd response points are not tallied as a criterion on the calypso sheet but it is the unseen determinant most times as it influences every part of the score sheet’s criterion. No one wants to crown a king with two heavy lyrical pieces that no one can sing a line to or remember the next day. One of the reasons Dice has indeed become the people’s king is because for years after children and adults can relate and sing verbatim many of his compositions.

Now compare this to Bobb, or Wizard and Ventura of yesteryear where the recollections are not so obvious and most would have to be reminded. But not so for Solo’s “Mas in de cemetery’’ or Hurricanes ‘Utility Pressure” or Spider’s “Hypocrites”, where fans can sing verses to the refrain. Webb is one such calypsonian who has a great voice and messages having placed in the last 10 years; the most consistent performer, yet one cannot say his compositions styles would be categorized as memorable.

So what is a good calypso? Well as you will realize, this can be very subjective and that is why nine (9) judges are in the final to get varied points of views. However if all the judges on duty placed an individual in the top 4 it would very likely suggest that this person is vying seriously for the monarchy. Therefore some sort of uniformity in the actual tally of marks per individual should reflect this. This is the weakness I have detected in the judging criterion used by the Dominica Calypso Association (DCA) and they would do well to adopt the Trinidad model which would allow for groupings that would determine a good or weak song.

Presently the DCA criteria suggest that if you are a hard marker your top performer can get 25/35 for a melody you identify as good while the other judges score that individual between 28/35 to 33/35. Now if this persists throughout, you can already see the problem even if we exclude the highest and the lowest marks as is the practice to eliminate bias. Therefore I have proposed to the DCA to get a rating more in keeping with what was actually intended, excellent should be between 33-35 marks, good between 27 and 32, fair 20-26 and poor below 20. By providing such limitations of such a measurement then a good song for instance has to be rated between 27 and 32 by any judge. So in the final tally there will not be such a great disparity in marks and categories must not be so subjective to whims and fancies but forced to conform within reason.

It must also be noted that melodies must be appropriate; minor keys tend to evoke sadness, or puts one in a reflective mood. The competent judge should be able to identify and relate to mood and the complexity of the composition particularly when higher order chords like the augmented and diminished are used to effect a haunting melody. Why is the song making you dance when it should be evoking sadness, the rhyme scheme, rhythm, language can all accentuate the mood.

Finally there are 10 marks for presentation which has nothing to do with elaborate props (which have proven to sometimes detract or distract from the performer) but how the calypsonian interacts with the crowd, his proper use of stage and level of charisma and comfort in the execution of the 7 mins spent in delivery. A master at this was the ‘Brakes’ who convinced all and sundry by his general ease, facial expression and use of mike on stage. Appropriateness of attire is important, so gloves and ties would not be required in a song sympathetic to the deprived and down-trodden

Indeed no system is without weakness and not everyone will ever be satisfied with everything at the end of any show but the above represents a tried and proven approach which assists in the judgement of Kaiso and so I trust you can be guided even as you cast your own judgement in this new approach of calypso online.