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Donella should have made some more progressions. Don’t know if it is her handlers.
Donella was too dark … this is my honest assessment. She should have replaced Allison when the void in Square One was created.
Wunnah really want to hear good kaiso go back 60 years to small island pride. Here’s one
Arguably two of the best chunes coming out of Barbados in recent years and this says a lot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqBeGv_y2Z8
Here’s another Small Island Pride one:
Here’s one by the mighty Cypher
I dealing with a couple of good Jack Asses here tonight and luving it … HA HA HA… Barbados music CANNOT be dah far behind man … HA HA HA
@Checkit-Out
Geeze!!!
Donella and double xplosion have not done as well as they could have. Maybe they needed better management.
Sweet Bajan voice.
Barbadian music aint going nowhere
Barbados needs a brand
Trinidad music aint going nowhere neither
The music just cirulating in one spot, No upward trajectory, no sideways movement , no lateral movement, no vertical or horizontal .
Just stagnant. Music needs music not the same old same old every year. Everything in Barbados in crisis
This DLP Government aint got a clue how to move this country forward. Freundelitis and Darwin Dottin want to stop Feting which effectively means the destrcution of music.
These people are old jokers.
The DLP Government is the worst government in the history of Governments, Name a worst Government if you is a man Dennis Johnson, Check -it, , BAFBFP
Freundelitis is the worst Prime Minister in the history of Prime Ministers—Name somebody worst than Freundelitis and win 100 new Barbadian Dollars Bills. People going now rip off with that new money that look mock mock mock.
Whuh bout dis one by Lord Laro, the most underestimated calypsonian ever
@Checkit
Cypher and Malik interchangeable…lol.
Quality arranging in this tune.Great backing by the band.
One of our all time favourites coming from Patrice Roberts out of T&T:
Jesus Christ slow down nah … I listening to these tunes and wunna posting … tek a bref
And the calypsonian with the best voice ever, the mighty Terror. By the time this you tube video was made he was somewhat over the hill. But some will remember it as the best steel band calypso ever sung even surpassing Lord Kitcheners Steel pan melodies. If my memory serves me correctly he won a Calypso Crown with that tune. I was there.
Pan talent by Terror
I’ll post some contemporary Bajan calypsos which I think are as good as and arguably better than any contemporary Trinidadian ones, but forgive an old man for thinking that old time calypso was in a class by itself and really can’t be compared with the contemporary calypso crossover styles of the Edwin Yearwoods and Bunji Garlins and Machel Montanos and those others of that ilk to borrow a phrase from Boots Cummins.
The examples above were just to show that the current crop springs from a royal lineage and still has some catching up to do to surpass the genius of some of the obscure calypsonians I highlighted above.
Just Askin’
There have been a few Governments in the West Indies that were arguably worst than our current Government. Two spring to mind; The recently defeated Grenada Government and the Trinidad Government led by Chambers which inspired this Trinidad Classic by Gypsy:
Come think of it, there are many similarities in the T&T situation then and the Barbados one now.
Who can compete with this one …
Just facebook this song to Rudder and I know he ain’ gun like it. There is nothing that he can bring than can compare with this epic…!
BAFBPF
The Ras Shorty I calypso “watch out my children” is in a class of its own. Nothing Rudder did compares with it and indeed few calypsos from any of the various stages of Calypso development do. I therefore agree with you.
IMHO, Barbados’ Calypsos and Calypsonians were totally out of the running in the early decades; pre 1960’s; 60’s and 70’s. But some Bajans, led by Gabby and Bag and Adonijah and there may be a few others, were very competitive in the genre from the 80’s and performed at a similar standard to the top Trini Calypsonians of those years imho as a former lead guitarist. Calypso in the 21st Century has retrogressed to a mixed bag where the bump and wine and wine on a bumper, etc. songs hold commercial sway and therefore dominate the airwaves. Lyrics don’t matter and musicality appears to have gone the way of the dinosaur.
But the talent is still there and peeps through occasionally. Perhaps there might be scope for a premium focused Classic Calypso prize or even a well-funded tent dedicated to classic calypso with oldsters and youngsters participating. The current crop of excellent trained musicians in Barbados (There are none better in the Caribbean and perhaps in the hemisphere if we listen carefully to the Jazz offerings from the younger musicians) might make such a venture, if strategically developed and designed, a reasonable one for the next Calypso season and might even bring in some well heeled tourists from throughout the diaspora to our crop over season.
to make
Money
– idea- good
can work
Perhaps there might be scope for a premium focused Classic Calypso prize or even a well-funded tent dedicated to classic calypso with oldsters and youngsters participating.
Best idea
from
by anyone
so far
@Checkit-Out
Ras Shorty is a top kaiso but if you taking musicality cannot compare with Rudder.
Thank U for all the Soca tunes DJ BAFP et al
David;
I beg to differ noting that it is only my opinion and most people might not agree with me. That tune and the delivery of it, the languages used, the packaging for a world audience, the overall very important message, and its other attributes suggest to me that any other calypsonian would have to come extremely strong to even compete with Ras Shorty I and that Calypso. Of course there have been other classics that come close and I think Sparrow’s “Philip my dear”; Gabby’s “Calypso”; Kitchener’s Pan classic; Terror’s Pan Classic; Adonijah’s “Rock in Ethiopia” and a few others that don’t come to mind immediately are in the general ballpark but Ras Shorty I’s calypso is exceptional.
I am, as you can see, out of touch with the offerings from the current new crop of Calypsonians but from what I hear on the radio they don’t compare except there is one Bajan Calypsonian, Crystal Cummings? double barreled name, who is extremely impressive and just needs an original song to promote her to the top of the heap. She is extremely talented, in addition to being a trained musician in her own right.
I heard ?Spencer of the smooth voice destroying his well earned legacy today on Fireworks with an awful song where he was attempting to marry Parang and Calypso. Now why would anyone in his right mind try to do that?
Let me ramble a bit about singers in general. Unlike most Bajans, I think that the very best female singers of popular non-calypso music for all time are Nina Simone, Joan Armatrading, Nancy Wilson and Billie Holliday. My top male singers are Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Seal, Billy Ocean, and I have an unheralded bajan up there, Lou Jiggs Kirton, whose voice, diction, phrasing etc. are awesome. Tony poser Grazette ain’t too far off either.
Ian Webster trying his hand at uptempo:
@checkit-out taste in music is personal and subjective.
Hants;
I think that is essentially what I’ve been trying to say in these posts. I think Gabby is the best Bajan calypsonian and that Plastic Bag can’t sing although he has some very good songs. My taste in that regard is obviously personal and subjective and mirrors that of only a super minority of bajans. But its my taste. I’m not trying to convince anybody about the relative merits of any particular Calypsonian. Just jotting down rambling thoughts about some of the calypsos and other music I like.
David; I think this is a great blog for the archives. The youtube and other videos are a great resource. Perhaps you should pin this blog to the top during this season to capture all the videos as they come out throughout the season. The archival material should help tremendously in any discussion on personal tastes in calypso and any other matters relevant to crop over calypsos. e.g. Colin Spenser’s new calypso / parang offering could be a good starting point for a discussion here on the different sub-genres of calypso, what constitutes a calypso, eg. Parang is traditional Trinidad/Venezuelan Christmas music dominated by mixed but predominantly female singers and featuring one or more cuatro players with a very distinctive beat. Does the beat really lend itself to incorporation into the calypso genre? The Colin Spencer experiment sounded to me to be neither fish nor fowl but of course many others might ail it as the best thing that has happened to Bajan cropover calypsos for a long while.
Bag cant sing ???
Huh 1
Isn’t it amazing that the people that wunna does say cant sing does be making the most money ?
Commercial music is about gimmick
@checkit-out
Thanks for the suggestion. A button was created on the Sidebar and periodically during the season let us promote this particular blog.
say what u like about lil rick music one thing fuh sure it is not boring and sleepy might be repetitive in content but adds a lot of spark and energy which jives with the flavor and sex appeal of crop ova ;;;;;it is a good thing..
Ha Check … David is a die hard Rudder fan. No matter, one would have to be musically deaf not to acknowledge the musicality and genius of Ras Shorty I. Now tek a look at another stroke of genius, this time from a Bajan woman, and where as Ras has one, this person actually has four of equal merit …
And tek a look at the Masta …
BAFBFP;
I also have those songs in my top drawer of Calypsos of all time. Looks like we have similar tastes in calypso music.
There’s another Trinidadian Calypsonian that is close to the top of the heap that many Bajans seem not to have heard of. The Mighty Spoiler. Sir Don copied his style almost exactly.
Hear Spoiler with Bed Bug!
Agree Congo Man is top drawer.
Ha ha Double bass, and did I not hear a piano? I believe that to be a truly gifted calypsonian one should both be the writer and the performer. In my mind having one without the other disqualifies you
What is Soca
THANK YOU VERY MUCH for making mention of Antonio Rudder’s debut CropOver single!
DE CARNIVAL (WE LOVE IT) by Antonio Rudder who is yes, the son of jazz musician/drummer, Pierce Antonio Rudder aka “Boo” (Antonio is not a jr., but shares his father’s nickname as well: “Boo”).
THE FOLLOWING IS AN ARTIST BIO:
Antonio Rudder is a natural born musician who was taught by Janice Millington at age 8 to play the piano. Continuing through to grade 4, he learned the basics that would guide him through his career as a professional keyboard player. As a youth, he recalls paying attention to live music (calypso tents, live video recordings) and how he was inspired by all the action taking place, the roles of band members, sound of the instruments and the energy of the crowds. It was in his local environment that his commitment to and resolve for making music developed. No matter the venue, the resources, or the work it would take, Antonio knew he would GET INVOLVED!
Influenced genetically by his father who is also a musician, the sound of music in nature, the productions of artists like Michael Jackson, Gabby, Serenader, John King and the list goes on, …Antonio’s vision broadened and his passion took root. He continues to be impressed by the grooves of the classic soul, jazz, bebop tunes as well as hip hop music, art and culture. Antonio embraces and fuses the styles of all musical genres while creating and producing his sound.
As a songwriter and producer he has worked with a multitude of underground artists and contributed to various mix tapes. In 2005, he produced the original version of “Waistline Licking Shots”, written and performed by Didier ‘Mr Dj’ Skeete, which was then re-produced by Deepu Panjwani of Lethal Studios and went on to win 2nd place in Road March. Antonio has his own library of instrumentals that he has been composing and compiling from the time he realized that by utilizing the “PLAY”, “PAUSE” and “RECORD” buttons on his radio, he could actually arrange music on cassette tapes. His fascination with and dedication to making music compelled him to release his debut soca single, “De Carnival (We Love It)” in May of this year.
Playing live for various events with Wayne Onkphra Wells and his band Lion Soul, on the hotel circuit with the band Rhapzody, soca band Electrik, reggae band Zion Trybe to currently employing his skills as a keyboardist/Ableton operator for the band Krosfyah, he continues to realize and demonstrate his potential as a performer. The experience gained from playing in bands and travelling around the world is one of many blessings that keeps Antonio grounded in the music industry and for these things he remains thankful.
Antonio’s enthusiasm for originality and inventing new licks, chops and styles gives life to his compositions. His production company, Mind Spray Labz, has a motto: “Let’s Make Music!” because that is what motivates his goals. Antonio is looking forward to empowering others through his tunes to do what they love and to share his love for music as well.
WE APPRECIATE THE DIALOGUE surrounding the topic of a need to hear REAL MUSICIANS making REAL MUSIC for Barbados Carnival. Thank you for including Antonio’s work in such a discussion. Bless.
Definitely one of the better jams for this season.
We appreciate your opinion David! I am very happy and excited for Antonio because of ALL THE HARD WORK, INGENUITY AND FOCUS he has dedicated to his love and passion: MUSIC. Thru all the hustlin & bustlin he has stayed committed to seeing his creative visions manifest, while studying his craft and putting all knowledge gained to practice.
I’ve checked out a few “books” from his library of Instrumentals. I Am amazed at his creative spirit and uplifted by his artistic expressions every time I read (listen) to his compositions. I am inspired by the provisions of Nature throughout Antonio’s career that have helped to encourage, develop and drive the natural musician in him to value practicality while putting to use the tools he’s been blessed with.
While continuing to tour the world as a keyboardist with an amazing soca band, he has also set his focus on leaving a mark in his country as a solo artist and producer of soca/hip hop/alternative styles of music for the world to hear.
I WILL HIM ALL THE BES AND SUCCESS this CropOver 2013 season and beyond!
~Tru FireElectric (“admin”) for MindSprayLabz
Is this suppose to be double entendre or plain smut?
@David Fat,
pork is double entendre with an edge..
I am not sure what your boundaries are but there I t is no smutier than most of Sparrow’s best. Congo man, Benwood dick,de two ah dem,60 million french men,jean an dinah which was about exploiting hookers.
I hope a radio edited version of Fat Pork can be recorded.
@Hants
Because Sparrow is revered are we to benchmark how good double is measured by his work?
A double entendre is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Typically one of the interpretations is rather obvious whereas the other is more subtle. The more subtle of the interpretations is typically sexually suggestive. It may also convey a message that would be socially awkward, or even offensive, to state directly. (The Oxford English Dictionary describes a double entendre as being used to “convey an indelicate meaning”.)
“A double entendre may exploit puns to convey the second meaning. Double entendres generally rely on multiple meanings of words, or different interpretations of the same primary meaning. They often exploit ambiguity and may be used to introduce it deliberately in a text. Sometimes a homophone (i.e. another word with the same pronunciation) can be used as a pun as well as a “double entendre” of the subject” – Wikipedia
What is subtle about Fatpork?
DE CARNIVAL (WE LOVE IT) by Antonio Rudder is refreshing to listen to.
I like the drumming.
@Hants
Agreed, obvious his father’s influence showing. It is one of the better productions for the season so far. It is ‘different’.
This one for Baffy and Hants, you guys seem to be ‘bumpa’ experts.
David I have lower moral standards than you and I like the song.
As we do in North America a radio edited version can be recorded for those with higher moral standards.
For the record I have eaten a lot of Fat pork. Even drove down St.Andrew fuh some.
I have also eaten bacon.
I will leave it to you to decide if I am using double entendre or stating facts.
Peter Ram can do better than this Crankment Bumpa crap but I have to accept that a lot of Bajans like this type of soca.
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