Anything fuh de Pic o de Crop?

I DO NOT BELIEVE SWEET SOCA SHOULD BE IN THE PIC O DE CROP...let me clarify that statement a bit...I do not question bpm...lyrical content is my issue...There are some songs such as Biggie Irie's My Island (2015) which due to lyrical content would be relevant in a Pic o de Crop context however his Sweet Type of Way (2015) which was offered at the semis well made my point as kaiso fans sat stunned enduring lyrics such as   "gal the way u bubble up like sprite" it was simply out of context.

Former International Groovy Soca and National Sweet Soca monarch
 Biggie Irie has now become a fixture in the Pic-o-de Crop Competition

Red Plastic Bag has done it...but as much of a dance moves and all "party song" (pun intended) as La La (2010) was, it was a relevant social commentary. Fetin (2012) however was not and I do not believe should have been in the Pic-o-de-Crop. Do not get me wrong Sparrow et al have sung many a smutty calypso, competition or not and "party songs" are no  stranger to Pic o de Crop competition;  Rock in Ethiopia (1981) Cant' Find me Brother (1987) -both Road March winners- Jump and Wave (1994). However  these songs came at a time when, Road March aside Pic o de Crop was the only calypso competition. Therefore they were competition material and appropriate in that context.





In 1995 all that changed with the new Party Monarch contest and  Edwin (see what I did there). That competition was intended to cater to songs with more of an emphasis on party and to meet the changing tastes of a new generation of Crop Over/Calypso supporters. Twenty years on the lyrical content of party music has "devolved" into the drinks, road and bumpa songs of today. The lyrical content of these songs perhaps best reflects the vain, materialistic and escapist attitudes which now pervade. So yes Edwin won Pic o de Crop with a "licking down" 140 bpm plus party song Oba (1995) and attempted to defend with Down De Road (1996) but when one examines the lyrical content of both songs my point is well made. Based on lyrical content they are still very much social commentaries and despite their musical treatment and tempo are still very much relevant to a competition like Pic-o-de-Crop. Like RPB's now classic Party Monarch offering Something's Happening (2009)-which paired with Home Drums(2009) won the Pic-o-de-Crop competition-its lyrical content made it very much a social commentary.

Lyrical content however is not all. They are some songs which as a result of their musical treatment I would deem inappropriate for Pic-o-de-Crop. Take for example Salt's Dah is Wuh Um Is(2015) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYsE2NL14Kc . Despite perhaps arguably the most biting social commentary of 2015 it is essentially on a dancehall 'riddim'.-I will get to Kid Site's Zr.Van Driver(2006) another time- Though you could argue its a part of the emerging "Bashment Soca" culture which I believe has its place,I also think that Pic o de Crop should remain a calypso competition which it traditionally has been.

The question then is how do we keep 'Sweet Soca's' such as Mikey's -melodically sweet and brilliant harmonies-Somethings Never Change(2015) out of the Pic-o-de-Crop. I found the "we mashing up everywhere ...we fete till morning appear" lyrics very inappropriate at the semi finals...it was not a party to be mashed up.  Bpm is obviously out of the question  as Adrian Clarke's Freundel Ain't Saying Nuttin (2011) qualified for that year's Sweet Soca Competition as many other commentaries -including Sir Don's Tom Say (c.1970's)-would on bpms alone. It would be extremely difficult to have criteria speak to lyrics. As has been mentioned with Something's Happening there can be lyrical content which renders the song relevant within  both party and commentary contexts. Of course with double entendre a cleverly written song can have all the lyrics of a party song but be a biting commentary as well. So lyrics is out of the door but not completely. It must then be left to the interpretation of the judges whether the lyrics being presented are suitable for the competition/context in which they are being heard. If you would not find an out and out kaiso in Sweet Soca or Party Monarch contests then you should not find an out and out party song in Pic-o-de-Crop. 

On that score kudos to the NCF for tightening up the rules with a song now being eligible for only one competition. The material in Party Monarch is much different from what obtained in the 90's when social comment was still being made in uptempo socas, that being the case I believe the segmentation of the sub genres of calypso for competition purposes is necessary. If there be a need for additional "entertainment" at the Pic-o-de-Crop invite the Sweet Soca and Party Monarch winners to perform as was the case with the latter this year...throw in the King and Queens of the Band at intermission-as has been done before-as Cohobblopot has now stopped bubbling...One Love!!

Roy Byer-HLWLO-his legacy will live on...

This photo c.1989-91 was snapped while doing research on calypso in the video archives.

'The Chief Gladiator Byer/could run de show up at culture/Anyone who knows him will say its true/he document more culture than you'-These lyrics from Jah Stone's Pic-O-de-Crop contribution c.2008-9 are in fact, as they were then, a fitting description now epitaph of the tremendous contribution of Roy Byer to the cultural continuum of Barbados Today. The 'you' to which Jah Stone referred was the NCF and while the judges of the day did not find favour with Stone's scathing indictment against them, few could deny that it was a stirring tribute to Peter Roy Byer...more affectionately known as Roy Byer -pronounced Baa-er/uh. Byer was also immortalised unwittingly in song before. Frank Sinatra's 'I did it my way' readily leaps to mind when I reminisce of the Roy Byer I knew and had a great appreciation for. He was a man who was never afraid to speak his mind to friend or foe with little fear or seeming care of repercussion. Perhaps some found this not to be his most endearing characteristic but it was a characteristic which earned him much respect and admiration-If in need of an honest opinion ask Roy Byer.

Love and Chance...
However despite his often brutal honesty Byer was a man who truly loved Calypso and the culture of Barbados and did whatever he could to preserve and develop it. He was the man who took a chance on so many a calypsonian many of whom have gone onward to much fame and acclaim-there first invitation to the stage came from Roy Byer. At his beloved Village Gate, Byer worked tirelessly with the help of others-many who would come and go with the seasons and a select few who stuck in for the long haul-to give the opportunity to  stand and be counted among these vying for the Pic-O-de-Crop to those who had no chance of doing so in a 'big tent.' These performers were without 'name' but brought fresh talent with which Byer was more concerned with harnessing for the development of the art form and took a chance on them. The results of these  ventures were often not box office successes, but rather they laid the foundations for many firsts in Calypso which can only redound to the benefit of the artform, its exponents and its fans.

Innovator...
Byer was an innovator not afraid to take chances and try new ideas, he hosted an all female tent with an exclusively female cast and also put together an all female band. Most recently he embraced the VIP-visually impaired-calypsonians and welcomed them into mainstream Crop Over activities. Though none of them made it past preliminary judging it was a special honour to see Size Two represent the Kingdom of the Super Gladiators when he guest performed during the 2014 Pic-O-de-Crop finals. Sadly, this would be Byer's last direct contribution to that contest, but surely it has opened the door for the differently-able community to come into the mainstream of Crop Over celebrations.

Of Note...
While Byer was never one to blow his own trumpet, many a trumpeter, saxophonist, trombonist, bass player, guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and drummer got their first experience of the'tent' onstage at the Village Gate. Byer's philosophy was simple 'What was the sense of producing high quality musicians annually and not give them the opportunity to expose their talents and hone their skills-The Super Gladiators tent band with ONLY TWO members over 30, won the tent band of the year for Crop Over 2014. Most of the members are 25 and under including the band leader.

HLWLO...
I could go on about Byer's forays into Calypso; The Kingdom of The Super Gladiators and underdog but 25 years on still as tenacious as ever after many a 'top dog's' demise...  his production of a 'King of Kings' competition in the 1980's which invited the top calypso talent in the world to do battle in Barbados. Rather I will end with the refrain of Jah Stone's chorus;
'I am qualified to do what I'm here to do/ ask your conscience are you qualified too'
Roy Byer qualified...May his legacy live on in many calypsos to come...Roy Byer, gone but never forgotten...HLWLO...

Separate and Distinct-Pic-O-de-Crop, Sweet Soca and Party

SO...
I missed the NCF'S meeting for Calypso stakeholders to share ideas on the improvement of Calypso competitions and the like recently held at the Queen's Park Steel Shed...let me appluad the NCF for their efforts to get the perspective of the stakeholders and interested parties as we aim to to take our national festival to the next level...while we appreciate the visitors-Nuff Bajan Yankkes included- that patronise the festival...Crop Over is we ting.

TWO CENTS WORTH...
My humble contribution to the discussion would have been as follows...No song taking part in the Sweet Soca or Party Monarch competitions should be allowed in the Pic-O-de Crop.
My reasoning for this is simple...
I applaud the NCF for their 1995 introduction of the Party Monarch Competition;
1.Musically, calypso and its exponents needed to be given the green light to experiment within the then burgeoning soca genre and then there was Ringbang as well...The content, tempo and performance of these songs was certainly not what was expected in the alleged Calypso Monarch contest known as Pic-O-de-Crop a name which some argue is highly problematic as it renders the purpose and content of the competition debatable...
2.Demographics change and a younger, more energetic, less subtle generation was emerging...they and their artistes-NEW TALENT-and modes of expression would be surely stifled within the confines of Pic-O-de Crop...but still, Edwin Yearwood-then dubbed 'voice of the youth' won the said Pic-O-de Crop competition with the same song he captured the inaugural Party Monarch with earlier that season...While this is true and this scenario would repeat itself with the first Sweet Soca contest, Edwin's ode to Obadele was as much a party song as it was a social commentary applauding and praising Barbados' then newest folk hero Obadele Thompson, who, like Edwin was another fine example of the talent which existed in Barbados' youth.
3.From a marketing/economic standpoint...the Party Monarch competition was the perfect solution for what the younger audience demanded and, with the emphasis on partying, must have been more appealing to younger visitors to the island as well...The perennial 20,000 strong crowd that attended Party Monarch during its heyday at the 'Calypso Bowl' on East Coast Road must have resulted in a highly profitable gate receipt.
The reasons for the introduction of the Party Monarch surely go beyond these 3 points but in my view these are the essential reasons for the creation of a Party Monarch as a separate contest to Pic-O-de Crop, despite that inclusive of Edwin's triumph, calypsonians would occasionally share a song between the two contests.
I applauded the NCF for the introduction of the Sweet Soca competition in 2009;
1.Ragga Soca as it was known hitherto in Barbados and Groovy Soca it was called in Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere in the region had  grown in popularity with the audience-some of whom were of the first soca generation who no longer had the desire to 'wuk up' at 140 bpms...They groovier, easier on the ears  and waist with a laid back tempo  was what the audience now demanded.
2.Musically speaking, the Groovy Socas lent themselves more to experimentation and arrangement and instrumentation with a greater emphasis on melody and singability as opposed to the party soca that places great emphasis on the rhythm the ability to follow instructions and the enegery levels of both performer and audience...The interpretations of our favoutite 'sweet' socas in competition are annual reminder of the arranging and performing genius of many of our talented musicians...both established and upcoming...
3.From a marketing/economic standpoint...the Sweet Soca  competition was a needed boost to the Party Monarch competition that had begun to lose its appeal, especially with the 'older' younger crowd who would attend Sweet Soca but no longer really interested in the Party monarch.
But depsite the realization that the groovy socas were now in demand and needed to be given the opportunity to grow and stand out in competition as opposed to fighting against the uptempo socas which were sure to beat them on crowd response ...TC won the first Sweet Soca contest with Hot Sun and Riddim which captured her first Party Monarch win that same evening beating Natahlee Burke's This is What we Do into second in both conests. Surely somewhere the NCF had got it wrong allowing the same songs to be entered in both competitions...Certainly critics were entitled to argue that the Sweet Soca competition was not necessary as Ragga socas could hold their own among the uptempo party songs...this was promptly corrected the following year with the socas being limited to one competition and further limited with the imposition of a tempo limit for sweet soca which perhaps stopped the competition from being used as a second chance for their soca tune...Though that was the exception to the rule...
Another problem occurred.; artistes were given the opportunity to compete against themselves in the Sweet Soca and Party Monarch contests...while I agree it strengthens the interest in the contest and potential gate receipts and arguably performances I find this problematic as well and will discuss in depth in my next post...
My point however is simply that the NCF created new competitions to cater to the demands of changing demographics and to promote experimentation and evolution within the Calypso genre...why then do we continue to allow Sweet Soca and Party Monarch tunes to infiltrate the Pic-O-de-Crop despite boasting their own purpose made competitions...Traditional calypso perhaps more now than ever needs an impetus to continue and this policy of Anything goes for the Pic-O-De Crop wll certianly faster lead Kaiso's demise.
A Pic-O-de-Crop where emphasis returns to traditional kaiso will certainly help to keep Junior Monarch's and ointerested in Calypso...One song per competition and two orginal calypsos for the pic o compeitiion

Defining Calypso Pt.2

Wha I feel um is...

Reigning Calypso monarchs...The Might Gabby and Apollo c.2010...a year they were both crowned as Calypso monarchs Nationally and at UWI respectively.

In the previous post I utilised previous research to given insight into the origins of the Calypso as well as attempting to define it and its functions. Below I wish to offer a more technical and detailed definition of Calypso.

In my  analysis...
In my interpretation based upon existing research, theories, definitions and my own research and observations I choose to define Calypso as follows.

Calypso...

• A genre of music common throughout the English Speaking Caribbean characterised by a syncopated rhythm, call and response singing style and unique-for lack of a better term-phrasing of lyrics.
• Calypso content is often characterised by one or more of the following; topical, critical, lamenting, humorous, fantasy, celebratory, party...

Kaiso...

• Kaiso is the sub genre of Calypso which is characterised by the nature of its content being topical, critical and lamenting but can also be humourous, celebratory or fantasy
• Kaiso more specifically focuses on the delivery of topical, social and or political commentary and uses the aforesaid styles to present its content...
• Kaiso is often delivered with a slow to medium tempo, ranging from slow laboured tempos from around 69 bpms to the bouncier-often-sing along-120 bpms but cannot be strictly defined by tempo.

Soca...

• Soca is the sub genre of Calypso which is characterised by the nature of its content being celebratory and party oriented-especially in recent times-but are often topical, and employ fantasy and humour
• Soca more specifically focuses on the delivery of party and dance floor anthems and since the early 90's has often been characterized lyrically by instructions given to its listeners to; jump,wave,wine, grind, juck, wuk,pooch back etc, 

• It's lyrics are often highly sexualised focusing on the interaction of its female and male listeners  in their physical interpretation of the songs. 
• The 'rum' culture of the caribbean is also usually heavily endorsed in the content of these songs as well.
• Soca is often delivered from around a groovy 100 bpms to a frenetic pulsating,140-160 bpms and syncopation of the rhythm is key. The uptempo nature of Soca emphasises its dance-ability.                                                                                                                                                                         

The above represents a very basic, somewhat limited preliminary analysis of the genre of Calypso.The major points I wish to emphasise here however, are;

1. syncopation of the rhythm and call and response phrasing/nature of the vocal delivery
2. Identifying Kaiso- characterised by its commentary on social and political issues and its generally slower tempo -as a sub genre of Calypso
3. Identifying Soca -characterised by its emphasis on partying and celebration and its generally medium to fast tempo and resultant dance appeal as a sub genre of Calypso.

The grasping of these definitions will assist in the understanding of my further analysis and observations of Calypso in Barbados and the region.

Defining Calypso Pt.1

Wha um really is...

Album cover featuring some pioneers of the Calypso...humour is already evident-third from left

What is Calypso and what is not? This can be a challenging question to answer. In the excerpt below I intend to share my findings from a previous study to explore the origin  and  assist in defining the art form of Calypso. These findings should be kept in mind for part two of this post which will attempt to offer more technical and detailed definitions of the art form based on my own research, observation, analysis and conclusions.

The following is an edited excerpt from the draft of Chapter 2 of my undergraduate B.A  thesis.        

Power to the People: Calypso and the development of mass Political Consciousness In Post - Independent Barbados 

The most widely accepted view of the origin of the term for the music now known simultaneously as calypso or kaiso is explained by Warner as follows: “The West African (Hausa) term “kaiso, itself a corruption of “kaito” an expression similar to “bravo”… this derivation finds the most favour and has also survived alongside its derivation calypso.”[1] According to Warner, this origin was endorsed by the knowledgeable pioneer calypsonian and calypso scholar Raymond Quevedo sobriquet Atiila the Hun. The offering of praise for a good performance of calypso still manifests itself in shouts of “kaiso! kaiso!” from appreciative audiences in a contemporary context. This Warner explains by the contemporary use of the term kaiso to identify “genuine” calypsos. “There has been in some circles a favouring of the term kaisonian to designate one who sings “genuine calypsos, as opposed to calypsonian for the run -of -the -mill.”[2] What is most important to note here, is that whatever the , the terms kaiso and calypso are largely used interchangeably and shall be so used throughout this study. There are a few other explanations offered for the origins of the term calypso such as the dismissed connection the Greek goddess of the same name. These theories are not necessary to consider in this study. We shall however attempt to define the calypso and its function.

The calypso has a variety of functions some of which it performs simultaneously. Perhaps the best definition of the calypso comes from the calypsonians themselves. The first four lines of David Rudder’s 1987 composition ‘Calypso Music’ should give us a good idea of the diversity of the functions of calypso:

It is a living vibration

Rooted deep within my Caribbean belly

Lyrics to make a politician cringe

Or turn a woman’s body into jelly [3]

Rudder’s calypso obviously does not detail all the functions of the calypso but in true calypso fashion sums up the varying themes expressed in calypso by reducing it to its extremes, in this case political protest and festivity. This trend we shall observe throughout this study. It is without doubt that it is entirely possible to identify the functions of calypso by stringing lines of various calypsos together. Such a novel experiment however, will not be attempted here. That is said to say that the calypso is quite capable of speaking for itself.

Legendary calypsonian Alric Farrel sobriquet The Lord Pretender, linked the functions of the West Indian calypso with the roles performed by the West African Griot. This is not unlike our findings between the African Oral tradition, folk music and the calypso in the previous chapter. Pretender’s observation further strengthens this connection. According to Pretender, the calypsonian “ he saw as men who had followed the African griot tradition of praise singing, storytelling and documenting the history of his people…gave praises where due and derided those who opposed the values that the society held dear.”[4]

---

[1] Keith Warner, Kaiso: The Trinidad Calypso a study of the calypso as oral literature. Washington D.C: Three Continents Press.1982.8

[2] Keith Warner, Kaiso: The Trinidad Calypso a study of the calypso as oral literature. Washington D.C: Three Continents Press.1982.8

[3] David Rudder, ‘Calypso Music’

[4] Hollis, Liverpool. From The Horse’s Mouth: Stories of the History and Development of the Calypso. Port of Spain: Juba Publications,2003.94

Who de cat like he lick! Scene 2.

An anonymous calypsonian...is to the tent what Cinderella was to the house...her Stepsisters held shares

The Big Yard...
Here is where shareholderism is at its peak...selection to do battle in this Big Yard can be guaranteed to a shareholder even in a year when his material is ordinary at best...crowd response plays a bag...biggie...big role here-i almost said something true-here. With highly shareholderised shareholders the mere mention of the name is enough to illicit similar, crowd response of a hard working, crowd pleasing no name performer. Having reached the final with substandard calypsos...the shareholder makes up for his scarcity, often with camouflage tactics which may come across as impressive-or desperate-such as introducing a new song-which will never be seen or heard beyond that performance...lyrics probably being forgotten by the performer themselves during or before the presentation ceremony - that will give the judges an excuse for giving said shareholder an often undeserved high position-even a crown-that would not have been possible if they had performed the  two songs which brought them there, which were publicly acknowledged not to be strong enough to give them a serious chance at landing a  place in the...

Top Four...
This is often the domain of the most shareholderlific shareholder calypsonians with fourth being the default position of a defending monarch who does not place second. A defending monarch placing lower down the order was clearly not significantly shareholderified and can have their reign called into question or be deemed as lucky that a specific shareholder was absent when they won...on the contrary they may actually have simply been/had the best on that particular occasion despite there lack of shareholderocity. A single calypso crown is a clear sign of lack of shareholderishness. 

The top four is often reserved for the;

1. Shareholders who failed to impress in their performance but their shareholderocity disallows them placing fifth or below in any competition...
2. Shareholders who have less shareholderocity than other shareholders in said competition...
3. Calypsonians who were actually good enough for the win but due to their lack of having experienced shareholderfication will not be given their due or...
4. A young and or female calypsonian performing well and being given token representation to appease the 'unfair  because dem is a woman /dem is a youngster' comment from the audience they impressed... or simlarly a young and or female competitor who was actually good enough to win the crown but failed to do so due to a lack of shareholderishness or the presence of highly shareholderified shareholders who it would be unfathomable for them to defeat...
5. The in your face, too controversial, straight talking, often authentic calypso spouting calypsonian's calypsonian, who despite consistency often unmatched by shareholders, will never win the crown as a result of their political incorrectness and inability to call a spade a shovel...deemed as a public relations risk not fit for national representation as a result and therefore never considered for shareholderisation despite their undeniable talent of composing and rendering authentic calypso

The Crown...

Finally the most sharholderified shareholder can win the crown in inexplicable circumstances such as;

1. Forgetting/mumbling/repeating lyrics or entire verses.
2. Returning after a multiyear absence from competition-which is good for ticket sales.
3. Being given the chance to perform their song for a second time after some unexpected often fortuitous technical glitch/Abandonment of a competition they could not win.
4. Gaining a quarter of a point or less over  their opponent who erstwhile had clearly won the competition.
5. Performing a song pundits deemed to be a genre other than calypso.
6. Performing a soca made popular often by winning a previous competition that same year.
7. Performing calypsos deemed to be unoriginal or too familiar with respect to melody-warmed over from the year before and the one before that etc.-or unoriginal lyrics borrowed from other songs more akin to karaoke than calypso performance
8. Having earned a knickname which instantly gives you maximum points in the highest scoring criteria...

If uh sweet uh sweet!

Who de cat like he lick! Scene 1.

'Mavis say/ this year she expect to see/ Crop Over without Controversy/ well that is like this band without de brass/I does gotta laff '-Mr.Dale, Therapy c. 2005

If your name isn't called in 3 tries they have  no idea!

Controversy...
To all those who are complaining that those of us still complaining about Crop Over and its myriad competitions aint gonna change anything guess what...that is part of the festival due to the nature of competitions and frankly debate, discussion is healthy and confession is good for the soul. That said in my next few posts I will explain a few of my key concepts regarding Calypso in Barbados and elsewhere...remember these are my interpretations feel free to agree or agree to disagree. Some are research  and analysis based and some are my own hypotheses based upon observation and hearsay. Tonite being a funny day I TACKLE THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL....

SHAREHOLDERISM...
The term shareholder with reference to someone other than an actual individual owning or 'holding' shares in a company is not a concept I claim to have created and is certainly not unique to Barbados far less calypso competitions...thus why I have opted to coin the term shareholderism-and a few others-to refer specifically to the perceived favour bestowed upon some calypsonians -and bandleaders- when they enter National competitions in Barbados.

No Sport...
To draw a reference from the sporting arena...a shareholder may be an outstanding and often longstanding athlete in their chosen discipline. As a result their selection in a team though not merited on then current performance is to be expected and tolerated none the less, regardless of the existence of brighter talent or better options. They are also expected to enjoy extended lenience and often benefit-sometimes to inexplicable proportions-from refereeing/umpiring decisions or matters which require arbitration from the sports governing body or senior officials, often at the expense of less favoured teams or players. This leads to an air of invincibility around these athletes which is often endorsed by a gullible, unsuspecting or not interested enough public. Anyone, usually opponents or those with the gift of objectivity who 'blows the whistle on any preferential treatment given to the 'shareholders' are labelled as envious, bad minded, jealous and or bitter. In truth these persons may experience some of the aforementioned feelings and often refrain from comment on shareholderism for fear of public ridicule whether or not they have made a fair observation or not.The results of this silence can be extremely dangerous as refusing to call a spade just that, can be used against that whistle blower if  later a similar claim is made. As a result the whistle blower can be denied is due when it is deserved or the shareholder may receive unwarranted acclaim

Pic-who-ya -want...
In Barbados Calypso competitions are invariably shrouded in controversy...of course everyone has their favourites and disagreements are to be expected especially when attempting to objectively judge the very subjective that is performance art...but it seems more often than not, someone is included and someone is left out which seems to defy all logic...When this occurs shareholderism can be the cause.The calypsonian in question need not be a shareholder themselves but maybe a member of a shareholderised 'big tent'-more on this later-akin to being a new member of Manchester United FC benefiting from the Club's shareholderism and thereby undergoing temporary shareholerisation themselves. In Bajan calypso this is a common occurrence at the semi-finals...

Pic-wha-ya-feel
Another example of this might be the selection of a person or persons performing material seemingly outside of the genre of calypso and having no penalty affixed despite non shareholderified performers having attempted similar stunts prior but without similar success.These songs often make it all the way to the finals of the competition especially if the performers is sufficiently popular to create a spectacle-and sell tickets even if the song is not calypso-could be a soca sounding sweet or a poor attempt at calypso...but that is why the competition which makes no explicit reference to calypso can be pejoratively-some argue accurately-referred to as Pick-who-ya-like...