Picks of de Crop

Karaoke is clearly the most popular form of entertainment among bajans as King I Web illustrates...photo credit barbadostoday.bb

The Judges decision is questionable...
I should hope to arrange an interview with Dr. Agard chief judge for this year's Pic-o-de-Crop competition. After this is should be able to answer the following questions for myself and all and sundry who read this blog. 

1. If judging of a song is done during and completed immediately after a performance, and said results are immediately collected from each judge-with no deliberation- and placed in a sealed envelope bearing the name of the performer, should that not be immediately passed to the auditor for tabulation?
2. Based on the latter premise of the former question, would this not mean that the only score to be tallied would be that of the final performer after he or she has performed?
3.  Based on the latter premise of the former question, should results then be available within 20 minutes maximum of the ending of the competition?

I am not being facetious here, I honestly want that aspect of the judging explained to me...the others maybe too shareholderised-past tense verb of shareholderism, to be explored in a later post-for my irrational kaiso brain to comprehend.

It would appear to me, based on my own observations that the longer the results take to emerge...the more inexplicable they become...often leaving a greater part of the audience wondering if the judges had been watching some other competition besides the one we had all seen. Last night's show ended according to my timepiece ended at 3 minutes past 12 with results emerging at around 12 minutes to one...if my math serves me correct that is 45 minutes taken to tally scores from professional auditors...of course they must recount etc. for surety...but based on my earlier questions...seems a bit long, my Q and A with Dr. Agard is a must.

My Picks...

My expected top three before the final based on a combination of semi-final performances, anticipation of the defending monarchs charisma and presence and judgements of the past suggested to me that Ian Webster would retain 1st,with Crystal Cummings Beckles a closer 2nd than last year and Blood still not knowing how to win in 3rd. After viewing the competition, based on their performances and judgements of the past-you done know agendas operate for and against various calypsonians-my top three was almost unchanged but I thought Blood had bested the monarch. Ian Webster's Still My Home intentionally sombre and reflective I can appreciate, came directly before Blood's Hold on together which was essentially more of the same but packaged more optimistically and solution oriented...I thought this song lyrically, performance wise and also based on crowd response and that dramatic ending did it better. The question would be, had Webster scored highly enough in his Karaoke Song compared to Blood to still hold on to the title.I f crowd response was anything to go by-he absolutely flattened Kensington with big people running bout like dem was inna playpark-he certainly had, I had my own reservations about how the constructing choruses using unoriginal melodies and lyrics would impact his scorecard, so Blood whose I don't know how to Win was no frills and well executed was in with a shout especially since Webster's voice started to crack in his latter performance.

Crystal Cummings Beckles had delivered, but for some strange reason her first half offering Enough is Enough which dealt with the topical violence against women issue the best of any calypso this season was not as impactful as it was at the semis or arguably Headliner's judging night, I cant explain it but it just lacked oomph. On the strength of those aforementioned performances...Queen Rita coming home could have forshadowed the crowning of a new queen. Her transormation of Another View into a defense of Mia Mottley was admirable and vaguely reminiscent of TC stating Dame Billie's case in Woman in Front. Her 'good night ladies' however was enough is enough, the woman agenda was overdone.

Kaiso, Kaiso...

Based on performances and my own observations and interpretations of calypso and competition...Announcer The Man they Love to Hate won my first half. I think he should have left AC for his Second Song and stuck with party politics...for many, myself included the verse about AC knowing the second song would share more licks was unnecessary and weakened that offering by straying off topic. The entertainment value however, of Ronnie's sharp wit, and lyrical prowess was unmatched on the night -I am also a fan of the unapologetic Cro Cro as well. Kid Site his first time at a final for sometime was in good form and had two songs each strong enough on its own. His performances were vintage Kid Site-circa 3peat-but his diction suffered a lot especially in his second performance. Site needs to fix this now obvious problem which is seriously affecting his ability to effectively render a calypso. That said he was still in my top 5 at the end of the night as was Miguel. On his first time at the big yard Miguel ignored all the politics and jibes and gave to nearly flawless rendition of his calypsos. For me Miguel's strong point was his rendition, I found Gun Town to be musically unsuited to the lyrical content but his presentation was on point here too. Lobbying for a Jury I liked more and showed his improving ability to phrase and not just sing calypso well but was a bit dry and some parts of the story development did not work for me-which extra-regional jury member would know 10 calypsos before 1982? That aside he was good enough for my top 5 or a close 6th but maybe he was sixth, who knows? 

This announcing only the top 5 is suitable for Junior Monarch but unnecessary and insulting to paying patrons at this level and gives room for more inexplicable irregularities and speculation in the results. That said I had Blood at 1. Webster 2. Announcer 3/4. Crystal 3/4. Kid Site 5.

AC/Fan Breeze...

I was not impressed by AC in either performance even though Calypso MP as are all of AC's performances well rendered and the presentation though he was too much of the set for me worked well. The song Calypso MP could have been more of an ode to calypso without any attempts to mention politics or respond to Announcer in which he was below par. Below par is what I and a significant number of patrons must have thought of AC's seemingly hurriedly put together Tribute to Fans -or whatever it was called-as they began walking out after realising no improvement after verse 1. The song's repetitive lyrics and video presentation with pictures of fans seemingly at a concert in Europe based on their hue surrounded by the word fans in bold print with exaggerated exclamation marks interchanged with pictures of fireworks cemented in my mind that this was Adrian Clarke's begging song. It would appear based on his shocking second place finish that the AC has some fans among the judges -or tabulators or whoever manipulates the final results...

Kaiso Sweet, Sweet, Sweet...

I  am sorry I had no place for Biggie in this competition period but as expected he rendered well and makes excellent use of his dancers and props which are a necessity in soca competitions but there was no way I placed him before guys that rendered genuine calypso on the night. I missed Mikey and Classic in the first half but I like Turn Up the Love but having missed it at semis too, Iv'e never seen it performed live so decline further comment beyond saying it is certainly not a traditional calypso and I dislike the use of sampling and certain types of synthesizer instrumentation in this type of calypso. That said I think his presentation of Time for We was too Broadway and must have offended purists with its strong latin overtones, costuming and choreography included-not the same as Ole Ashe. Classic was okay in the repetitive Freundel Nose which I hope does not usher in a trend of abandoning band choruses in calypsos-I do not like it at all. On that note Adonijah who always has great classic brassy calypsos, strong lyrics and silky smooth rendition would have made my final before a few mentioned in this paragraph. Serenader I may have swapped with Classic whose Outta Wuk was similarly repetitive and upbeat like Freundel Knows-I did that on purpose-and I would have love to see the presentation for Fine Ants on de Pork, it would have been Crispy...lol!

The Judges decision is final...

It is what it is Announcer, Kid Site, Miguel and Blood must feel hard done, Biggie and AC should be pleasantly surprised but it is what it is.

That said all of the songs and performances were fairly well planned and executed but some better than others...congrats to the King Ian Webster!