Is Kaiso on its death bed?
If you missed the Clash of the Legends Calypso Concert held at Aleeze Convention Center on November 2, 2025, you missed perhaps the best calypso show we have witnessed on the island in a very long time. So, why then would I ask if Kaiso was on its death bed?
As an unrepentant and unapologetic lover of Kaiso, I was very happy and surprised to see that practically all the seats had been taken by the time I got to the venue. Happy for the organizers - Radio St. Martin 101.5 FM which was celebrating its 40th anniversary. And surprised that so many people had braved the inclement weather to attend the show. And I’m sure they got more than their money’s worth.
From beginning to end, it was pure magic, starting with an excellent line up that brought consummate practitioners of the art form from the land of Calypso itself- Trinidad - to face off with some of the most iconic exponents of the genre in St. Martin. They did not disappoint. In fact, they all brought their A-game to the stage.
Every aspect of the show was exceptional. The band - led by Funk Gumbs - was made up of the creme de la creme of the St. Martin music scene. The five-man horn section sounded like the legendary horns of Gilberto Santa Rosa, of Kassav and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires all rolled into one. With Freddie “Ringo Starr” York on the drums. and a rhythm section led by the inimitable “Bases”, and the maestro himself, Funk, on the keyboards, the band sounded better than some of the prerecorded tracks that were played at the event.
Of course, how can I forget the celestial back up singers - two outstanding female voices that sounded like a heavenly chorus. There were times I didn’t want them to stop singing.
The Trinidad contingent was led by a man whose height is no more than a small measurement of his talent: The Pink Panther. The funny theatrics of Mr. Mack, the robotic movements of Trinidad Rio, the boisterous energy of Natasha Richardson- the only female kaisonian in the show - and the classy voice and lyrics of Cro-Cro, we were all reminded of why Trinidad is the birthplace of Kaiso. They brought love and received the untainted love of their St. Martin fans.
On the home side, you know that whenever you have King TMO, King Beau Beau, Emperor Brat, and King Fish on the same stage, the roof will come tumbling down. They were on fire!! Thank God they were not competing for a crown! Maybe they should have added Queen Shakiya to the roster to balance off the line up and make the roosters check their clocks.
They took us on Memory Lane, back to half a century ago, back to Kaiso Genius’ first hit - Fire in the town- about the burning of the then Government Administration building- a tune that won him the crown. It was very encouraging and symbolic, at the same time, that Genius performed the song in a duet with former Junior Calypso King, JP whose stage presence and voice point to a promising career ahead. The recognition of Genius was well deserved and signaled the passing of the baton.
Similarly, Pink Panther was recognized for his enduring 50 years in the calypso field. The commemorative plaque he received from Radio St. Martin at the hands of its managing director, “Cuchi” Hunt, continued a string of awards at home and abroad for the veteran singer/songwriter. This year is certainly the Year of the Pink Panther!
In between each act, there was another show-topping act. The MC, Fernando Clark, the Philosopher of Humor, was at his raucous best. He had the entire hall in stitches throughout the night, confirming that he is not only a crowd favorite but also a clever observer of human nature. He even sang!! And had the audience singing with him too!! Now, that in itself is a feat considering that God did not endow him with a singing voice. I guess he thinks if Hammer can do it, he can do it too.
But truth be told, I know nobody with a deeper knowledge of the history of calypso on the island (and beyond) than Mr. Clark. He owes the island and posterity a book chronicling the evolution of calypso on St. Martin. Oh, and may I seize this opportunity to dispel all the rumors he has deliberately been circulating about me writing his jokes: I have never had and still don’t have anything to do with it. He will win a lying contest with that story.
Maybe that’s why he picked on my innocent self all night. I promise I will never again sit anywhere near the front row when Fernando is on stage. I should have known better, though, but all the seats in the back had been taken. Imagine him pitting me against King Beau Beau to whine!! Of course, I ain’t stupid; I didn’t take the bait. ‘Tis kill he wan’ kill meh! I know my limitations and I sure know Inain’t that young in the waist anymore!
And when the show was over, and people were going to pick up a square box with a round baked dough inside, sliced into rectangles with cheese and pepperoni toppings, my better half turned to me and said: “Do you realize that it is only at wakes and funerals that you meet people like this that you haven’t seen in ages?”
The comparison hit me like a bullet. Indeed, did we just attend a wake or funeral for Mr. and/or Mrs. Kaiso? I could hardly count anyone below 40 years old among the attendees. It seemed as if the average age of those present was about 60. Is Kaiso therefore only for seniors? Is it for “Old People” as the youth would say? If so, how much longer does it have to live?
Granted it has a strong life support in Carnival. But even in that premier fete, it is more or less the same demographic you will find at the calypso monarch competitions, at least in St. Martin. Why is this so?
First of all, the fact that calypso seems to be confined to the carnival season doesn’t help much. To be considered a seasonal genre - like Christmas carols - is not the best way to get the younger generation involved in it.
Also, during the carnival season, calypso is all about competition. And as much as we love the braggadocio of calypsonians, “sharing blows” does not necessarily make for a long term development of the genre. It is not a stick fight.
The way I understand it, Calypso is not a musical fad, either. It is a serious, storytelling art form with African traditions in its DNA but with firm roots in the soil of the Caribbean where it grew on the plantations. Like every art form, it has its structure and requires creative discipline and profound knowledge for its practitioners to excel.
For me, it is not a coincidence that the Golden Age of Kaiso - with the likes of Sparrow, Kitchener, Shadow, Chalkdust, et al- was the same period of what we can also call the Golden Age of Caribbean Literature which gave us a harvest of talent unparalleled at any time before or after. Derek Walcott, George Lamming, Earl Lovelace, Kamau Brathwaite, V. S. Naipul, etc were contemporaries of the giants of Kaiso. It may be a common feature of Golden Ages that we have a flourishing of talents across various art forms, but certainly the correlation I am suggesting needs further study.
The question we must now ask ourselves is why the younger generation seems to have gravitated more towards hip-hop, rap and other “foreign” musical genres rather than to calypso.
In my view, they do not hear enough of Kaiso. Outside carnival you seldom hear calypso on the radio. It can therefore not grow on them like the “foreign” styles.
Furthermore, Soca seems to have nailed kaiso’s coffin, even though some would say that soca evolved from calypso. Is soca modern calypso then? For some of us purists, that is like mixing coffee with cocoa tea (apologies to Kes)! A good, strong coffee is a delectable beverage on its own that needs no other beverage to turn it into a palatable, hybrid drink. Coffee is coffee and cocoa tea is cocoa tea! Kaiso is Kaiso and Soca is Soca!
So, can Kaiso be resuscitated? Can it survive on its own without a prolonged stay in the ICU of carnival festivities? I want to believe that it can. But then we’ll have to see more concerts like Sunday’s clash of the legends, where humor, entertainment and the pure joy of excellent performances combine to create a memorable atmosphere of collective excitement- rain or no rain.