Calypsoes today need more ‘Trinidad Talk’

Senior writer LARA PICKFORD-GORDON got the views of two veteran calypsonians on a sometimes-controversial Carnival Regulations clause

Every year, the President proclaims Carnival under the Public Holidays and Festivals Act, setting the date and time of the observance. Also published are the Carnival Regulations which relate to the Carnival parade and conduct, as well as penalties for breaches.

Clause J of the regulations makes it an offence to “sing or recite any lewd or offensive song”. There are no definitions on what constitutes “lewd” or “offensive”. The argument can be made that the Carnival regulations are antiquated, rooted in a colonial mindset, and aimed at repressing local cultural expression.

In an interview at his Diego Martin home on Friday, February 6, Dr Hollis Liverpool, ‘Chalkdust’, historian, researcher, educator, and calypsonian highlighted an unwritten clause—“the conscience clause”.

“People are listening to you. You have to know children are listening to you and whether you are Catholic or Hindu, you have to know that you are doing something wrong. Your conscience tells you that what you are singing is against the law of God”, the nine-time national Calypso monarch said.

He added that the smutty songs will not align with the Will of God. As a Catholic, Dr Liverpool said he did not want to face God and have to answer for singing them. He added, “To sing smut is a conscience thing”.

Song content is not just governed by Carnival regulations. Chalkdust said, “Whether you are a top calypsonian, you cannot sing certain things because you are singing to an audience. We have laws against that in this country”.

He recalled the case of Rapper DMX (Earl Simmons). The US rapper was arrested in 1999 at a local concert and charged for using obscene language to the annoyance of persons in a party and using violent language.

There have been calypsonians who faced charges for the content of their songs. Dr Liverpool said in the law the burden of proof falls on the singer.

Concealment devices

Calypso has a long history of using double entendre. Dr Liverpool said use of this technique does not give the singer the right to sing smut. Double entendre can be used to sing on many topics such as laws, economics, and history. He stated: “Sparrow (Slinger Francisco) himself sang, ‘London Bridge’ is falling down…London have no bridge falling down, what he meant is the history of London is falling into decay”.

Dr Liverpool explained Calypso is not an artform of the English. “Part of the Calypso is that it must be understood by Trinidadians. It is not an English essay, it is not a sonnet, it is not English-type poetry. According to Duke (Kelvin Pope), ‘it is a feeling that comes from deep within, a tale of joy or one of suffering. It’s an editorial in song of what we undergo, that mauvais langue as it sounds, that is Calypso’”. He added: “It’s not African. It is African by rhythm; it’s Trini by lyrics and tone!”.

Dr Liverpool cited the work of JD (Jacob Delworth) Elder, anthropologist, author, and educator, who wrote about “concealment devices” in Calypso. He said, these are “ways of saying things to prevent them [calypsonians] from making a jail” and the calypsonians who understand the artform know how to employ different devices. Roaring Lion’s (Raphael De Leon) ‘Netty Netty’ (1937) and ‘Bois Bande’ (1965) by Mighty Sparrow used Patois.

Dr Liverpool lamented the absence of “Trinidad Talk”—dialect, colloquialisms in songs. He said, “Many Calypsoes today have no Trinidad talk! They singing for English men.”

He said the English had their own ways of concealment and quoted some bawdy lines from William Shakespeare. Dr Liverpool said, “The Englishman uses figures of speech, the calypsonian also has figures of speech; we colour the language.”

Chalkdust referred to his 2009 Calypso Monarch winning song, ‘My Heart and I’, about the rift between then Prime Minister Dr Patrick Manning and Minister of Trade and Industry Dr Keith Rowley.

On the surface the song seems about a physical heart but the other meaning  references Manning’s support of Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT), executive chairman Calder Hart, whom Rowley raised concerns about. “Spelling, that is another device,” he said.

Dr Liverpool said calypsonians can use metaphors, puns, onomatopoeia, irony, simile, innuendos and alliterations. He went on to state that many however, feel they have to sing smut to use metaphors but this is false. He gave gave the example of Kitchener’s (Aldwyn Roberts) ‘Mount Olga’ which he described “as one of the greatest smut” songs. “He’s talking biology and he say it is a mountain…” Dr Liverpool said.

No room

Calypsonian Edwin Ayoung, known as ‘Crazy’, is enjoying a good season and gaining attention from a younger audience. His Groovy Soca hit ‘Cold Sweat’ was sampled by Full Blown in their own 2026 Carnival hit song ‘Respectfully Yours’.

In a telephone interview on January 31, Ayoung referred to his 2026 song ‘For Carnival’ which used double entendre. In the song’s storyline, he is upset with his lack of success in winning prizes for costuming despite spending a lot of money.

He sings, “time and money ah spend on meh mas’ yuh know dem judges put me second to las”. “I staying home for Carnival” is the refrain but Ayoung said listeners have their own interpretation.

“People are saying different things, people using obscene language, but I never say that, you know. Like ‘Paul your mother come’ I have a song …So what I do, I am not saying anything you know, out of context like any lewdness, but people just say that is why they classify me as that, that kind of singer,” he said.

Ayoung thinks song compositions today leave no room for double entendre interpretation. Asked how he would define what he considered to be lewd and offensive songs, he spoke of composing skill.

“If you want to have a double entendre song, they have to do it the right way. But it have some young artistes coming up now who have to learn how to do that, they coming with the raw thing,” he said.

Ayoung underscored that the lyrics should be polished so that no-one can say that something is wrong. Is getting airplay the reason for the “raw” lyrics? Ayoung replied that young singers are seeking recognition.

He added, “You will get the airplay, and you will get attention from the people who do Carnival things like wining, you will get attention with it, but they are not doing it the right way”.