In a letter dated May 6, 2015 the Anguilla National Calypso Association wrote to the Anguilla Summer Festivals Committee requesting dialogue on a number of issues related to the conduct of the 2015 Calypso Monarch Competition. The letter reads as follows:
Dear Mr. John Benjamin
The Executive of the Anguilla National Calypso Association through this medium request further engagement on the arrangements being put in place for the staging of the 2015 Calypso Monarch Competition. We believe that there are a number of areas on which agreement and a common understanding need to be reached, and we seek further dialogue with you and the relevant sub-committee members of the Anguilla Summer Festival committee. The areas we wish to discuss are the following:
- The number of places to be recognized in the Calypso Monarch finals; our view is that the first four (4) places should be recognized;
- In addition to the recommended four places, the introduction of special awards as follows to be named after calypsonians who have passed on, each with an EC$1000 value. For example, the Lord Anything Award for Best Social Commentary, the Lord Surpise Em Award for Most Humorous Song, the Mighty Beaver Award for the Best Double Entendre, the Mighty Thunder Award for Best Political Commentary and the Mighty Kinger Award for the Best Spirit of Carnival Calypso. These awards we believe would serve to incentivize calypsonians other than the top prize winners to participate not only in the calypso competition but in the art form generally;
- We recommend that the RANKING SYSTEM of judging be employed for the 2015 Calypso Monarch Competition at all stages of the competition. We do not believe that we have been served well by the High/Low Min/Max System of judging used in the recent past;
- We are also interested in discussing the matter of choice of judges for the competitions;
- We would appreciate having a Large Screen on stage during the final show to enable participants who wish to project information to be able to do so;
- We also recommend the hiring of two or three Back-Up Singers who would practice with the Band and the calypsonians to ensure consistency. However, this recommendation does not preclude calypsonians from engaging additional Back-Ups as they deem necessary;
- The ANCA would like to see the reintroduction of the “Best of the Rest” Calypso Show. This may not be immediately feasible but should be a goal of the ASFC;
- One of the concerns we have as artistes has to do with intellectual property and ownership of our product. This stems from the fact that persons outside of the show producers and the artistes themselves have been profiting from our product directly at our expense. For instance, artistes wishing to secure a copy or copies of the Calypso finals show for instance have been asked to pay considerable sums for such copies. This is a matter we would like sorted out with the help of the ASFC.
- It is our intention to produce a Carnival CD compilation to include those artistes who are member so the ANCA; whatever assistance the ASFC can offer would be greatly appreciated.
We look forward to an early as possible engagement with the ASFC in the interest of a very successful 2015 Senior Calypso Monarch Competition.
The letter was signed by Rebecca Queen B Webster, President, Anguilla National Calypso Association (ANCA) and copied to the Chairperson, Calypso Sub-Committee, Programme Officer Culture DYC.
– Contributed
