‘Last year the race was tough to the monarchy
Everybody was rough, hard and ready’.
These are the opening lines to Inspector’s 1991 song entitled, They Kill The King. Those lines inferred the quality of the Calypso competition in 1990.
To provide context for 1990 and the five or so years that followed one will have to take a brief historical and political look at Grenada post-Independence.
The December 1984 General Elections, the first after the 1983 collapse of the People’s Revolutionary Government, was won by the New National Party (14 seats) over the Grenada United Labor Party (1 seat).
The NNP was founded on August 26th, 1984, through a merger of the Grenada National Party, led by Herbert Blaize, the National Democratic Party, led by George Brizan and the Grenada Democratic Movement led by, Dr. Francis Alexis.
As leader of the NNP and Prime Minister Mr. Blaize took his fair share of “licks” from the Calypsonians with Herbie (Smokey1986) and Dead Horse (Skylark 1988) immediately coming to mind.
In January 1989 Dr Keith Mitchell, then Minister of Works and Communications in the Blaize administration, challenged Blaize and was successful in his attempt to become leader of the NNP. Dr. Mitchell was subsequently dismissed from his government post by Mr. Blaize on July 21st, 1989.
Sadly, while still Prime Minster, Herbert Augustus Blaize, passed away on December 19th, 1989. The then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ben Jones became Prime Minister until elections were held on March 13th, 1990.
The New National Party split with George Brizan and Dr. Francis Alexis forming the National Democratic Congress, which won the 1990 General Elections. The GULP won four seats the NNP and the TNP two each.
True to form the Calypsonian addressed the signs of an impending break up of the “House” (the symbol of the NNP) when Black Wizard orated in his 1987 performance of The House the following chorus:
‘Everyday her walls keep cracking,
I can see them pillars shaking,
Like she didn’t have no good foundation,
Everyday is more erosion,
Its rocking to and fro,
So if a strong breeze blow,
Boy that house will be no more.’
This state of political turbulence and the sadness of losing a seating Prime Minister influenced the songs that were composed and performed during the 1990 Carnival season.
The Calypsos delivered on Dimanche Gras night, in particular, were a mixture of potent lyrical tunes and some classic party songs.
Among the offerings were:
- What Next Shall The World Be, The Hitman – Inspector
- Do It For The Children, Double Tenor Girl – Ajamu
- What is Calypso, The International Airport – The Praying Mantis
- Majority Rules, Walls – Black Wizard
- More Steelpan, Salsa She Want – Randy Isaac
- Reconstruct Grenada, Launching Rockets – Squeezy
- Grenada Reality, Ah Coming – Skylark
- Fire, Down Dey – Eggies
Among the topics addressed in those stellar masterpieces were the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the release of Nelson Mandela, the attempted coup in Trinidad and the burning of the local treasury building.
The show opened with the defending Monarch, Inspector, singing in position number one and it was always going to be a tough task for him to repeat.
Ajamu came back with a vengeance in 1990 after losing out to Inspector in 1989 and in addition to the two songs rendered on the night his other 1990 recordings included, Open Up The Door (the 1990 road march winner)and Warrior Come Back.
During his encore performance after being announced the Calypso King, Ajamu performed Warrior Come Back that included this verse:
‘Well ah hope them judges prepare cause this year
Ah aint want no controversy ah taking them clear
Ah go have everybody jumping to my soca melody
So ah want you tell winer boy Inspector for me
This year is me and he
This time I won’t have no sympathy for no one at all
So anyone ah them who tackle me ah go make them bawl
Black Wizard ah warning you
Be careful of what you do
‘Cause ah wont ease up on you’.
Black Wizard placed second on that night, the Inspector lost his crown and Grenadians witnessed one of the greatest calypso competitions in the Country’s history.
That riveting night of calypso excellence and the prevailing party atmosphere was further enhanced by a vibrant performance of Drunk and Bawling Out by Durity, one of the more popular songs of the 1990 carnival season.
The Calypso brilliance continued in 1991 and some well-known and timeless compositions came out of that carnival season.
Lick Them Down by Ajamu
When The Carnival Over by Black Wizard
Give Them Space by Inspector
The Ting Doh Work by Tangler
Pull Him Out by Squeezy
Call The Doctor by Eggies
Sing Ah Calypso by African Teller
Imagine the standard of competition when these classics and others were all performed on one night and on the same stage.
One of Inspector’s most underrated recordings, They Kill The King ((98) G.B.T.V. CultureShare ARCHIVES 1991: INSPECTOR “Deh kill de king” (HD) – YouTube) encapsulates the intensity of the 1991 season.
Even with the high level of songs the lyrical jabs were very much alive, In When The Carnival Over, Black Wizard went back to Inspector’s 1989 winning number Me Neighbor for material for the third verse.
‘You dabbling in prophecy,
you singing big philosophy, year after year,
Why don you do like Inpsector,
and sing something with humor, like neighbor,
Girl ah man beating he woman,
is a very serious question, in this era,
It is not something to make fun,
to make you jump up and down, in Dimanche Gras.’
The quality of the competition in 1992 quite possibly surpassed the 1991 season, not only for content but also historic context. Ajamu won his third consecutive crown, joining Flying Turkey to accomplish that rare feat and at the same time surpassing Turkey’s four titles to be the first five-time winner of the national calypso title.
Ironically, Flying returned to competition in 1992, after an eight-year hiatus and his songs included the immortal Grenada Belongs To We and placed third with Wizard second.
On that auspicious occasion Ajamu was crowned by the 1992 Carnival Queen, Miss Linda Waldron.
That win was hard-fought against a cast of finalists that included:
Squeezy, Peter Humphrey, Praying Mantis, Black Wizard, Flying Turkey, Smokey, Inspector, Bubbler and Vibrator.
A struggling NDC government felt the full wraith of the Calypsonians in 1992 with offerings such as:
Structural Adjustment – Bubbler
Ah Doh Know – Black Wizard
Please – Smokey
Out Ah Control – Inspector
Bees – Vibrator
The chorus to Vibrator’s Bees represented the collective opinion of one section of the population.
‘B for Braithwaite, you also know B for Brizan
B for Bishop, B for Blaize and B for Bernard
B for Ben Jones and all ah dem rule this Country
Go back to the G ‘cause we getting sting by the Bees’
But the night belonged to Ajamu and during his performance of Take It in round 2 he distanced himself from the others.
His picong verse went like this:
But ah never see such ignorancy, now they attacking me personally
The man like he want to strangle me, he saying is me that want the monarchy
But tell him he make ah big mistake, like the braids and gold teeth have him blind
Why should I crave behind the crown when everybody know the thing is mine
So Squeezy you looking for sympathy, but let me tell you , you aint talking to me
You trying your best to belittle me at any cost, but tonight tonight we go find who is the boss
Listen people I aint like to boast, but they making me do it by force
So tell them ‘Jamu maniacs to hold on tight, ‘cause ah feeding them with Turkey soup tonight.
Next we look at Inspector’s 2nd senior calypso crown, Black Wizard’s first, more classics performed on Dimanche Gras night and the final Calypso competition at Queens Park.
A Made In Grenada Publication ©
Video credit – Gentle Ben TV
