After three consecutive wins (1990,1991, 1992) Edson ‘Ajamu’ Mitchell opted out of the competition for the 1993 Carnival season.
Many reasons were proffered for that decision but as always, the Calypsonian best documents current affairs activities and Smokey, who was the Standby for the 1993 calypso finals surmised the happenings in the first verse of his first rendition entitled Ah Doh ‘Fraid Dem.
Well you mighty Ajamu, Ah hear you not in the competition
I don’t know what’s wrong,
You say you is a warrior in town,
And you come to lick them down,
But a little threat make you tremble and sweat.
Last year when you win the crown,
Ajamu boy you ‘fraid to come in town,
Other Calypsonians mixing with the fans,
But you boy you hiding in Mamma Cannes
1993 was another excellent year for calypso and with Ajamu out it meant an opportunity for someone to have a very big night.
That someone turned out to be Inspector who captured his 2nd Senior Calypso title with a performance that will live on in calypso folklore.
His rendition of Soca Hurricane was an impassioned and emotional expression of his struggles to return to the heights of calypso supremacy, after doing so for the first time in 1989. His piccong verse in that song remains the best written and delivered such verse in Grenada calypso history. It is still a requirement in his present-day performances, even 30 years later.
To give context to and for one to have a full appreciation of the brilliance of the work, a full list of the Calypsonians and the songs they rendered on that night must be provided.
Squeezy – Calypso War, One For The Pan
Flying Turkey – We Have Come A Long Way, My Will
Black Wizard – No Mama, New World Order
Flying Cloud – Abide With Me, Way You Man
Scholar – I Prefer To Live In Hell, Voices
Peter Humphrey – Doh Come So Fast, Political Gain
Randy Isaac – It’s a Paradise, Education
Mr. X – Spectator Mas, I Resign
Reggie Charles – They Goonksing, Ole Time Days
Inspector – Soca Hurricane, Big Up
Smokey (Standby) – Grenada for Sale, Ah Doh ‘Fraid Dem
When they hear the Hurricane coming, Randy start to sing it’s a paradise
And Scholar start complaining, he say he cant hear those voices crying
Black Wizard feeling the pressure, everyday he bawling oh mama
Peter Humphrey want to survive, so he run for shelter in Ms. Daisy car
In 1955 was Hurricane Janet and the whole of Grenada never forget
So they bring 9 of them to stop me, but ah know tonight they bound to regret
Turkey jump in front and say, we come a very long way
They tell Smokey stand by dey, if you hear dem on melee
My phone ringing all the time, Mr. X say he resign
Ajamu smart he not coming back, ah go kill dem with heart attack
With his second composition, Big Up, Inspector walked away with the title but had even more ammunition in his arsenal as he had the option of performing Eating Better as his second song.
The friendly bantering between calypsonians, a hallmark of the calypso finals at Queen’s Park continued in 1993. One of Findley ‘Scholar’ Jeffrey’s songs was entitled, I Prefer To Live In Hell. In his delivery of It’s A Paradise, Randy Isaac offered the following verse in response to Scholar.
How could you make ah comparison,
With Grenada and hell as some people do
Man when the tourist come down here on vacation
How could you give them this impression
So if you want to go to hell, than living here in Grenada
I sure will like to pay your fare, look take airline lucifer, oh god Scholar
1993 was a very intense year for calypso and several artistes addressed the issues related to judging, competition, etc. in song, including Squeezy, Flying Cloud and Inspector. A very popular radio program named Melee seemed to serve as a catalyst for much of the conversations, tensions, and discussions. Smokey in his second verse of Ah Doh ‘Fraid Dem encapsulated the prevailing mood.
Shirma say Me, Turkey and Humphrey, the only reason we come
Just to sing and to win the money and run
She doh know what she talking ‘bout
She getting paid to run she mouth
But then she doh have good foot so she take in front
She work with different companies
She use she money as how she please
She is a good announcer
Suppose to push the culture
But when she make these kinda statement
Make me feel she ignorant.
Inspector went on to win the calypso title in 1993 – and the $16,000 prize money- a very popular decision and one that gave credence to the notion that the formula for winning the crown was a ‘slow’, ‘lyrical’ first round song and an uptempo or party song in the second round.
The defense of the crown in 1994 was going to be a test of Inpsector’s abilities, the field was loaded with some of the regulars not even making it to the finals. The prestige of winning the title meant that the nine finalists were not going to make it straightforward for the reigning titleholder.
On the night of Sunday 07th August, 1994, the Master of Ceremonies, a Queen’s Park fixture now in his own rights, Troy Garvey read the following results:
10. Randy Isaac
9. Beast
8. Vibrator
7. Scorpion
6. Bubbler
5. Reggie Charles
4. Scholar
3. Mr. X
2. Inspector
1. Black Wizard
Elwin ‘Black Wizard’ McQulikin had won his first national calypso title after several years of sterling performances with outstanding melodies and complex but easy to sing along lyrics. His two selections for competition in 1994, Ah Come Back Again and Jump Up earned the nod of the judges against an extremely talented field of Calypsonians. It was always going to take two masterful rounds of unblemished delivery to dethrone the Inspector and Black Wizard did so on that historic night.
After winning his 4th title in 1984 the Flying Turkey opted out of competition, but the retirement was temporary as he eventually returned in 1992 much to the delight of his fans and calypso fans in general. Ajamu’s retirement was even shorter and lasted only two years. And he promptly resumed his winning ways capturing his sixth senior national calypso title.
Ajamu’s reasons for his return to competition could best be addressed by him and he did so during his celebratory performance after winning the 1995 calypso title.
In Rainbow City ah woman said to me ‘Jamu doh hurt dem, you shouldn’t hurt dem
Doh treat dem fellas so, have mercy on Wizo
Give him a next year, don’t be so unfair
Everybody know, you are a true hero
Your music so sweet, we cant resist it
but you should step aside, and let them fellas ride
on the bandwagon, the soca bandwagon
But I said to she, young woman you crazy
Like you really want my fans and dem to kill me
If only I decide I wouldn’t come back
So much people would just not be here in Queen’s Park
The committee say carnival in danger
Last year they aint make no money in Dimanche Gras
So no more will they allow this to go on
That is why they send and call the soca banton
Dem fellas too blasted bright
Dey must have respect tonight
So tell Wizo and Scholar (Ajamu on the road again)
they should know not to play with fire (Ajamu on the road again)
If to prison Mr X want to go (Ajamu on the road again
I am the man with the key to open the door (Ajamu on the road again)
I know you expect me, to give satisfaction guarantee
The hotter the battle be, man the sweeter the victory
So tell all my fans rejoice (Ajamu on the road again)
get together and make ah joyful noise (Ajamu on the road again)
Sing once, twice, three times sing it again (Ajamu on the road again)
I wont let you shout out my name in vain (Ajamu on the road again)
During his performance of ‘Wait For Me’ in 1994 – the year he relinquished the crown to Black Wizard – Inspector sang:
Tell the NCC to send and call the gravediggers
Because tonight ah aint taking no prisoners
Ajamu done tell me the shovel and fork ready
It have plenty space for them in the cemetery
In On The Road Again Ajamu pounced on the material provided by those lines to produce his third verse. Parts of which went like this:
So Ah went and tell me pardna Laqua, put the casket on reserve for the Inspector
‘Cause I know when my boy reach here in Queen’s Park, all those who giving instructions have to back back
He go show them fellas how to wine the waist, after dat he going and bury them up in space
But when the bell ring and they say the Massa return, Cracker told me Specky knock out in the first round
But I am here to let them know, this wouldn’t happen no more
Specky couldn’t hold the reign, So I am right back here again.
Scholar in his third year was becoming a formidable force and during this rendition of Ah Cant Sing Dat he offered some lyrical blows of his own:
No one would beat me in competition, coming to Dimanche Gras with one good song
And nobody will kill me with licks, coming here singing warrior part six
And when we done tonight in this park, big dog wont even be able to bark
But let Specky and dem piccong all they know, me ah just cant buss me brain no more
1995 was another fascinating year for the artform in Grenada the return of Ajamu, the meteoric rise of Scholar and the consistency of Mr. X all heralding a moderate changing of the guard as the legacy of the Queen’s Park was coming to an end.
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