Barbados Crop 2011Over Revisited

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Barbados'Crop Over 2011Revisited
Those who are condemning Popsicle’s two calypsos are obviously unaware of what constitutes good kaiso writing.  First, in terms of pure lyrics when Popsicle states: don’t mind how long the recession lasts he isn’t selling his ass,or words to that effect, he is addressing two real social issues:  That we are having very tough economic times and even in tough times we should not do any and everything in order to survive.
Similarly when he writes he would prefer to “pick a fair” rather than attend other events, he has again showed lyrical genius by playing upon a well known Bajan phrase. Whether we want to admit it or not, we Bajan men have been picking fairs forever. I remember I was once told you are not a man until you actually pick a fair.
To be very frank, we have been virtually barren of good kaiso writing for many years. I give all credit to Plastic Bag for writing kaiso at a level that is on par with such maestros as Chalkdust and those who write for Sparrow and would have written for the late Kitchener.  Plastic Bag’s: “They publish it”, is certainly one of the best kaisos ever written and Adonijah’s: “Rock in Ethiopia” cannot be overlooked. By the way, the remix of Rock in Ethiopia is absolutely fantastic. Also, MADD’s “Hit She Agen” is  a classic, in my humble opinion. It is simply Bajan at its finest: humour, language, music, lyrics and topic blended with absolute perfection.
 Gabby has written many classics that any aspiring kaiso writer should use as benchmarks.  His “Boots” is social commentary of the highest level.  Gabby’s CD: One in the Eye, is perhaps one of the finest Kaiso CD’s ever made. It covers everything from pornography in schools to the selection of a beauty queen and even dog fighting. It should be in every kaiso collector’s music library. Of course our radio stations, and the media Gods we have around here, pretend that we don’t have enough music to play but I have not heard Miss Barbados (Gabby) or they Publish it (Plastic Bag) for years on any of our stations.
One swan certainly does not a summer make or as we say: “one belly full doesn’t fatten de calf” but Popsicle has brought some much needed fresh air to our kaiso. I remember when Bag started, many of us thought he would have been a flash in the pan but he went on to become a giant. I now wish Popsicle similar success and look forward to licking Popsicle for many years to come.

William Skinner is a Caribbean social commentator

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