BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - ONE of the biggest talking points coming out of almost every calypso show is the judges’ decision and the audience disagreement with it. But do individuals understand how the system really works?
A judge is deemed a person who seeks to form an opinion or estimation after careful consideration of an individual’s performance based on a given criteria.
With the Carnival season now in full swing, SKNVibes contacted Randolph Taylor, who has been on many panels judging calypso competitions in St. Kitts and Nevis, to get his views on how these competitions are judged.
Taylor explained that the criteria used for judging calypso in the Federation are as follows:
Lyrics - 40 points
Music - 30 points
Performance - 30 points
He also explained that the Lyrics section is categorised into four areas:
1. Expression of Theme, which carries five points and is broken down as follows:
(a) Does the calypso have a distinct recognisable theme? How well do the words develop and support the theme?
(b) Are the verses linked to the theme or are they scattered?
(c) Do the verses flow logically back into the chorus to re-enforce the theme and meaning of the song?
2. Word craft, which carries 15 points for the following:
(a) Appropriateness of words;
(b) Use of satire, subtlety, double entendre, irony, wit, humor, puns, play on words;
(c) Style and skill of composition; and
(d) Quality of rhyme.
3. Lyrics, which carries 15 points and is judged on:
(a) Marriage of lyric and melody/arrangement;
(b) Do the words complement each other smoothly, or is the song over-crowded with the singer having to rush the words to get them in? and
(c) How smoothly do the lyrics flow along with the arrangement?
4. The final of these areas is Creativity, which carries five points and questions if there is an “Unusually interesting interpretation of the topic or the effective incorporation of local colour/experiences into the calypso?”
Music is categorised into the following areas:
1. Melody, which carries 15 points and is broken down as follows;
(a) Strength and sweetness of the verses, singing chorus and the band’s chorus;
(b) Does the tune carry the message effectively? Is it married to the lyrics in terms of measurement? And
(c) Does it capture the mood of the theme?
2. Arrangement, which earns the contestant 10 points if it comprises the following:
(a) Does it suit the mood and tempo?
(b) Are particular instruments used to specially create and convey mood?
(c) Does it have the proper key or orchestration?
(d) Does the key carry the melody properly? And
(e) Effectiveness of back-up vocals…if any.
3. Originality, which carries five points, seeks to deal with questions:
(a) Are the melody and arrangement original?
(b) Are pieces of other people’s music included?
(c) Are there novel musical ideas in the arrangement or melody? And
(d) Is there any successful incorporation of unusual musical instruments or combination of instruments?
Finally, Performance which is categorised into the following areas:
1. Rendition, which carries 15 points and begs the following questions:
(a) Is it a calypso? Is it in calypso style?
(b) Does the singer use his/her voice effectively to interpret the song? Are there nuances of vocal chords?
(c) Is the singer in the proper key? Is the manner of singing in keeping with the mood of the song? And
(d) How good is the diction?
2. Presentation, which carries 10 points and speaks to:
(a) The use of body, hands, face, body contortions, energy;
(b) Use of the stage;
(c) Use of microphones; and
(d) Are these being used to more effectively communicate the song and to improve the understanding of its lyrics?
3. Demonstration is the final aspect of Performance and it earns the competitor five points for the following:
(a) The use of dress, props, stagehands and dancers; and
(b) Are there other symbols of communication assisting or interfering with the presentation of song? Are they original symbols?
It was revealed that the judges normally use the Hi-Lo system in an effort to eliminate biasness among the individuals charged with the judging of competitions..
Explaining how the system works, Taylor said, “The underlying principle on the Hi-Lo system is to discard the highest and lowest mark of each category for each appearance for each artiste, and the sum of the remaining marks is the final total that will be used.”
He also gave an example of how the system is administered.
“For instance, if Lyrics was judged as follows…Judge One - 35, Judge Two - 13, Judge Three - 32, Judge Four – 28 and Judge Five – 39, giving a total of 147 point, the highest and lowest totals will then be separated and added together. In this case, 13 and 39, amounting to 52.
“For Music if Judge One scores 28, Judge Two 28, Judge three nine, Judge Four 21 and Judge Five 26, the total will be 112 points and the highest and lowest of these scores will also be separated and added, where in this regard will be 28 and nine, giving a total of 37.”
He further explained that if Performance was scored by Judge One as 26, Judge Two 23, Judge Three 29, Judge Four five Judge Five 19, which amounts to 102 points, the highest and lowest totals (29 and five) will then be added, giving a total of 34 points.
“The totals of the three categories, 147, 112, 102, will then be added, giving an overall total of 361 points; while the discarded totals, 52, 37 and 34, are will also be added, giving an overall total of 123 points.
“The sum of the discarded total (123) is then subtracted from the overall total (361), which means that 238 points will be awarded to the calypsonian,” Taylor said.
Taylor also informed that whilst judging a calypso competition, judges have to follow the laid down protocols.
These protocols, he said, include the non-usage of cellular phones once the competition has started, non-consumption of alcoholic beverages, and no conversation is allowed between or during performances, as this may affect the impartiality of the judging process.
