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Posted: Tuesday 7 October, 2014 at 2:33 PM

Richie Buntin to deal with naysayers in Sugar Mas 43 calypso

Reigning Sugar Mas Calypso Monarch Richie Buntin
By: Terresa McCall, SKNVibes.com

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – LAST year, he punched well enough to win the Sugar Mas 42 Calypso Monarch title and this year the reigning Monarch Hansil Richie Buntin is expected to punch even harder if he is to retain his crown. 

     

    A little less than three months before one of the most anticipated Sugar Mas activities, the Senior Calypso Monarch Competition, King Richie Buntin, legally known as Hansil Buntin, has released a couple of ‘teaser’ songs, and every couple of weeks until the event arrives, he would be revealing others.

     

    The songs which he released last week are ‘Higher’ and ‘I Ain’t Waiting’, neither of which – according to him – would be used for that competition.

     

    While engaged in an exclusive interview with Richie Buntin, SKNVibes questioned him about the topics he would address in his two competition songs for this year. Of course, Buntin did not let the entire cat out of the bag, but he did allow us a peek at his ideas and gave some insight into his creative process when writing and composing his pieces.

     

    “I never ever really write any song for any particular reason… Most of the time, I start writing and I don’t begin with any concept of a specific thing. I try to come up with a nice opening and I let the words lead me. But this particular year…because of some chatter that has made the rounds since I’ve won…one of the songs is going to do is based on 1. People claiming that I won a crown because I was given a crown because I favoured the Labour Party so the Labour Party favoured me, and the other ridiculous one is that my songs were written by Konris.” 

     

    He said the idea for the other competition song, would keep as a “mystery” for now, “because the song in itself is a mystery”.

     

    Looking back at last year’s performances, the reigning Calypso Monarch – as has been expressed by many – used several innuendos and stage props in his song “Leave Them in the Dust”, to highlight the criticisms which have been made against the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party-led government presumably by members of opposing political parties. 

     

    Buntin told this publication that with that song - as with most of his others - he had no clue what it was going to be about and it wasn’t until he “got to the chorus that I realised what the song was to be called and what is was about…”

     

    He said he is the first Party Monarch of the Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis, having won that crown in 2000. He also explained that the competition was disposed of and rebirthed as the Soca Monarch Competition in which he participated last year.

     

    Signalling his intentions of competing in that battle this year, Buntin indicated that ‘Higher’ is likely to be one of the pieces with which he would vie. 

     

    The songs he has released and those which he intends to release over the upcoming weeks – Buntin informed – would form part of a 10-track album, eight of which are completed and two still being perfected.

     

    As for the feel of the album, King Richie said “it is a blend but is groovier and a little more diverse. For example, I always have a little reggae, dance and R&B or long song as well. This reggae song is not an original but it is a remake. Also, I am going to have a medley of St. Kitts songs, some of which have actually been named Road March winners over the years.”

     

    Confidence plays an integral part in any competition and when asked how confident he is of successfully defending his crown, Richie said “I am always confident. Based on the criteria, I don’t believe…anybody that competes in St. Kitts writes more to the criteria than I do. Maybe it is because of that why some people make the mistake, because the only person who I really think has done that is King Konris…”

     

    It is common practice for calypsonians to pen songs for other calypsonians but as was the case last year, Buntin said he is writing for one of his competitors. However, he will not reveals that individual’s name indicating his preference that the artiste himself makes that information public.

     

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