BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – CAN you imagine yourself preparing material for someone to use in a competition in which you are also a participant? Further, can you imagine that the same person, with the use of your material, wins the competition and left you in their dust? What would be your reaction?
This may not sit well with many but, for King Socrates, it is reason for him to celebrate.
At the end of the Elimination Round of the Senior Calypso Competition for the recently-concluded Sugar Mas 43 festivities, Lady Diva – whose material was written by King Socrates - was in 16th position and King Socrates tied with another calypsonian for the third spot.
The Semi-Final round told a vastly different story however with Lady Diva rising to the challenge and forging ahead of her counterparts. And on the night of the Finals, although she did not win the crown, she performed impressively to capture the First Runner-up position leaving her songwriter without any of the top slots.
SKNVibes recently spoke with King Socrates about his thoughts on the competition.
King Socrates expressed that, from what he saw, he thought Lady Diva would have won the competition hands down.
“I stayed in the audience and watched her perform her first song and it was just awesome. I really thought she had won the competition based on that. Her second performance was also great! I really thought that she had won the competition. I didn’t see Astro because he was number one and I was number two, so I was backstage preparing. So based on what I saw, the way Diva delivered, I think it was awesome! And I gave her my congratulations.”
Socrates opined that there needs to be a shifting of culture from one of selfishness to one of selflessness. He said this form of altruism is what he benefitted from at the start of his calypso career and he seeks to make a similar impact in the lives of other calypsonians.
“If I write a song for somebody to go and beat me, they would have to deliver. If they do that, then they would have absolutely beaten King Socrates. If I’m at my best and they beat me, it’s a good thing. I am not a selfish person on stage, I help people all the time…over the years I’ve assisted.
“When I won my first national crown, Creighton Pencheon, known as Papa George and Crusader the Calypsonian, loaned me his car to go onstage to assist my presentation, knowing fully well I was competing against him in the same competition. I won that competition hands down. But crusader loaned me his car…look at the unselfishness.”
He said King Astro’s win of the Sugar Mas 43 Calypso Monarch crown is a sterling example of selflessness and collaboration.
“Astro won with Crusader’s material in both rounds. That’s cooperation! So even though Nevis is celebrating, it is collusion between a St. Kitts writer and a Nevis calypsonian. The selfishness has to go away…There needs to be more of a loyalty and respect amongst calypsonians, not this petty rivalry with who is better than who and who could sing better than who. That is nonsense!”
Often accused of “giving away his best song”, Socrates proclaimed that because he continues to write and his best song is yet to come, “it is a compliment to me to see that my material can still impact on any competition, and it doesn’t matter who delivers it”.
