BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – VETERAN calypsonian Lord Kut is challenging the National Carnival Committee to ensure that the calypso art form is preserved and thrives through inculcating the rudiments of the genre in the younger generation.
Lord Kut, who has been in the calypso arena for more than 40 years, said he is a product of the National Carnival Committee. He recalls that when he was a high school student, he was recruited to sing calypso.
“The Carnival Committee recruited me from Basseterre Junior High School in 1973. From that day I have been going. Mr. Melvin Edwards, Mr. Irvin Sweeney, these men nurtured us. They fed us daily, anything we needed they gave it to us to assist us in being calypsonians. That is why I am calling on the Committee to improve yourselves. You can’t just be taking away all of the incentives from the artistes, you are leaving the artistes out there not to compete.
“I think they should be doing the same thing today, because if you have a garden with potato vines growing and you reap and reap and reap, you must stop reaping one day because you need to replant. If you don’t replant, what is going to be done?”
The veteran calypsonian suggested that the National Carnival Committee takes specific action in seeking out potential junior calypsonians.
“Go around to the schools and take one or two artiste and perform in the school, maybe for half an hour. Children will look at it and want to follow. And out of that you pick those who are brave enough to come and say something…those who are brave enough to take the mic.”
The calypsonian said he was engaged in a similar activity at the Beach Allen and Irishtown Primary Schools and candidates were chosen from that exercise.
“When you get the artistes out, you harness that by getting them involved some day in the week and train them. In my day, we went to the schools on Saturday with Mr. Sweeney to be there with the guitar strumming and singing. Everybody wanted to be the best.”
He said from that exercise came Star Shield, Mighty Ranger, Singing Jackie, Ayatollah and himself. And he strongly expressed that when the remaining calypsonians decide to retire from active competition seeds would have already been planted within the young generation and art form would continue.
