A LACK OF SUCCESS of the calypso art form might be as a result of a conspiracy among the major international music labels to keep it out.

This is the view of John King, former calypso king as he spoke with GROOVE magazine at a calypso show at Merricks, St Philip, last weekend.

"It is deliberate," says King, who copped the local calypso title in 1986 and 1994, about the perceived impotence of calypso.

"I have been talking about this for years. I have tried over the years to get this music to the main stream American radio stations and all you butt up on is: that the quality of the recording is not good; there is no format that we have that can play it; all sorts of stumbling blocks.

"Yet on radio stations throughout the Caribbean you can hear a calypso, an r& b and a classical song – a whole mix of things that we play; and here goes valuable income that should be coming to the Caribbean going out to the United States of America."

'Support artistes'

King is calling for a rethink from Barbadians and wake up and look after their own and appreciate the artistes in every art form.

"We got to rally behind them [the artistes] because if home drums don't beat first how can you expect the world to gravitate towards us," King said.

He also chided Caribbean jazz promoters for not headlining any calypsonians at the major events on their calendars annually.

"We have all of these jazz festivals across the Caribbean and not one calypsonian has ever performed – to the best of my knowledge, as a major act at the jazz festivals.

"They may do the after parties but a lot of the jazz festivals are filled with rhythm and blues singers, Latin music players; so there must be a place for calypso.

"I could name thousands of calypsonians across the Caribbean who are capable of going on a jazz show for 45 minutes to an hour and entertain the crowd," he said.

King lamented that he was "butting his head against the wall because we have been asking for support for 26 years that we have been in calypso".

"You don't get the support from radio, you don't get it from television, you don't get the support from the people coming out to the shows to see you.

"To be true you have to be a madman to be involved in this all the time. I have to be certified. I have been in it for 26 years, even though I only turned professional in 1990.

"The thing is that when I travel people always thought I must be some god where I come from," King said.

by John SEALY