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After 24 years, Cro Cro is
still...
King of controversy
By DEBBIE JACOB
"YOU SEE how they do me a wickedness? The people won't forget how the judges came up
with 30 semifinalists and left me out," said Cro Cro.
Last Wednesday, while performing Under the Trees at the Hotel Normandie in St Ann's, Cro
Cro recalled 24 years' worth of battles with judges in the calypso monarch contest.
"I'll never forget my first trip to the calypso finals. I sang 'Woman Woman' and
'Ling Tang'. They put me last."
From that day on, the innocent, trusting side of Cro Cro vanished. A new Cro Cro vowed to
be one of the hard-hitting social-political commentators, even though Shadow tried to
convince him that he could sing any type of calypso-including party songs.
"From 1974 to 1987 those judges were real stupid," said Cro Cro. "But I
never blamed the judges entirely. It was the system behind them, the people who I always
felt controlled the judges that made me vexed. The system was always trying to pull me
out. In a way I understand. In them times I was libellous. I was rough. I'm kind
now."
The tables turned for Cro Cro in 1987 when he entered the Independence Day Calypso Monarch
competition sponsored by Stag with "Botha", a stinging commentary about racism
in Trinidad that featured an imaginary phone call to Cro Cro from the racist South African
leader PK Botha, and "Happy Anniversary", a song which fitted the contest's
requirement of a nationalistic song. Funny was an early favourite in the competition, but
Cro Cro was relentless. And he won. He was finally a king.
He was eager now to win the calypso monarch title, but sceptical because the government
had changed. "I thought there might be some victimisation."
He decided to meet the challenge head-on with "Three Bo Rats", a doomsday
prophecy about the shaky political alliance which formed the NAR, and "Corruption in
Common Entrance", a song which led to one of the biggest investigations in the
educational system this country has ever known. Cro Cro was first crowned Young King and
then snatched his first national crown. For the next ten years he would be a calypso
monarch finalist.
In 1989, Cro Cro defended his crown with "Where Pan Reach" and "Fire",
a criticism of the organisers of the Independence calypso competition.
Cro Cro was vexed because they had reduced the prize money. Borrowing the melody of
Stalin"s "Bun Dem", he stated why he had decided not to defend his crown.
He placed second. Cro Cro returned with two popular songs in 1990, "Party", a
cleverly crafted political commentary, and "Political Dictionary", but didn't
make it to the calypso finals.
The night the judges visited Kitchener's tent, where he sings, Cro Cro's father had died.
Later that week, he sang with the unattached calypsonians. He eventually recaptured his
crown.
"People used to say you had to have a record to win anything, but I won that year
with no record. I won it for my father."
All three years Cro Cro won his crown he had no record. Once again he fell to second in
1991 with a controversial song about Abu Bakr called "Say A Prayer" and
"Still the Best".
He won his second Independence crown with "Get Something and Wave", a humorous
criticism of party songs that encourage people to wave dirty handkerchiefs in the air, and
"Rise African Rise" a song he had composed and sung in 1981.
"I got nowhere with that song back then," said Cro Cro. "What does that say
about judges?"
When he returned to the calypso arena in 1992, Cro Cro placed second again with
"Wine" and "Sham, We Don't Want It" a song that accused Sham Mohammed
of racism. He placed third in the Carifesta competition.
The decision to move the calypso finals to the National Stadium in 1993 proved unlucky for
Cro Cro. He fell to fourth place with "Hang Them High", a graphically gruesome
commentary supporting capital punishment, and "Rodney King".
Some Cro Cro fans blamed the fall on his last minute decision to leave out one of his most
melodic songs, "Run Blue Boy Run", a true song about bandits chasing SuperBlue.
And 1994 saw him unable to rise above fifth place with a political commentary called
"Respect the Law" in which he criticised
politician Hulsie Bhaggan and "Is only Carib", a song that questioned the forces
behind calypso judging.
Cro Cro was not yet down for the eight count. He skyrocketed back to second place in 1995
with "Jump and Wave" and "Apology", a merciless demand for a
government apology. Cro Cro sang how he was right about "Corruption in Common
Entrance" and the Government was wrong for branding him a racist.
By then, Cro Cro was the king of controversy, singing calypsoes that angered politicians,
women's groups and non-Afro-Trinidadian ethnic groups. Undoubtedly, one of the most
controversial was "All You Look For Dat" in which Cro Cro blamed
Afro-Trinidadians for Basdeo Panday's becoming Prime Minister and "Kaiso Gone",
a melodic lament about the death of traditional calypso. In 1996 he was one of the most
talked about calypsonians and he was calypso king once again.
Last year, he hit the judges with a bravado, "Cro Cro is King", and
"Amazing", which criticised important singers and politicians who had changed
their tune over the years.
Now that Cro Cro's name has been added to this year's semifinalists, he'll be hitting hard
with "Follow the Leader", a scandalous political commentary, "Kaiso Ent
Going Nowhere", about the plight of traditional calypso, or "Pass the Ball,
Why", a calypso
commentary designed to put young upstarts like Kurt Allen in their place.
"I realise now that during the days of the NCC, when I was a starter, I had to get
the shaft, pay my dues, so to speak. I got more mature from that and I forced those judges
to accept me," says Cro Cro. "I had to force my way through the door.
"Now I don't believe I should even have to go to a semifinals. I should automatically
be there. They should also give me a permanent room in the Crown (sic) Reef Hotel. I am
king."
When friends become lovers
by ds chandler
WE'VE all had friends of the opposite sex at one time or another. People we could cry
with, get drunk with or commiserate with (mainly about how difficult it is to find a
mate). What else is there? Pain, heartbreak and tabanca, and trying to find a new job. The
problems of young people everywhere. That is why those who have not permanently paired off
take such solace in friendships that have survived the years. In a way, they are married
without the stress; in love without the sex. My friend Allison calls me her
"friend-boy", the next best thing to someone who can reverse the syllables.
What about those who face the world hand in hand on a Saturday night, uncoupled
"couples" in a lifelong quest? We find each other attractive and spend much of
our time together. If the relationship is so strong, why are we not pairing off?
It all comes down to one barrier-the execution of sexual intercourse. Strip away the
romance and the excitement and what does that leave? The physical coupling of two people,
not quite cold and impartial, but calculated fun. It may be difficult to imagine sex like
this but humour me for a while.
I am your best guy friend. There is nothing we cannot say or do together (almost). It's
Saturday night; we've just spent the entire day liming...again. You helped me pick out a
new shirt and assured me that it looks cool. I followed you through countless shoe stores
until we found the pair that you finally liked. We've just come home from seeing Titanic
at the cinema, carrying take-out because we couldn't bear to sit in the restaurant with
all those "real" couples. Just you and me.
What if, instead of making my customary exit after dinner, I were to turn off the TV, put
on some soft music and ask you to dance? And what if you actually put up with my silliness
and joined me in a few slow swaying laps of your living room? What if I kissed you?. I
don't mean kiss you good night-I'm talking lips, tongues...hands all over your body. Would
you slap my face and throw me out? Or might my actions spark off a romance that has been
simmering right in front our faces? What does it take for two best friends to become
lovers?
For starters, a man has to overcome the difficulty of the all-important "first
move". At least on a normal date with a relative stranger, if he tries the big move
and gets blanked, he can apologise, make a joke of it...the humiliation is minor with
someone he'll probably never see again. Not so with his best friend. Cross that romantic
line and blow it, and the friendship has been altered.
But let's say our first kiss is magic. Suppose we then enter the experimental phase known
as bed. Here we are, two friends who have heard all about each other's exploits and
embarrassments. I cracked up over the cross-eyed guy you slept with. You heard all about
the stewardess who dumped me. We know each other too well. With that much history
revealed, can we jump into a sexual relationship and start to write our own chapters?
On paper, I say yes! We're a long way from virgins, both sexually and emotionally. So what
if we're not holding the match to a keg of sexual dynamite? That stuff happens only in
movies anyway. Why can't we slowly and carefully develop a sexual relationship. It doesn't
have to explode off the starting blocks.
I imagine our first lovemaking as full of nervous laughter. Still, anything that you can
laugh about must have some merit. In time, we might be marvellous lovers. But could either
of us make that leap? When friends become lovers, enter jealousy. How could you not
compare? After having spent years gaping on each others behalf, could we both suddenly not
look at members of the opposite sex?
The pitfalls of best friends becoming lovers are numerous. The greatest risk of all: if
our romance ends, we could never go back to being "just friends". We've spent so
many years building the trust that made us pals in the first place, do we really want to
put that relationship in jeopardy?
In April of 1995, my friend-girl, Su and I fell asleep spoon fashion on a mattress on my
back-yard lawn. We had been sipping lemonade and talking, but now the sun was setting and
flocks of egrets passed overhead, returning to roost for the night...the perfect romantic
setting. I snaked an arm around her waist as she fitted her body into mine and I thought
two things: One, I love this woman and I should do something. And two, I love this woman
and
I shouldn't do anything!
Fortunately for me, I was spared the first-move jitters when Su and I cut her birthday
cake later in that year. Kissing is required behaviour on such occasions and in our case,
it has led to a blessed marriage and a family. Though I'm only one of many, I've at
least proven that it can be done, so would-be romantics, take heart. And of those of you
out there who think "I can't have sex with him/her because we're just friends" I
ask this: with whom
would you have sex...your enemies?
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