Nothing at all: By Fitzroy "Brother Ebony" Joseph - A master Piece

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Carnival 2018 has just ended, and we have seen a demonstration of Vincy offering of talent to the world culture; especially in the area of song writing skills. We have had on display creative and lyrical work of art by performers like Error Rose “The Man Age: with a work of reverse psychological art, with the well written composition "It’s the people" the creative brilliance and calypso vocal giant Carlos "The Rejecter" Providence who have never written a bad song with his creative composition "Gonzitis," and many other brilliantly written songs that are worthy of being mentioned 

Although St. Vincent and the Grenadines has many talented song (calypso) writers, it is not very often that a calypsonian comes up with a Master Piece. In the next two composition, I will being to you, two genius composition, one is a local classic that will readily be understood by all Vincentians, and the other is and international classic, this composition will be understood by all who hear it. 

In 2012 the calypsonian Fitzroy Joseph with the stage name: Brother Ebony skill fully wrote a song call "Ain't have nothing at all." In this song Brother Ebony was Lamenting about his lack of possessions and his dissatisfaction with his situation, even though he was working hard all his life. He compared his lack of possessions with the seemingly ordinary people who he knew and believed to have nothing like him. To the average listener, one will conclude it was a song of a man whining about his misfortune. 

The average person will conclude Brother Ebony was not only whining but was actually comparing himself with other members of the community; whom he named in the song. But a closer listen will soon reveal who or what Brother Ebony, is speaking of, and therefore the conflict in his song will be revealed.

Those listeners to the song, who are none Vincentian; especially, those who are not acquainted with the general locations within SVG may need a little help understanding the song. However, one hint will give them a total understanding of what this song is all about and they also will be amazed at the skill of brother ebony. 

Brother Ebony creatively used the names of cities, villages, towns, beaches, and other popular land marks in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to plead his case of deprivation. He skillfully broke up the names of the locations into two syllables; the first syllable he used as the first name of the people he was comparing himself with, and the second syllable he used as the acquired possession of the fictitious person. This song also has within it a lot of hidden local folklore some of which I will touch on. 

Brother Ebony speak about two ordinary fellows with whom he worked; one fellow name is Sandy and the other fellow name is Indian. He said that he thought both guys, being employed in the same field as he is they were as poor as he was; however, he was shock when he discovered both these guys has or owned bays. Ebony was speaking of: Sandy bay, a City that is inhabited by the S.V.G original indigenous people the Kallinago (Carib) and Indian Bay an affluent beach front suburban neighborhood just west of Kingstown. 

This is a good example of hidden or forgotten Vincentian folklore, that exist only in practice. A practice that has existed for about 300 years that we often take for granted. Which is, the use of the word Indian to rename a person of East Indian descent. This is one of the post emancipation spin-off of that exist even up to today.

After Slavery; the British slave owners, were adamant that they were not going to employ the ex-slaves; as a result, they brought in workers from East India to replace the labor forced that were now free men and women. Those Indians migrant workers, lived worked in poor condition and did menial work. Because their names were too difficult to pronounced, they were often referred to as: "Indian."

Today that part of the history still lives on and made its way into this song. It will be interesting to note, a person of East Indian descent, who is call Indian, is often one who is involved in trade work or working with their hands. This have lived on for centuries and is still in play today. However, it is also important to note, this does not carry over to members of the East Indian community who are academic professionals, such as nurses, teachers doctors etc. 

Brother Ebony also spoke of a Trinidadian man from Trinidad name south, Ebony claimed that “South” has a river, referring to the rural city of South Rivers on the windward side of the island. Embedded in this line of the song is also Vincentians folklore we often take for granted. For some strange reason, Trinidadians are either Trini or Southie, south which is short for Southie. These name are not given to a Trinidadian randomly, these names are systematically given with some unconscious deliberation.

Let me explain, a Trinidadian who is called Trini by Vincentians, is one whose character the community cannot make up their mind on, or one who is considered a tricky-dadian a possibly con man. While Southie on the other hand, is one who is love and is considered one of us, while we treat both the Trini and the Southie with respect and love, Trini is the disco pal and Southie will be invite to the house party among family and friends. We will hang at the bar and bun a spliff with Trini but Southie may get an invite to the house. Trini is a pal while Southie is a brother. 

Brother Ebony spoke of a man name Paul, and he claimed he did not Paul own a lot and an avenue. Here Brother Ebony speaks of the deprived neighborhood in the Kingstown that is called Paul’s Lot, and one of the roads that lead into Paul’s Lot is call Paul’s avenue. There are two reference that I particularly like that I must also mentioned before I complete this discourse. 

The first one is the mention of a chinses fellow call Long, Brother Ebony said he did not know that Mr. Long has a wall. Here he is referring to the small village that call long wall, I don’t think that this place is officially name, but it is historically call long wall because of the long wall vehicle protection barrier that is always brightly painted white. Brother Ebony spoke of a man call Paget who have a farm in Bequia. In this analogy Brother Ebony speaks of a popular city in the small grenadines Island call Bequia which is called Paget Farm. 

This song is a master piece, a rear type of song in the calypso world. To listen to this song please click the link to listen to this song. 

Who will win the 2018 calypso monarchy in SVG and why

There is a always a great deal of controversy that is associated with the S.V.G Calypso Monarch competition; however, there are somethings we must consider, when adjudicating St. Vincent and the Grenadines exhibition of Local talent. 

One thing we must never forget is: the Calypso Monarch competition, is not a singing competition, if it was a singing competition, then an artist will not be required to present a new composition in order to be eligible to make the tent and therefore be qualify to be judge. Therefore, the Calypso competition is more of a song writer/performers competition, and it should be adjudicated as such. It is strange that over the years, some of the worst written songs seems to slip through to the finals and in some cases winds the competition. 

When we speak of the best written songs in the finals of the 2018 Calypso Monarch competition we must look any further than the following songs in no particular order. 

· Shaunelle McKenzie’s: Life is not fair; 

· Abijah’s: Visions 

· CleoPatea: Commonsense 

These songs represent a calypso fan, and a song writer’s delight. It will be difficult for any panel of judges to determine which of these songs is the best written song, it will therefore boil down to one’s preference in topic that is being address. 

When we speak of the best vocals in the finals of the 2018 Calypso Monarch compaction we must look no further than the following voices in no particular order we have. 

· Shaunell Mc Kenzie 

· Shene Collis 

· And Man Zangie

Although the quality of an artist voice can greatly contribute to the quality of the performance we must not forget the Monarch is not a singer’s competition. And therefore the superior vocalist should not have an advantage over a well written song. 

There is a valid point that I don’t think the judges take into consideration, and that is the artist, who have adapted the song, to the point that they give the audience, an actual visual of the situation the singer is presenting. Their presentation of the song was as such, that they used the correct vocal emotion tones that cause a semi-holy wedlock between the artist and the song. Therefore the performer personalized the message within the song.

Let us consider the following song and the artist and the level of reality they brought to the song. In these cases the audience can actually visualize the circumstances and the mood under which the song was penned. Let us consider the following artist who did just that in the rendition of their songs; I will begin again with: 

1. Shaunelle Mc. Kenzie and her song "Life is not fear," when you listen to the lyrics in this song as presented by shaunelle, one can actually feel the vocal emotions that Shunelle presented in this cry of a father. Had it not been the clash between the vocalist gender and the lyric within the song one would have thought that Shaunelle was relating her own experience. Shunelle Mc. Kenzie rendition of her song for Vincy Carnival 2018 "Life isn’t fair" is a good example of a marriage that have taken place between the artist and the song. 

2. Abijah also accomplished this with his political social commentary Vision. Listening to Abijah one is transported to one of the many people’s parliament (Side Walk gathering that discusses politics and other social issues) around the country and you will get the feel of humor mingled with serious dialog that is a part of theses gathering. 

3. Sulle also accomplish this aspect with his song "Rape Yourself." Sulle took a serious topic and put a comedic spin on the topic while offering a real remedy to a problem that is hitting crisis stage in St. Vincent and the Grenadines: the issue of rape. The speed of the song, the fun with which the song is rendered, transport the listeners to a fun you can hear people on the block discussing serious topic, while others comes up with funny and outrageous; yet practical solution to the problem. 

I am of the opinion that there are four artists that has a real opportunity to take the title unless something goes extremely wrong. And they are in no particular order:

1. Abijah

2. Shaunelle Mc Kenzie

3. Cleopatra 

4. Shena Collis.

These are the singers with the best songs, three of the better voices in the competition and all things equal I expect one of these people to take the crown.

However, all things are not equal in the competition because in my opinion; Man Zangie was handpicked to win the 2018 Monarchy, this is because the powers that be are not concerned with the developing of the art of Calypso but rather they are concerned with dictating the way people think, what topic they sing on or choose to address with their writing talent.

The Corrupt Ralph Gonsalves administration have an unwritten rule, and that is no political social commentary no matter how well that song is written and how well the song is performed especially if Ralph Gonslaves and his ULP party is at the butt of their critique, will ever win the Monarchy. So Sorry Abijah by virtue of a political mandate you are disqualify from the reward your talent could have brought you in another era. 

As I discuss with the review with Man Zangie song, I concluded that his song is an essay with a good chorus line, lot of music, vocal tricks, vocal enhancment and demonic spells to persuade the audience that they are having a good time and the song is good. This scenario will be played out in the finals and the artist who have worked their ass off, in creating a masterpiece of a song and the effort to present a good showing will not be rewarded. 

You may say, if they have put demonic codes in Zangie’s recordings, they cannot affect the live performance. To Broadcast demonic spell in a live performance is easy, and Ralph Gonsalves have been actively doing this in his political meetings. Most mixing boards has many unused tracks, all that is required; the person who is tasked with mixing the music, used one of the available track,  connect any old MP3 player and cause the demonic signals to be broadcast two notches below the actual music you will never know what happen.

Most of the Calypsions have already get the message. Hence the reason why, in a country where there is so much politically calypso worthy topic, that is being created each day; there is so little political commentary being sang.

It is a cheap price for whipping the stubborn people like Abijah, Patch Knights, I-Madd, Rejector and The Man Manage into line. The objective is to take the people's attention from Ralph Gonsalves and his UPL incompetence  and their immoral behaviors.