Ready to claim 2010 Calypso monarchy
While some are yet to think of Christmas, one calypsonian is thinking of the 2010 Republic celebrations. A sharp contrast to the average 24 year old, Kenroy Sherwarth Fraser aka ‘Mighty Believer,’ is one of the nation’s youths working to keep the calypso art form alive amidst popular talk of its decline.
Many veterans have publicly sounded an SOS to save the art form from total demise locally and he believes that it will live again with more input from all stake holders including Corporate Guyana.
Calling for promoters to include Calypsonians in their programmes as a remedy, he says there is also a need for more unity among calypsonians and if he has his way, he could become the 2010 senior Calypso Monarch.
The one time Junior Calypso Monarch with several 2nd and 3rd place prizes, graduated to the senior competition three years ago always made it to the final round but has never placed in the top three.
Much more prepared this time around, the youth believes that he has what it takes in composition, delivery style and stage performance to win the 2010 monarchy. “I’m putting all calypsonians on notice that I believe that the 2010 Calypso Monarchy is mine.”
Fraser who has already completed his composition for the 2010 Mashramani competition said he’s “coming to blow the crowd and the judges away” with a song that focuses on Guyana being the true El Dorado.
Hesitant because of the non-existence of modern copyright legislation he does not have any professional recording but boasts an ever growing repertoire of “lots of Calypso, culture and reggae music” which he is hoping to record and release as an album in a year’s time.
Calypso lovers would recall his composition “everybody calling for a change” that dealt with issues during the crime wave. There is also the humour reality check song titled “man in woman suit” which details a hypothetic tale of meeting a beauty and taking her home only to find out that she was really a he in disguise. In another memorable song of his was tasked as doctor with injecting a sick woman who was in too much pain.
Graduating in his writing skills this year he went conscious singing ‘whatever a man sow that’s what he would reap’ and spoke to politicians and the man in the street telling then that “the evil that you do will follow you.”
On calypso and the Music industry
The artiste opines that the music industry will develop but he has observed that the main players are more focussed on money. “There is much talk of the development of the industry but I realise that most studios have their favourites and bias for friends and relatives and it shows in their production which to me is harming as opposed to helping,” he said.
“I believe that the art form is hard pressed and suffocating to some degree because calypsonians are self censoring their compositions for fear that they would be sidelined.”
Good soldier
A soldier by profession who exudes positive vibes, the married father of two hails from Belladrum Village West Coast Berbice, loves engineering and does just that as an able rating in the Coast Guard Unit of Guyana Defence Force.
Coming from a family of military men, he boasts six years in the GDF and contrary to reports from some who have opted to AWOL (go absent without official leave) he say “the army is a good place” that offers much opportunities to youths as they serve their country.
Originally he signed up for the minimum three years in the military but notes that since signing up in 2004 “I was able to qualify myself as an engineer, improve my qualifications and I have also benefited from training locally and overseas.” Optimistic that he might one day be Chief-of-Staff of the armed forces he said above all the army is ideal for discipline and bringing one’s body and mind to the same level where one can be all that one wants to be through commitment, dedication and discipline. He enjoys weight lifting, writing and composing but says he’s totally into engineering. He joined the army for three years but has stayed on for six and he says he has no plans to quit anytime soon.
By: Mondale Smith