Call for calypsonians to expand horizon

Rabess wants calypsonians to expand into the wider Caribbean
Rabess wants calypsonians to expand into the wider Caribbean

Cultural project Officer in the Ministry of Culture, Gregory Rabess, has made a call for local calypsonians to expand their horizon and consider the wider Caribbean market.

Rabess was speaking at a press conference for the 12th Annual King of Kings Calypso Extravaganza held at the Calypso House in Bath Estate earlier this week.

“We need to expand our horizon and consider the wider Caribbean market,” he said. “We may want to also consider a sort of movement, an enterprise. I remember many years ago the Bajans did what they called a ‘Bajan Invasion,’ basically, you know this new wave of calypso coming out of Barbados, and they put it together with a backup band and they literally invaded Trinidad. They did a tour of Trinidad with that sort of new wave calypso.”

He suggested that Dominican calypsonians should think of a similar concept

“Think about a Dominican invasion, invading the other Caribbean islands and of course further afield; in London and Toronto,” he noted.

He said the suggestion goes to E-Dominica Promotions and Productions, the main organizer of the King of King show, as well and the Dominica Calypso Association.

“If we all come together and make those things happen, it will have a positive impact on the economy of, not only the calypsonians, but some of the immediate beneficiaries in the cultural industry sector that benefit from events such as these and festivals and carnivals,” Rabess explained.

Meantime he noted that calypso is a very important cultural export product for Dominica and the role of the Diaspora is very important in the consumption of cultural products and the marketing and promotion of cultural products.

Rabess encourages persons to turn out in large numbers and continue to support the King of Kings event.

The King of Kings Calypso show is to take place in New York on August 22.

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12 Comments

  1. June 27, 2015

    Dominicans are versatile musicians with the ability to create music,in several genres.calypso, cadence, soca,reggae bouyon.just accept what ever music produced as the work of dominicans music.

  2. June 26, 2015

    The workers in the music business in dominica must get paid when they deliver services.too many executive producers take the works of dominicans musicians,cause they give them some free studio time and never pay the musicians.your idea is a good one,but let us make sure that workers at home are paid when they deliver services.

  3. Francisco Telemaque
    June 26, 2015

    “calypsonians to expand their horizon and consider the wider Caribbean market.”

    This is another crap of a chicken defecating white, turned around and sees it; commenced crackling believing it produced an egg!

    Calypso has been a cultural art which commenced in Trinidad & Tobago; since then it has circulated the entire Caribbean especially among the English speaking islands. From Guyana on South America to Jamaica, in the North, the art is known; even in Belize in Central America.

    S, when this clown believes to himself that he is saying something it must be construed he is like the chicken looking back at it own feces!

    Calypso has been around for more than a hundred years. Even prior to Slinger Francisco (Sparrow) the Harry Bellafonte and guys like Farrakan brought calypso to North America, Farrakan took it to Canada, before he became Minister Farrakan to the nation of Islam he is born of Jamaican parents. Harry even went to Trinidad and brought people such as the late…

    • Francisco Telemaque
      June 26, 2015

      Harry even went to Trinidad and brought people such as the late great saxophonist Frankie Francis, and the late Paul Oxley who played saxophone backing the best, Sparrow, Melody, the late King fighter, the late Lord Blakey, and others played Vegas on a regular shows with Harry Bellafonte performing for many years, yet calypso never took root in America.

      Meanwhile Lord Kitchener the late lived in England half of his life promoting calypso, even last week I heard a very old song of his, played on BBC 2 yet calypso never took root in England, most foreigners who visited the Caribbean will testify that calypso is the happiest music on earth, nevertheless, they do not buy calypso and take it home to listen.

      So where on earth are the Dominican calypsoins going to expand this market? In the West Indies if a calypso is good people like it they will buy the song, but there are no special market for a Dominica calypso.

  4. Memory
    June 25, 2015

    Mr Fontaine while I agree with you pertaining to the cultural officer talking about invasion of calypso you are right we have our own music created by the The Exile Ones which went world wide.what i do not like is you saying that Groovers copied the music, no this was CREATED by Exile for us all to love and enjoy. There was many version of The Cadence in every corner of Dominica every band in that time played that music from Grammacs to Swinging Stars,so it is not right to choose Groovers of them all to say they copied,it was made for us. What the cultural department should do is take up the MANTLE and put Cadence back on top now that our Radio stations is heard around the world. Play more Cadence- Lypso on the radio and let the world know where it came from. There is no music harder than Cadence – Lypso and no musician can play it like the Dominican(dominichen)musician. And remember beside Exile Groovers had the hardest version.

    • Francisco Telemaque
      June 26, 2015

      Assuming you wish to bring back Cadence, and it is done in patios, who besides Dominicans, St. Lucian’s, who speaks patios will buy that music. Guadeloupe, and Martinique speaks French, so those who may buy that on the two islands are going to be Dominicans living there!

      You simply talk. I do not know If my brother still has his Band “Royalty Band” based in New Jersey, I went there one Summer, the band played in a festival, all they played were patios songs. The only people I saw dancing to their music were a few Dominicans.

      I ask my brother, what happen to Reggae, and the and all the other popular form of music, he told me all they are prepared to play is Dominica patios songs. I do not even know if they are still performing, because I never herd their music played on any radio in America, nor Canada. I have one of their release on CD! It is not easy as that clown believes!

  5. george Fontaine
    June 25, 2015

    How can you invade anywhere by copying Trinidad? You have your own brand of calypso…not gospel-lypso, yes Cadence-lypso…instead you refuse to understand it and its different formats and cling to one carnival up tempo type which the Groovers copied from Exile One..

  6. Jah Youth
    June 25, 2015

    I would like to encourage more unity and strength at home first before we plan any “invasion” Mr Cultural officer. Otherwise the “invasion” will be doomed before our” army” leaves the shore.

  7. me ner
    June 25, 2015

    wrong move with calypso, the idea you have relates to bouyon, that music is more marketable and has more potential to generate a wide you fan base.

    • gwen
      June 25, 2015

      100% in agreement …..one must be “blind” to not “see” that simple fact.

  8. Alex Bruno
    June 25, 2015

    Solid suggestion, Wòché la.

    I am keen.

    Please count me in. In fact, the export of Dominica’s culture through creative/performing arts and other such medium has been my main mission for years now. I hope to be invited to part part of any such conversation.

    The UNITED was is the best way.

    Peace.

    • Alex Bruno
      June 25, 2015

      …way. Excuse the typo.

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