They are going to be at it again this Saturday – calypsonians singing each other’s songs in a competition dubbed this year as “Challenging the Best”.
That summer show has in the past four years pitted finalists in the national calypso monarch competition against each other – in a contest labeled “Testing the Best”.
However a royalties dispute has resulted in finalists from writer Pat Aaron’s Mas Camp Tent staying away from the initiative this year.
So the format has changed slightly this year, with five finalists being challenged by five non-finalists.
Finalists Caressa, Checko, Tasha P, Web and Explosion will have to fend off strong challenges from Beno, Lugars, Hunter, Black Diamond and Comforter, according to show spokesman Alvin Knight.
“While you’ve practiced your song, you’ve done very well with it, but can you do another person’s song better than the person did, and that basically is what Testing the Best is all about,” Knight told DNO.
The show is expected to climax in a kaiso battle between former Trinidad and Tobago soca monarch Iwer George and Dominica’s own Daddy Chess.
The event is a fund raising initiative of the Catholic Engaged Encounter and Marriage Encounter.
“The money that we raise goes into Family Life,” Knight said, calling the show a good fund raiser that helps give calypsonians post-carnival exposure, while providing an opportunity for the calypso public to get a summer taste of the artform.
mi roro in Dominica. Dominicans will always remain the same. lolololololololololololololol.
how would you like to work and another man collecting your money, and you getting none outta it, and when u go direct to the employer for your money thay saying they already paying somebody for you so they cannot pay you direct,so the employer cannot pay you, the man collecting for you not paying you, would you continue to work?
@ Solomon i couldnt agree with you more. Pat have never gotten paid for his songs being used at the show while. Mark Marie is collecting royalties on behalf of the writers yet the writers dont get any money. The people that think this is a charitable organisation please explain what which charity have they donated anything to. there is no need for Iwer George to be at the show because the show will be a success with or without his presence.
Someone, Please explain that Royalties controversy, what is it? why the dispute? is it like copyright?
I doh care who sing and who doh sing but i dere for sure
The event is a fund raising initiative of the Catholic Engaged Encounter and Marriage Encounter….Are Gays and Lesbians invited.
Met Yo and Portsmouth, are you all going???
This show is organized by Marriage Encounter which is NOT a charitable organisation. Can someone please tell how have they helped anyone other than themselves. Pat is right to ask for money for HIS songs being used at a show that makes plenty money. Marriage Encounter was given other suggestions to make the money but they refused and simply sent a letter to the calypsonains saying they wont need them anymore for the show. All the calypsonians wanted was a little more money so they can pay their writer. Writers are entitled to get paid everytime their song is performed and played on the radio. They dont want to pay our calypsonians but they can bring down a foreign artist… and lets say is the sponsor that paying for the foreign artist…why didnt they ask the sponsors to use that money to pay our calypsonians instead?
its a shame we can’t see all the calysonians..we as a nation must learn to work as a cohesive unit for the betterment of our culture etc..some agreement could hav been made.Calypso is once a year..no wonder why calypso is like a bottle of wine..sweet and short..
For all the people concern that it is a charity raising event and think that the other calypsonians should have taken part i hope they will buy a ticket to the show as their form of contributing even if they are not going to the show. I waiting.
Deacon Knight and others, you must be encouraged and admired for your creativty in promoting the calypso art form. Let it be known that there was calypso before Pat and Dice, there is calypso with Pat and Dice and there will be calypso after Pat and Dice.
Black Diamond you got talent roll with it. Doh let greedy man hold you down.
Sa yo ti yo dit, enic par melee…..
Pat is a writer by profession,why should he not get paid for his work?
What is mark marie’s profession?
why we Dominicans love to hate people they cannot use as they want?
Calypso was there befor pat and Dice, it will be there after pat and dice;
But it sure is; BIGGER and BETTER with pat and dice, and all the haters know that in their hearts.
The show is a fund-raising event for a charitable organisation. So, why Pat Aaron and others are so uptight and uncooperative about their royalties?
So why can they pay Iwer George and M Marie and not pay pat?
The organizers forgot to tell Pat Aaron that it was a fundraiser for a charity?
From my understanding, Pat knows a lot about the show including its origin and purpose.
Additionally, many people know what the organizers are about, building sound family life and the proceeds from the show goes towards these efforts.
I think Pat Aaron, thinks that he is above calypso. That man always have some issue, year in, year out.
You sound as if you a jealous of Mr.Pat Aaron accomplishments if you dont know what the issue is all about why post baseless comment try and get the facts the next time around
If you really understood what was the truth then you would be more true to your name “Neutral” You obviously don’t know the truth. Pat have supported the show in the past and had never requested any payment however there are others who have been paid royalties for songs sang at the show. He simply requested a small fee for his works. Further why don’t you ask, why should Iwer George be paid for his works? Why should Iwer not do it for free and we just pay for his hotel accomodations?
Iwer George is not a calypsonian but a soca artist
@anonymous if the problem wasn’t that they couldn’t pay the others, what then was the problem?
DNO- missing information. where can I get my tickets please..
didnt know that Brain came up with the original idea???? Anyways it’s a real great initiative to keep kaiso alive after Carnival season….
so they can afford iwer and not pay …them ohter calypsonians ….hmmmm!!!!????
the problem wasn’t they cannot pay; as far as i know
So tell us what was the problem since U know…I waiting..because I KNOW….but go first…lol
Iwer George is not brought down by the organizers. Carib Beer as far as I understand is sponsoring his performance.
I am information to support that statement
@ signman and your point is? The point is in the music industry all over the world royalties have to be paid. I will say it again “The money being spent on Iwer George should be used to pay the calypsonians and the writers. Our Calypso finals are great with no foreign artists.
I wonder how much it cost them to bring Iwer down. The issue was indeed their reluctance to pay Pat Aaron royalties because they claimed after paying royalties to M Marie they would be unable to pay Pat, not even considering that he had not collecetd anything from them the previous years, yet they can bring down Iwer George.
Is because a certain writer wanted big money. That organization doing that show pays well and more so, they pay on the same night. Is greed that cause Mas Camp to be out.
And is He that talking about rightousness and patriortic…He knows it is a charity cause..
ALLU LIKE TO SAY WHAT ALLU WANT WITH ALLU MOUTH?
WHICH BIG MONEY THE MAN WANTED? AH?
ALLU LIKE TO RUN ALLU MOUTH, AND WHEN FOR ALLU TO RUN IT ALLU DOES KEEP QUIET AND ACCEPT ALL KINDA NONESENSE FROM POLITICIANS!
THAT’S ALL ALLU WORTH IN DOMINICA. THAT’S WHY THE PLACE UNTIDY AND UPSIDE DOWN.
Re-read the article, especially the part that speaks about the Mas Camp and the Royalties Issue.
Hats off to the organizers of this show and in particular the ‘brain’ who came up with that idea. Excellent avenue for calypsonians after carnival is over.