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Poor Revue turnout
... but Sugar Aloes, Pink Panther, Devon
Seale, Skatie on road to Big Stage |
| By
AZAD ALI |
THE Calypso Revue opened its doors on Saturday
night to a small but appreciative crowd at the Arima Velo-drome.
This is the second successive year that the turnout was disappointing.
The late Lord Kitchener began the launch of Calypso Revue about
two decades ago and the crowd has been dwindling over the past
three years.
Revue’s leading calypsonian Sugar Aloes feels that crime
has a part to play in fans stay-ing away.
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SUGAR
ALOES
always a favourite
with the crowd.
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Inspector
GEORGE
“Ollie” OLIVERIE
got the first encore
of the night.
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PINK
PANTHER
hoping to make
the finals of the
Calypso Monarch.
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He, however, noted that the crowd was still bigger than last year.
Even, Arima Mayor, Eustace Nancis, failed to show up to open the
Revue, which caused a half hour delay.
Revue manager Sonny Woodley could not explain the small audience.
But calypso fans were not disappointed as some of the big names
at the Revue like, Aloes, Pink Panther, Skatie, Devon Seale, were
in ripping form, getting encores.
Aloes, Panther, Skatie and Seale seem all set for the Savannah Stage,
Port of Spain, on Dimanche Gras night (February 26).
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Police Inspector George Oliverie, singing
under the sobriquet “Ollie” in the number three
position, got the first encore of the night with This Land
of Mysteries a calypso about the judiciary and justice.
Seale, who sang in the first half of the show, entertained
the crowd with Jack Strikes Back, imitating how football
chief Jack Warner stutters and how “he likes money”.
His composition is about how tickets to the FIFA World Cup
2006 were sold by a travel agency.
Denyse Plummer sang two numbers, one in which she observed
how politicians deal with crime.
In the second half, Panther’s Mr. Big received two
encores, which is a humorous calypso in the political category.
He gave an indication as to some of the people who might
be called “Mr. Big,” which sent tongues wagging
in the crowd.
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The
small crowd at the Arima Velodrome.
Public
Utilities Minister PENNELOPE BECKLES
having a chat with SUGAR ALOES, SKATIE
and SEALE just before the start of the show.
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Panther is hoping to make the finals of the Calypso Monarch this
year. Since 2000, he has not made it to the final in the competition.
For three consecutive years, 1998, 1999 and 2000, he was one of
the finalists in the Calypso Monarch at the Savannah on Carnival
Sunday night.
Skatie’s Picture of Trinbago, is also a classic in the political
commentary category, getting three encores for his performance as
a photographer.
Sugar Aloes, closed the show with three songs, God’s Creation,
UNC Commess and Trini Must Take A Wine, which were all hits with
the audience.
Others that gave good performances were newcomer, Simiji from West
Africa, Bally, The Organiser, Soca Elvis, Lady Tallish, Baron, Singing
Sonia and Princess Monique.
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