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Mar 04, 2013 News
The Alliance For Change (AFC) has termed as “Culturecide”, the pulling from the National Communications Network (NCN) of this year’s calypsos, which contained lyrics decrying corruption and government excesses.
“From what I understand there is a screening process that the calypsos go through, so it is surprising that such action was taken to pull the calypsos off the radio,” Member of Parliament for the AFC Catherine Hughes recently noted.
“I would have thought that items that would not be eligible under whatever terms, would have been taken off, but an explanation given for the reason behind such a decision, it is disheartening.”
Hughes noted that calypsos in any part of the region have always been about social and political commentary for years with a satirical nature, and as such they should be respected for their significance.
“That like saying we can’t comment on our culture and daily lives.”
However, Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn who was the person that visited NCN with a disapproval of a certain calypso said that there was no formal discussion in Cabinet to ban any of this year’s anti- government songs.
He further charged that if there is any good to come out of the matter, he would hope “that proper, appropriate vetting of calypsos would be done and at the standard of lyrics and satire that one expects in calypsos and Soca be improved.”
The Minister emphasized his belief that he had the right as a citizen and a Minister to go down to the station and speak out against something that “Impacted me.”
The Calypso community has however condemned the ban.
Veteran Calypsonian Geoffrey Phillips, aka ‘the Mighty Rebel’ and President of Calypso Association, took offence.
Rebel and calypsonians charged that nothing was degrading, vulgar or disrespecting about the tunes as the information revealed in the songs came from information in the public domain. Many also charged that the purpose of the ban was to silence the reigning Calypso King, Lester ‘De Professor’ Charles, whose winning calypso hammered a few members of the administration.
However, fear of retaliation from Linden, where he hails forced the NCN to pull all the 2013 tunes.
The calypsonians said that the act is, “Damaging to Mashramani, and damaging to the entire calypso fraternity.”
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