trinidadexpress/featured-news/Hit-and-miss--288470241.html Hit and miss opening night for Kaiso House By Michael Mondezie Story Created: Jan 13, 2015 at 7:39 PM ECT Story Updated: Jan 13, 2015 at 7:39 PM ECT Technical difficulties, under-rehearsed material and mediocre compositions summed up a lukewarm start to Carnival 2015 for the Kaiso House Calypso Tent, on Sunday evening, at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts, San Fernando. With reigning National Calypso Chucky (Monarch Roderick) Gordon absent from the opening night’s cast, due to prior commitments, the spotlight fell on the controversial Mista Shak (Selvon Noel) and former monarchs Karene Asche and Duane O’Connor to set the tone for the tent’s season. Mista Shak, the most anticipated of the 25-member cast, certainly looked the part when he took the stage, in the latter part of the show, dressed like the main character from the Hitman game series. The packed auditorium, many of whom had fallen asleep in their chairs, sat up and welcomed the burly calypsonian with rousing applause. Shak, whose 2014 composition “Bois” earned him multiple encores on the calypso circuit last year, took aim at them with an impressive looking hybrid design of an AK47 and a guitar before delivering his 2015 offering “Target”. “Music is my weapon and I am the Kaiso Hitman, is bodow bow,” he declared to vociferous applause. His musical arrangement, melodies and diction on the night, however, clearly misfired as he was unable to make any connection with the audience, who politely clapped him off at the end of his three verses. He trained his sights on Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar and her Partnership Government, in his known aggressive style, but his lyrical delivery lacked the poise and timing of last year’s monster hit. “First on meh kaiso hit list/ my number one target/ is the mother of all the misfits/ queen of all this madness/ leader of these deceivers/ thieves and tot-tots squeezers/ she want five more years?/ well I putting on meh sniper gears/ and is bodow bow ah firing kaiso lyrics,” he sang enthusiastically pointing his “weapon” in the air. His diction, however, was unclear and hardly generated a response from the silent audience. Earlier, O’Connor, regally dressed in gold and black trimmings, received a king’s welcome after letting the audience know he was debuting his own composition after nearly two decades in calypso. Entitled “Stand Strong” the satirical piece, which questioned the effectiveness of a hunger strike in solving national problems, represented a decent effort for a first time composer. However, the audience seemed to expect more from one of the tent’s main acts. It was a frustrating night for the audience as several acts failed to deliver after promising starts. Bunny B (Neville Brown) threatened to steal more than just the show when he appeared in full jihadist wear, toy AK47 in tow, to question the reasoning behind the Prime Minister joining the global fight against the ISIS terrorist group when she has terrorists in her own cabinet right here to tackle. His high flying performance was shot down, however, when he rather comically forgot the lyrics to his encore verse. The forgiving audience joined him in the chorus line nonetheless singing: “She flying quite, quite, quite, quite, there/When they right, right, right, right here.” Dhoti man Snakey (Heaven Charles) and veteran Brown Boy (Knolly Brown) also received two encores each for their comical “Cyah Rhyme” and “Captain Rowley vs Penny”, respectively. Snakey continued off of his success on social media with the song which employs a series of limericks that don’t rhyme as expected, while Brown Boy zeroed in on the “licking” Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley served challenger Pennelope Beckles following the People’s National Movement internal elections last year. “Rowley lick she in Arima, Rowley lick she in Arouca... She tell de media she ain’t regret/she say is de best licking from a man she ever get,” he sang to raucous laughter. The performance of the night belonged to Asche, however, as her message of humility and servitude to a higher power was well received by the audience. Dressed in angelic white flowing garb with glittering rows of jewellery draped across her forehead, the former calypso queen’s delivery of “Every Knee Shall Bow” was near flawless earning her three encores and rousing applause. The Kaiso House will open its doors at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain on Monday at 7.30 p.m. Kaiso House 2015 Roster: Gene Tony De Guru (Doodnath Radhakisson) Bro. Musa (Anson Alleng) Lady Aisha (Elizabeth George) Bunny B (Neville Brown) Sharlan Bailey Marvelous Marva (Marva Joseph) Snakey (Heaven Charles) Allan Welch Bro. Mudada (Allan Fortune) Black Sage (Philip Murray) Brown Boy (Knolly Brown) College Boy Nessie (Jessie Stewart) Duane O’Connor Karene Asche Bro. Valentino (Anthony Emrold Phillip) Doppy (Wayne Dopson) Poser (Sylvester Lockhart) Mr Chucky (Roderick Gordon) Spicey (Tammico Moore) Mista Shak (Selvon Noel) Dee Diamond (Deneison Moses) n Genelle Bharat n Lani K (Jalani Kojo) n David Thompson
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 11:12:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015