Contrast & Compare... (nah man Cro Cro, wrong way brother)

Listening to the words of Cro Cro's offering for the Calypso Monarch 2011 Compare and Contrast, all I can say is that we as a nation must have evolved past this level of racist hate and prejudice by now, hasn't anyone told Cro Cro?

Here is an excerpt from the song in question:

"Shame on Hazel Brown, look how all yuh have black woman head dragging on the ground. If Rosa Parks was alive hear what she'd a do, put you in de back of de bus and spit on you. So...on you Brown I frown, give African back they head tie and gown. I'm so disappointed in you woman, another lick bottom African"

Really Cro Cro? 

So political choice MUST be made based on skin color and no other criteria?

And what of all of this disrespect for a woman who is a long serving activist for oppressed people in this country, is this the standard of your contribution and the level you are stooping to?

Here's more:

"Take example from Indian people, they still have Basdeo Panday on a pinnacle; so Clevon Raphael, Andy johnson and Sprangalang, all ah dem is lick bottom African. All yuh sell we out, look how all yuh have people suffering all about,I waiting for all ah all yuh for emancipation - hypocrite, weak, lying, lick bottom African."

Cro Cro you ought to be as ashamed of yourself for reducing the art form to this.

Regardless of your views on anything, you must know that you cannot sow the wind and not reap the whirlwind; what happens if your East Indain brothers decide to reply in kind or worse?

And what of Dr. Rowley and the PNM, do they support this filth disguised as calypso?

"How come i ent hearing from anybody, how come they don't protest like nineteen seventy, where is Khafa Kambon and Moroko Omay, the so called conscious men ent have nothing to say..."

What exactly is Cro Cro calling for here?

I am not an Attorney, but these lyrics border on the seditious; as a public figure Mr. Weston Rawlins ought to know better and should be made to account for these statements. Like many of my Trinbagonian brothers and sisters I love calypso with a passion, ESPECIALLY social commentary, but to quote my 'judicious pardner' - "dat ent it."

This country MUST observe the contract we sing with and to each other when we sing our National Anthem about every creed and race finding an equal place here, and I call on ALL Political Party and other civic leaders to distance themselves from this obscenity and thinly disguised attack on the country as a whole.

I would like to suggest that if Mr. Rawlins does not like living in a plural, multi-ethnic  society he ought to leave. 

I would also like to suggest that the National Carnival Commission should not in all good conscience promote this filth to the world as our culture unless it is preceded and followed by a disclaimer that this is the ranting of one immature person whom we tolerate and allow because we try to respect our freedom of speech.

That said, we should also understand that freedom of speech does not give anyone the right to yell fire in a crowded theatre for fun, nor does it give anyone the right to use national events to peddle race hate drivel to the population under the guise of singing calypso.

The plight of the Afro-Trinidadian goes far beyond the recent loss of political power and no racially charged calypso is going to begin to address any of those issues. Cro Cro sounds like a spoilt child throwing a tantrum in this song and I daresay he speaks for no one.

It is clear that we will need guidelines at some point if artists cannot be trusted to regulate themselves, and maybe TUCO itself should supply these as no external agency wants to sound as if it is promoting censorship of any kind.

This is a scandal against all of the people of Trinidad & Tobago, and I sincerely believe that were he to win with this racist tripe it would hasten the demise of the art-form and consign calypso to a fringe act where racists and madmen gather to rant.

Something to think about...