Newly crowned San Fernando Calypso Monarch Mista Shak (Selvon Noel) is contending that the $12,000 first prize in the competition is nothing short of contemptuous for artistes and the art form. He said prior to entering the competition, he asked about the prize structure, but no one on the San Fernando Carnival Committee was able to give him an exact figure. He said he was only told the first prize was $12,000, days after he won. He said had he known before he would have been able to make a decide whether to enter the competition or not.
The artiste said it was not a case of sour grapes. He explained that he turned down an appearance fee of $30,000 to appear in the Dimanche Gras show as a reserve to perform his popular Blueprint. "It is about principle, about respecting the culture, the artiste," he said, adding that it cost him between $8,000 to $10,000 to compete from the preliminary to the finals of the competition.
"That prize money is a symptom of the general disrespect they have for calypsonians," said Shak whose position is being supported by San Fernando mayor Marlene Coudray and chairman of TUCO South/Central Zone Ras Kommanda (Steve Pascall). "It is an insult for the South Monarch to receive $12,000," Coudray said yesterday. "When I looked at what they were paying artistes to appear on a show . . . they were paying a band $15,000 as a guest artiste and the Monarch was singing for $12,000," she said.
Coudray explained that on the night Shak was crowned, she told Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Winston Peters what the first prize was. "He was shocked and promised to assist so we don't know as yet what the first prize will be," she added. The mayor chastised corporate and state agencies who refused to inject more funding into San Fernando Carnival.
She said with the limited funds at her disposal she had to run "a tight, tight Carnival in terms of all the overheads, just to try to keep some of the money to increase prizes." Kommanda, who also competed and placed fourth in the Carnival Wednesday night show at Skinner Park, agreed that such a prestigious title deserved a first prize of between $25,000 to $30,000. He said his pay packet for placing fourth was $4,000.
"Every year, is small money artistes getting in South, and this competition has spawned big name artistes like Stalin, Duke, Brian London, Ras Kommanda. "The brother has a point. I support him, his concerns are valid. Artistes should know what the prize structure is before entering into competition."