I kinda shock to see Kurt Allen didn't make the Calypso Monarch finals, eh. Like coming first in the TUCO social commentary and nation building categories not good enough to qualify a man to compete for the monarchy? Or is spite they spite him for the way he mock them with the song #2?
I was at Kurt Allen tent the other day–the Barrack Yard Tent Experience–and I know I wasn't the only one who laugh like hell at he lyrics.
In case you didn't hear it yet, is a song about how he come number two in Calypso Monarch so much times in the last few years, he must be the Number Two King. As a tribute to that he decide he go sing a number two song, with number two lyrics and number two melody. He even say he go give a number two delivery.
In truth, the performance was boss. Kurt squat down like he in the bush–the number two position–and buss he lyrics ratatatat with a very suitable urgency, given the theme.
Is a commentary on the state of calypso that maybe fall on fallow ground if he ent make the finals.
But I really set out to write about the Barrack Yard Tent Experience.
Kurt set up a tent outside in the Napa car park by the Savannah, and if you didn't know about it, now you know. It real bess. You should go.
It not like the typical tent. Taking inspiration from GB classic line, "Out of them barrack yards, calypso rising," Kurt and he people make a set like a barracks yard in truth. If you see it: long-time wood house squeeze-up squeeze up, and down to a latrine with a flambeau showing you where the toilet is.
It even have the village "bad thing" in a piece of pants and a tight vest trying to put moves on the men and them.
Miss Rosie (played by Theresa Hope), a village elder, putting on a show in the yard with neighbourhood people performing and visitors like the Last Badjohn of Calypso–Allen self–Myron B, and Stalin and David Rudder and so on dropping in.
I vex too bad I didn't see the pre-show the night I went last week Wednesday. I reach minutes to nine, and miss people like the Alternative Quartet and thing. When I walk in, Learie Joseph was on stage doing he "Cars" routine and the audience rolling with laugh. Then Wendell Etienne come and jump in as a kind of obeah/smartman and is that kill me. When Trini comedy working, it real working.
Miss Rosie, the MC, was a next one make me laugh. When she friend Tan Tan Britain (Rhoma Spencer) pull up in she Union Jack apron, half drunk already and with a dirty, dirty mouth, that was a next bellyful. Britain jokes is the kind of old talk you does get in a rumshop when everybody well in their cups: deadly and honest. I really enjoy she two-three monologue and she and Rosie had a exciting energy crackling between them on stage.
This is a tent, so you go get kaiso–Myron B and Helon Francis was there the night I went, and both of them had me shaking my head even when I was laughing.
Helon Francis two tunes was social commentary, and Myron B own too. But Myron B add in he own kind of humour in the tunes he sing (not to mention the extempo war he had with Wendell Etienne character on stage). When you see Myron B sing about Ebola, you have to understand that is not the actual disease he singing about. When the man sing about how a certain politician warn he wife about how she could get "lick down" from DJs, and how he (the politician) fraid Ebola, it make me say, "Whaaaaat!"
Kurt Allen heself wasn't too backwards with lashing the same (ex-) minister. As you would expect in a calypso tent it had plenty political intrigue. Up to David Rudder and all jump in the fray, dispensing licks with a cocoyea broom and making the audience count to 34 before he hit the final lash while the audience bawl out, "Move!"
Is years now I watching the 3Canal show and saying is a innovation in the calypso industry to combine theatre, music and mas, but how nobody never try to take the calypso tent to that kind of level other than them. I glad to see that the Barrack Yard Tent Experience doing their own version of indigenous calypso theatre.