Gypsy accepts blame for state of economy

Newly-crowned extempo champ and former government minster Winston “Gypsy” Peters yesterday accepted responsibility for the alleged mismanagement of the economy during the People’s Partnership term.

Peters, who fell out with the United National Congress after he was not selected to contest the Mayaro constituency, said everyone had to share the blame—himself included—for spending the “country’s money like crazy.”

He was responding to questions following the 2016 draw for positions in tomorrow’s final of the National Calypso Monarch Competition, which will be held at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain.

The draw took place at the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation’s (Tuco) Kaiso House.

At the semi-finals held at Skinner Park, San Fernando, on January 23, Peters’ performance drew some applause but plenty toilet paper waving from the audience.

Peters said: “I am not blaming anybody. I am blaming everybody including myself. All of us, because some people want to say this one do that and the other one do that, but we all spend the country’s money like crazy.

“Some people would say the government do that, but who did the government give the money to?” he asked, adding: “Those same people who complaining now, they get free thing here, free thing there. Freeness. Come to work and don’t go to work. They come to work and eh do what they supposed to do when they even there, and them same people complaining now about the money, and this one waste the money. We all waste the money. We all do the things that we do and that is what is unfortunate about this whole thing.”

Confident about his compositions ahead of tomorrow’s final, Peters said he had not done much preparing.

He said: “I am already prepared, I wrote my songs. I sang my songs. The judges came, they saw me, they selected me and I am going to the Savannah just the way I am. I don’t prepare for anything. I put my clothes on and go and sing.”

Asked how he felt to be singing in position number five, Peters said his wish came true when he pulled that number.

“I came here wanting position number five because I just like it,” he said, adding: “It is a good place to sing. You get a good feel somewhere between there as to what is happening and the mood of the people.”

Again expressing confidence in his ability, Peters said: “I am always confident in anything I do. My confidence is not easily shattered.”

Pressed to say if he had any surprises planned for the audience, Peters said: “I place the confidence in my songs so that is why I go on stage without anybody. I don’t believe in props.”

“I really believe that should be a separate category called visual aid or something because that is not presentation, that is a different thing. If you write a song and every time you have to go on stage to sing it, you have to carry something to depict it, then something is wrong with that song as far as I am concerned.”

However, he went on to describe his fellow competitors as “good.”

“I think they are all good people and good entertainers and singers. The young ones that are coming up and we have some veterans who are tested and proven, so we know everybody there, every shadow is a gunman.”

ORDER OF APPEARANCE

1 Marsha Clifton (Lady Adanna)

2 Victoria Cooper-Rahim (Queen Victoria)

3 Dr Hollis Liverpool (Chalkdust)

4 Karene Asche

5 Winston Peters (Gypsy)

6 Carlos James (Skatie)

7 Selvon Noel (Mistah Shak)

8 Weston Rawlins (Cro Cro)

9 Devon Seale

10 Heather Mac Intosh

11 Helon Francis

12 Roderick Gordon (Chuck) (2015 Monarch)