Rishard Khan
rishard.khan@guardian.co.tt
The London family has achieved a clean sweep of this year's major calypso competitions, becoming, in a true sense of the word, a family of calypso royalty.
The feat was achieved Kaiso Rama at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, on Thursday night, when Ronaldo London added the 2019 Calypso Monarch crown to his cabinet. Singing Man's Imagination, Ronaldo beat Karene Asche (Loco and Broco) into second place while defending champion Helon Francis (What Coming Next) had to settle for third.
Hours before, his uncle, veteran calypsonian Brian London, became the Extempo Monarch after beat beating Phillip "Black Sage" Murray in the Extempo Final.
Just last week, Ronaldo had secured the Young Kings title while his brother Rivaldo, 17, had copped the Junior Calypso Monarch title on February 24 with his song “My Purpose”.
Speaking to reporters after the results were announced, Brian London attributed their results to God.
“Only God, nothing else. Nothing, nothing, nothing else…God is good,” a beaming Brian said.
Speaking about his nephews' victories, he said: “I think the future of kaiso is in good hands. You always hear the talk that kaiso dying. You always hear the old adage that kaiso dying and who going to stand up and take the reigns of kaiso and I think these young people have been standing up and holding on to the reigns and carrying kaiso along their backs.”
An emotional Renaldo, who at 21 was in the final for the first time in his career, said for him it was just another day singing calypso. However, he admitted his focus was on keeping calypso alive.
“I didn't have anything to lose being the youngest competitor in the competition so for me it ain't about the win, it's just about keeping calypso alive,” Ronaldo, who won $700,000 for his effort, said.
Singing the song which won him this year's Young Kings title, Ronaldo belted out his powerful lyrics and upgraded the visual effects he had from his previous outing. His calypso was a commentary of how the imagination of mankind had led to dark ambitions of greed and hate, something far from what God created him to be.
“Man start to imagine all kind of vague things, all kind of strange things. Imagine, man, start to imagine all kind of evil plans against his fellow man. Man start to imagine that he is a superpower, a next man land he must conquer until he start to oppress man,” he sung.
To visualise his message, Ronaldo's actors who were on stage with him incorporated the biblical story of Cain and Abel, the sons of the first man and woman placed on earth, Adam and Eve.
Earlier, Brian London set the stage for the historic achievement in the Ex-Tempo competition. London, the only person to ex-tempo to the Mary-Anne melody on the night, drew the topic “Ah Missing the North Stand” in the elimination round of the final.
With his playful words, London made no hesitation in poking jabs at the contestant who immediately preceded him, National Carnival Commission chairman Winston “Gypsy” Peters, who had spearheaded the removal of the North Stand.
London had the crowd's support with lines such as: “If you hadda blame somebody for that blame the NCC chairman called Gypsy” and claims that Gypsy might have pocketed the money which the chairman claimed he was trying to save by removing the stand.
In the final four, London faced off against Black Sage singing on the topic Publish Sex Offenders while Peters faced off against Myron “The Incredible Myron B” Bruce on the topic Trump is a Trap.
London and Murray moved to the final where they had to produce six verses on any topic they wished. From early on, London was the clear crowd favourite and in the end emerged victorious to win the competition and the $200,000 prize.
BOX
The results for the Calypso Monarch competition are as follows:
1. Ronaldo London - Man's Imagination
2. Karene Asche - Loco and Broco
3. Helon Francis - What Coming Next
4. Maria Bhola - False Alarm
5. Devon Seales - Two-Face
6. Winston "Gypsy" Peters - When Elephants Fight
7. Kurt "The Last Bad John of Calypso" Allen - Wha Yuh Say
8. Roderick "Chucky" Gordon - El Muro (The Wall)
9. Duane O'Connor - Respect
10. Joanne "Tigress" Rowley - Who Feels It Knows
11. Erphaan Alves - I Am
12. Stacey Sobers - Make T&T Great Again
13. Anthony "All_rounder" Hendrickson - Where are the Footprints
14. Alana "Lady Watchman" Sinnette-Khan - Pressure Does Buss Pipe
15. Dawren "Pharoah" Greenidge - Formula
16. Alex "Tobago Chalkie" Gift - Travel Advisory