De Calypso Fifth Amendment

AH had two one-dah-full Grand-fathers, one was Black, dat’s my father’s Father, who took de White man’s religion; he was ah Major in de Salvation Army who pride himself in full military uniform. And my Mother’s Father, “Pah-Nayne ah White (Irish) man,” took de African Black Man’s religion; he was ah Pointer/Leader wid de Shakers/Spiritual Baptist; he wore ah Robe.

Looking back as ah youth, worshipping back and forth between dem was interesting. In de Salvation Army dey played instrumental music, Brass wid Drums; at my Irish Grampa’s Prayers/Praise House, rhythm was provided by hand-clapping and foot tapping/jumping on de board floor, ah can still see Pah-Nayne in his Praise House proudly sitting at de main table wid nuff candles and flowers. And dey was one song in common dat ah remember both Houses of Worship sang ah lot: “We’re marching upward to Zion de beautiful city of Gold!” Thankfully, I can speak wid confidence dat dey have both gone to Zion to meet de Lord, de Creator of all Colour and Race.

Dis brings me to dis Zion, Mecca of de Rastafarian “Rasta” Black Man Religion; believers in de Most High God, Christ, Jah shortened foh Jehovah and so on. Ah very conscious group, dey study de Bible well. As ah result some have adopted strong Biblical names like: Josiah, Hezekiah, Jeremiah and of course dey’s Zion I, currently SVG’s most controversial and fearless Calypsonian at Carnival. He is famous or infamous foh his hard-hitting lyrics. He created quite ah stir last year, and dis year he is back. Lie-Za tells me: “ de Lion in Zion I is like Iron!”

So yes, Zion I has been around or in de Calypso Tent foh quite ah while. In his own style he is consistent wid his messages, anti-corrupt-shun, anti-crime, anti-victim-I-say-shun, anti- vax-scene, anti-bad go-venom-mint. Dis year he must have been warned to cover his tracks by staying within de limits of his Poetic Lie-sins, wid his biting social commentaries. Lie-Za say somebody must have told him dat if by chance he slip-up and finds himself too close to de edge, just be crafty like Calm-Low, use his disclaimer pull-it-tek-all-he “De Calypso Fifth Amendment”.

One ah de craftiest use of de word pull-it-to-kill-he ah ever heard was at ah ULP public meeting in Qual-ah-Quah. Dey was dis youthful and exuberant ULP speaker who in his address told de crowd: “ NDP must suffer and die” No disclaimer dat time. But when de “#2” hit de fan, fearing it woulda back-fire and he instead was likely to suffer “pull-it-tek-ill” he revisited de scene, repeated de statement, “NDP must suffer and die” he paused den added ah dis-claim-yah De Fifth. “Pull-it-to kill-he”.

Ah listened to “Zion I” 2024 Calypso in de Tent way he pull-it-tickling up de audience to unite and rid de country pull-it-tek-all-e of all de unworthy people in management. If Zion I has his way ah number ah people will lose dey arm, neck and even life pull-it-to kill-he.

De good thing about our Calypsonians is dat if or when dis regime is replaced, within ah few short years, some ah these same Calypsonians will be using similar lyrics and will be calling vehemently to immediately get rid ah dat Regime, pull-it-to-kill-he. So leave de Calypsonians alone, dey are de pull-it-to call thermometer of de will of de people. Long live Calypso.

And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.