Long live the King, with a built in controversy

I have been going to the Caiso & Soca Monarch contest since the early days, when it was still called Calypso & Road March Contest, and was held at Lago Sport’s park.

The ballpark was a dustbowl and it frequently rained on the night of the big performance. I remember myself more than once, huddled under a table together with the radio station crew, trying to avoid getting soaked. Those were the days. Other years, well connected friends drove their pickup truck into the back of arena and we hung around the vehicle, which accommodated our bar, chairs, and umbrellas.

I was at the ballpark on one occasion when Calypso King was crowned at 7:04am, by a sleepy-eyed Prime Minister who was summoned out of bed to do the honors, when Mighty Talent won his umpteenth crown.

Fun.

In 2017, after two pre-final evenings, the Caiso & Soca Monarch contest pitched 10 original Calypsos and 21 new Road Marches against each other, Saturday night. Imagine a marathon of fifteen bands, at the Carnival Village in San Nicholas, a nicely paved arena built especially for these occasions.

We left Oranjestad at 7:30 to get to our destination in time for the second or third band, but as I heard on the radio they have not even started, we stopped for a beer and a snack at Mi Dudu Café, in Moko! What a great place, truly recommended.

We got to San Nicholas after 9pm, as the third band concluded its presentation. Carnival Village was filling up nicely.

We had a great musical evening. This is Aruba at its best, enjoying a good time, young and old, because as far as Caiso and Soca are concerned, everyone living here is an expert!

Applause to anyone who had anything to do with organizing the event from parking to security, to toilets, food & bar service, it was all smooth and satisfactory!

The concert was blissfully uneventful, until the magical moment, as the usually-lukewarm-crowd got on its feet to receive Blacky, the new Soca Monarch. He was the 20th singer to compete, backed by Tsunami, presenting a risqué song titled Slip and Slide, with tons of double entendre, about going in. The crowd also welcomed Calypsonian Mighty Talent Jr. warmly, when he presented News, with his father’s band Oreo.

If a singer moves the crowd, the crown is in the pocket. And they were the evening’s two big winners.

BUT not without controversy.

Most of my friends agree that Blacky should not have competed this year,

He was recently involved in a serious domestic violence incident which sent him to jail. But because he was released, his band immediately sent out a press release condemning violence against women, but welcoming their prized singer back, arguing the man was entitled to privacy and a personal life.

Blacky said he was sorry, adding he was also entitled to a second chance.

Then he went on to compete, winning the Soca Monarch 2017 crown. His song will be this year’s Carnival Road March, sounding along the parade routes, played by all bands. .

He won legitimately; he managed to move the crowd. It never fails to happen, one singer always wins instant public approval.

The Soca is catchy, the lyrics basic, it’s a fine Road March, but the issue of allowing celebrities to get away with bad behavior is apparently well and alive in Aruba.

My friends feel he was rewarded.

Welcomed out of jail with a warm embrace and a supportive circle of friends, many of them women.

I don’t know what to say, except that it happens everywhere.

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February 06, 2017
Rona Coster