Time limit coming for Dimanche Gras singers
Posted: Tuesday, February 3, 2004
By Terry Joseph, Trinidad Express
Contestants in this year's national calypso monarch final may be faced with a performance time limit, a consideration that finds favour with the art's elder statesman, Calypso King of the World, The Mighty Sparrow.
Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) president Michael "Protector" Legerton yesterday said a fair time limit was currently under study, after public complaints about duration of the Dimanche Gras show, which is extended partly because of the length of some calypso presentations.
"The matter will have to be discussed at executive level before we can announce the actual maximum length of each performance but we know we have to do something about the situation that has been placed squarely in our lap," Legerton said.
"If, as the numbers show, Dimanche Gras is losing patronage and people are saying it is because of the length of the production and fingers are pointing at the calypso component, then we have to rise to that challenge and ensure that any reduction in appreciation of the event can no longer be blamed on us.
"Really, we cannot argue about culpability, because the records show that quite recently, one calypsonian took 23 minutes to deliver a single song. Dimanche Gras is not a musical but a number of competitions and in terms of the calypso element we also have to level the playing field, so it remains an issue of song quality and rendition and doesn't become a matter of the size of supporting cast the singer can afford.
"I think we all have seen enough negative comment about elaborate props and the kind of time this takes up and some singers even have a skit before the rendition, none of which constitutes a significant amount of points in the presentation aspect, so it is in the interest of everyone-performers, judges and audience-to define how long each contestant should be allowed on stage.
"And I think the public will appreciate this move," Legerton said, "because they have been the biggest complainers about this part of the show. Calypso used to be the pillar of the Dimanche Gras but lately we have actually seen people leaving after the first half, or worse, dozing off.
"In keeping with the all-round attempt to deliver tighter Carnival productions, we are proposing a time limit. Pan has done it for Panorama and the feedback I have heard has been positive. I believe we will get a similar response by putting a lid on the amount of time each singer spends on stage," Legerton said.
Asked to comment on the proposal, Sparrow said: "I think TUCO is well within its rights here. It is an excellent move to put a limit on the time a singer spends on stage. They have taken a good example from the steelband final, which uses a set of traffic lights to ensure performances do not go over the agreed time.
"No show is supposed to run as long as Dimanche Gras has run on particular occasions. The attention span of the average human being is being stretched to the hilt nowadays. The show must finish at a certain time and by putting the time limit, it will demonstrate that what is good for one must be good for all. It will not be unfair to anybody.
"I agree wholeheartedly with this TUCO initiative and I hope it gets the support of the other calypsonians too," Sparrow said.
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