Festival Arts Dialogues
Festival Arts Dialogues, Talking Music: V.I. Calypsonians
4/30/2021 | 27m 51sVideo has Closed Captions
Halvor Hart III sits with Willis Pinney, Dr. Bernard Liburd, King Whadablee, and Gen Val.
Halvor Hart III sits with Willis Pinney, Dr. Bernard Liburd, King Whadablee, and General Val to chat about how they got into music, some of their role models, and the direction local music is going.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Festival Arts Dialogues is a local public television program presented by WTJX
Festival Arts Dialogues
Festival Arts Dialogues, Talking Music: V.I. Calypsonians
4/30/2021 | 27m 51sVideo has Closed Captions
Halvor Hart III sits with Willis Pinney, Dr. Bernard Liburd, King Whadablee, and General Val to chat about how they got into music, some of their role models, and the direction local music is going.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Festival Arts Dialogues
Festival Arts Dialogues is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship♫♫ >>> WELCOME TO THE FESTIVAL ARTS SERIES BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE DIVISION OF FESTIVALS.
I AM YOUR HOST FOR TODAY´S DISCUSSION.
TODAY´S DISCUSSION IS ON V.I.
CALYPSO AND VNCHT I.CALYPSONIANS.
WE ARE HERE AT THE ONE AND ONLY, LEGENDARY HOME OF CALYPSO, NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
THERE´S MO MORE FITTING AREA TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION BUT WHERE CALYPSO ORIGINATED.
TODAY ON THE SET WE WANT TO KEEP IN MIND PLAN AHEAD AND WE´RE GOING TO TAKE IT TO A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.
TODAY ON MY LEFT, WE HAVE OUR PANELISTS.
WE ARE GOING TO START OUR DISCUSSION, WHERE CALYPSO CAME FROM, WHERE IT´S GONE AND HOW IT CAN REVIVE OUR CULTURE.
WE´LL START OUT HERE WITH THE GENERAL ON MY FAR LEFT.
>> GLAD TO SEE YOU HERE.
GLAD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD TO BE HERE.
>> THE HISTORY ABOUT YOU, CALYPSO, YOUR SINGING, HOW IT STARTED.
>> STARTED FROM ANTIGUA, YOU KNOW.
FROM THEN A CAME HERE AND WITH MY BROTHER PLAYING BASS.
THE SCHOOL THERE.
>> JAMIE.
>> FOUR-PIECE.
START WITH FIVE SOUNDS.
WENT TO THREE OR FOUR.
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
>> NEXT ONE NEXT TO ME HERE, BANANA MAN HIMSELF.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> GLAD TO SEE YOU.
LIKE TO SEE A SMILE ON YOUR FACE.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROLE IN MUSIC, YOUR ROLE ASN CALYPSO, HOW YOU GOT THERE.
>> WELL I REALLY GOT MY FIRST TASTE OF CALYPSO FROM REALLY AT THE CHURCH.
I THINK IT WAS ONE CHRISTMAS TIME WITH MY PARENTS.
GOING TO THE SEVEN ADVENTIS CHURCH.
WE WENT TO CHUVEN.
THE CHOIR WAS SINGING AND THEY CAME TO THIS HYMN, O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL.
I KNEW PART OF THE SOUND.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
WHEN THEY SAY.
"COME AND BEHOLD HIM ♫ THE ONLY PART I KNOW.
I DIDN´T KNOW THE WORDS SO I SHOUTED OUT -- ♫ DI DI DI DI ♫ BUT I WASN´T PERMITTED TO LISTEN TO CALYPSO BEING FROM A SEVEN ADVENTIS FAMILY.
ST. THOMAS, I USED TO GO TO MY ROOM AND LISTENED TO CALYPSO.
THAT WAS PROHIBITED.
SO FROM THEN I JUST STARTED TO LISTEN TO A LOT OF CALYPSO.
I LOVE SWAULO.
THE BEST, MIGHTY SPARROW.
ONE I HAVE TO MENTION, RASHAD.
BECAME VERY INSPIRATIONAL TO ME.
EXACTLY, EXACTLY.
EXACTLY, EXACTLY, EXACTLY.
SO FROM THEN I STARTED PLAYING IN SCHOOL, WHEN I CAME OUT OF SCHOOL.
AND COME AND RESCUED ME.
RECRUITED ME.
HE WAS MY SCHOOLMATE.
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE A LITTLE FURTHER IN THE MUSIC.
POPULAR THEN.
SWING.
AND FROM THEN THE REST IS HISTORY I WON FIVE CONSECUTIVE CALYPSO.
>> THAT´S WHAT I´M TALKING ABOUT.
TO THE GENTLEMAN ON MY RIGHT.
THE ONE AND ONLY.
IN JUNIOR HIGH.
TOOK THE CARIBBEAN BY STORM.
GO THROUGH YOUR HISTORY AND THE BIG SOUND.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT?
>> I STARTED IN ST. CROIX WITH A BAND CALLED FLIPPERS.
I WAS A GUITAR PLAYER AND SINGER.
WE HAD TWO NUMBER HITS IN 1976.
AFTER THAT, THE FLIPPERS, I WENT SOLO.
AND IN 1980, CHRISTMAS, I WENT DOWN AND I SAID WHAT?
I STUDIED BAN ALONG.
BECAME A BANDOLOGIST.
♫♫ ♫ DON´T FORGET ♫ ♫♫ ♫♫ >> IN BETWEEN GENTLEMEN.
>> YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
>> AT THE TIME.
>> IN BETWEEN GENTLEMEN, YEAH.
>> COMEDIAN.
>> A GOOD COMEDIAN.
A REAL CHARACTER.
>> HE HAD A WHOLE ENTRY.
>> CAME TO ST. THOMAS RIGHT AFTER THAT.
>> AND THAT WAS IT?
>> THAT WAS IT.
>> IN TERMS OF CALYPSO, I LIKE TO WRITE ABOUT EVENTS.
MADE A SONG.
YOU HEARD THE SONG?
♫♫ ♫♫ >> WE HAVE A LEGEND BY ITSELF.
COMES FROM A FAMILY OF MUSICIANS.
ONE AND ONLY.
>> YES, SIR.
>> YOU TALK ABOUT MUSIC, LARGE AND IN CHARGE.
>> LET ME ANSWER YOUR LAST QUESTION FIRST.
I DIDN´T RECRUIT YOU BECAUSE YOUR BELLY WOULD HAVE BEEN BIG ER THAN MINE.
YOUR FATHER WAS ALREADY MY FRIEND.
I KEPT IT AT THAT LEVEL.
>> YES, YES.
>> YOU WERE LIKE A NEPHEW TO ME.
ONE LOVE.
MY CAREER ACTUALLY STARTED IN SCHOOL.
WELL, BEFORE THAT, MY FATHER USED TO ALWAYS LOVE MUSIC.
HE WOULD BRING MUSIC HOME BACK IN THE EARLY ´60s AND ALL THE CALYPSO YOU COULD THINK ABOUT.
SPARROW.
ESPECIALLY SPARROW.
HE LOVED SPARROW.
AND THEN THE BROADER SCRIPTURE WITH ALL THOSE OTHER GUYS THAT WE REALLY LISTEN TO.
THEN WE STARTED WITH THE FREEDOM BROTHERS.
THAT´S WHERE WE STARTED.
AND THEN WHEN I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL, I USED TO GO EVERY AFTERNOON AND PICK UP THE BAND.
I WOULD PACK IN ALL THE EQUIPMENT TO GO OUT AND PLAY.
I WAS WITH THE FREEDOM BROTHERS THEN.
AFTERWARDS WE CHANGED THE NAME FROM THE FREEDOM BROTHERS.
YOU SEE ALL THEM BANDS, THEY LEARNED FROM US.
LESLIE, THE DRUMMER FROM IMAGINATIONS, ALL THOSE GUYS.
A LOT OF THOSE GUYS PASSED THROUGH AND THEN SPREAD THEIR WING.
MY MOTHER IS A VERY GOOD SINGER.
MY AUNT, SHE´S A KEYBOARD PLAYER.
THE WHOLE FAMILY PLAYS INSTRUMENTS AND ALSO MY TWO BROTHERS PLAY WITH ME IN THE BAND.
THAT´S IT.
WE WENT ON TO DO BIGGER THINGS.
IF I SEE SOMEBODY.
>> WHEN WE LOOK AROUND TODAY, WE REALIZE THAT YOU START THE CALYPSO SEASON WITH UVI, THEN YOU HAVE GROOVE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
WINWOOD PASSAGE.
YOU HAD SEVEN, EIGHT, AT LEAST TWO CALYPSO TENTS.
WE´RE DOWN TO ONE TENT RIGHT NOW.
CALYPSO IS PART OF THIS CULTURE, THIS WONDERFUL COLORFUL THING WE CALL CULTURE.
WHAT IS GOING WRONG OR WHERE IS CALYPSO GOING OR HOW DO YOU THINK WE COULD IMPROVE THIS SYSTEM TO GET CALYPSO BACK UP AND RUNNING?
>> FIRST, LET ME COMMENT ON THAT.
RIGHT NOW, THESE GUYS, THEY DON´T EVEN SING ON A GOOD TOPIC TO SING ON.
THAT´S THE DOWNFALL RIGHT THERE.
THERE´S SO MANY THINGS HAPPENING AM THESE ISLANDS THAT YOU COULD SING ON, AND THESE GUYS ARE DEGRADING WOMEN.
CALYPSONIAN.
NO, I CAN´T DEAL WITH THAT MESS.
THEY NEED TO LOOK AROUND.
TOO MANY THINGS HAPPENING IN THIS COMMUNITY TO LET THOSE SITUATIONS GO UNADDRESSED BY THE CALYPSONIANS RIGHT NOW.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> HE´S RIGHT.
YOU HAVE TO FIND A GOOD TOPIC AND START A MELODY WITH IT.
THERE´S A LOT OF MELODYS, YOU KNOW.
ONCE YOU FIND A TOPIC AND FIND A MELODY, YOU SING MELODY THAT YOU WANT TO.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
>> WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT IN THE VALLEY WHEN YOU SEE THE BAND.
ALL THE SONGS YOU CAME UP WITH AND STUFF, YOUR CONCEPT, HOW DOES THAT COME ABOUT?
>> I LIKE TO SING ABOUT EVENTS.
MY LAST SONG DONE IN 2020 ABOUT THE VIRUS.
AND PLAYED A LOT.
LOT OF PEOPLE LOVE IT.
REAL GOOD HIT.
TALKING ABOUT HOW THE VIRUS IS KILLING YOUR WHOLE COMMUNITY AND EVERYTHING.
BAD, BAD, BAD.
>> HE COVERS SOME GOOD STORIES.
BANANA MAN.
I MEAN, YOU NAME IT.
HE HAS A TOPIC.
HE GOES UP THE STREET.
>> KIND OF LIKE THAT.
INSPIRATION.
YOU WALK THE STREETS AND SEE A LOT OF DERELICT PEOPLE OR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL CAPACITIES, YOU KNOW, YOU CALL THEM CRAZY, YOU KNOW.
SO I JUST SAY LET ME TRY TO DO SOMETHING TO TRY TO HELP THEM.
LISTEN TO THE WORDS IN THE SONG, I EVEN HAVE A PART WHERE I SAY TRY TO HELP THEM.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
THESE THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO EACH AND EVERY ONE.
I TRY TO TAKE THOSE THINGS AND MAKE SENSE OF IT.
I BELIEVE IN MY SONGS MAKING SENSE, THINGS THAT PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO, PEOPLE CAN SEE OR HEAR.
THAT´S HOW I GO ABOUT DOING MY SONGS.
>> CALYPSO.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> HAVE THE PEOPLE COMING OUT TO SIT DOWN AND LISTEN BE AND ENJOY AND SO FORTH.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU GET THAT ACCOMPLISHED?
YOUR GENERATION WHEN IT COMES TO CALYPSO.
HE´S VERY GOOD AT IT.
>> I GUESS ONE DAY HE TELLS ME -- >> WRITE THE SONG FOR HIM HE WANTS TO SING.
YOU WANT TO SING?
YOU TELL ME YOU WANT TO TRY.
I CAME UP WITH A SONG.
♫ I TOLD MY DADDY TO WRITE ME A SONG SO I CAN BE A CALYPSONNIAN ♫ ♫ I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE MY DADDY YOU KNOW HIS NAME IS KING ♫ ♫ TO SHOW THE PEOPLE I CAN HE HANDLED IT WELL.
FROM THEN I STARTED WRITING SONGS FOR HIM AND HE WENT INTO HIS FIRST COMPETITION, I THINK, IN 2007.
IN 2007 AND HE WON HIS FIRST TROPHY.
SO HE WANTED TO DO MORE.
HE KEPT GOING.
PAST COUPLE OF YEARS HE WASN´T SUCCESSFUL, AND A COUPLE OF MORE YEARS HE GOT BEATEN BY A LITTLE GIRL NAMED PRINCESS KIKI.
SHE WAS VERY GOOD.
>> VERY GOOD.
>> AND SOME OTHERS.
SO HE DECIDED AND THEN IN HIS SENIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL, HE WENT BACK INTO COMPETITION, AND I WROTE A SONG FOR HIM ABOUT OUR PRESIDENT EVER PRESIDENT AND CREATIVE THINGS AT THE TIME.
HE CAME OUT WITH THE SONG, GOOD LYRICS, GOOD MELODY.
HE WON THE CROWN IN HIS LAST YEAR AS A JUNIOR, TOO.
HE WON HIS FIRST HIS LAST YEAR.
KEEP SINGING.
DADDY, I WANT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
WRITE SOMETHING.
TAKE YOUR TIME.
DON´T RUSH IT.
TAKE YOUR TIME.
CARNIVAL, WE´RE GOING TO GET SOMETHING PREPARED FOR IT.
>> YOU WERE IN THE COMPETITION AS WELL.
ENCOURAGE THE YOUNGER ONES TO SING FOR ALL THEM YEARS.
YOU DID YOUR GENERAL VAL THING AND YOUR OWN ALBUMS.
YOU DID IT WITH FRIENDS.
HOW DO YOU THINK WE COULD ENCOURAGE THESE JUNIOR CALYPSONNIANS TO CONTINUE SINGING OR ENCOURAGE THEM TO SING AND KEEP IT ALIVE AND STUFF LIKE THAT?
>> MOST OF THE SONGS I WRITE, I COMPOSE MYSELF, RIGHT?
LIKE I SAY, I LOOK AT MY TOPICS.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BE IMAGINARY.
YOU UNDERSTAND?
SOME COME TO REALITY.
RIGHT?
LIKE I HAD A SONG IN ´87 PARENTS LISTEN TO YOUR YOUTHS.
♫ ENOUGH IS ENOUGH LISTEN TO YOUR CHILDREN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH OR YOU MIGHT LOSE THEM ♫ SLOWLY BUT SURELY.
EVERY COUPLED, COUPLE WEEKENDS YOU SEE THEM GONEMENT YOU WONDER WHY.
BECAUSE WE DON´T TAKE TIME OUT TO TALK TO THEM, TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND TRY TO HELP THEM.
THE CALYPSO PART IS THAT THEY USE THEM.
THEY COME UP WITH THIS.
THAT WAS WHERE THAT COME FROM.
PEOPLE USED TO RIDICULE WOMEN, ESPECIALLY IN SONGS.
REMEMBER YOU COME FROM A MOTHER.
YOU COME FROM A WOMAN.
AND IF YOU DON´T HONOR THAT WOMAN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
IF YOUR MOTHER HAD THROWN YOU AWAY, IN A BUSH AND BEEN EATEN BY AN ANIMAL, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
HOW WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN HERE?
HOW WOULD YOU BE YOU?
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
YOU HAVE TO RIGHT GOOD, AND PUT THEM OUT THERE SO PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO.
>> SO IN THE V.I.
WITH MUSIC, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE MANDINGO BRASS.
YOU HAD ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
YOU START TO TAKE A SHIFT IN MUSIC.
ST. CROIX, THE YOUNG GUYS, ENFORCEMENTS, HEAT WAVE AND STUFF.
AND THEN WE STARTED OUT IN MOVEMENTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT EVOLVED AND CHANGED, AND EVOLVED AND CHANGED.
YOU GOT INTO ANOTHER ERA OF MUSIC.
WE´RE LOSING THE CALYPSO ASPECT.
I WANT TO SAY WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHERE THE V.I.
MUSIC IS, DOES V.I.
MUSIC STILL HAVE A SOUND?
>> I WANT TO JUMP IN AND SAY SOMETHING, RIGHT?
I REMEMBER YEARS AGO BANDS FROM ST. MARTEEN, EVERYBODY USED TO LISTEN TO JAMBA.
EVERY YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND WHEN YOU HEAR AFTER CARNIVAL, YOU LISTEN.
>> TRUE.
>> RIGHT NOW, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS THE TEMPO.
THE PACE OF THE MUSIC.
>> YEAH.
♫♫ ♫ LA LA LA LA ♫ YOU HAVE TO CATCH YOUR BREATH.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP UP.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
IT´S A DIFFERENT THING.
NOT THE SAME EVERY YEAR.
IT´S A DRASTIC CHANGE FROM WHAT WE USED TO HAVE TO WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
>> I THINK IF WE COULD MIX LYRIC S AND MELODY.
>> KEEP THE RHYTHM BUT MIX IN THE MELODY AND GOOD LYRICS.
>> YEARS AGO, YOU COULD HAVE LISTENED TO A SONG -- I MEAN A BAND.
EACH BAND HAD THEIR OWN DISTINCTIVE SONG.
>> EXACTLY.
>> RIGHT NOW ALL THE BANDS, YOU WOULDN´T KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
>> I AGREE WITH THAT.
>> BECAUSE THERE´S NO DISTINCTION WHATSOEVER.
>> YES.
♫♫ >> EVERYBODY GOT THE SAME RHYTHM.
>> THE THING IS THAT THERE´S NO DISTINCTIVE SOUNDS IN THESE BANDS NOW, AND YOU NEED TO FIND SOME KIND OF YOURSELF.
THAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT THEY HAVE.
IDENTITY.
>> YOU´RE RIGHT.
>> THE YOUNG BANDS, I USED TO BE IN A BAND, ALL THE DIFFERENT BANDS, I TRIED TO HELP THEM.
THEY WANTED TO TRAVEL.
I SAID YOU HAVE TO MAKE SOUNDS THAT CAN -- PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF ST. THOMAS CAN RECOGNIZE TOO.
THAT WHEN ST. THOMAS SEE YOU GOING AFTER EVERY CARNIVAL, THEY MUST WONDER WHY?
THE SOUND AIN´T GOOD IN ST. THOMAS?
IT´S NOT THAT THE SOUND AIN´T GOOD IN ST. THOMAS BUT CALYPSO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF ST. THOMAS.
YOU UNDERSTAND?
WHEN YOU CAN PLEASE ST. THOMAS PEOPLE, CAN YOU PLEASE THE WORLD.
>> I´VE HEARD THAT MANY, MANY TIMES BEFORE.
>> ST. THOMAS, ST. KITTS AND ANTIGUA.
>> THEY WALK.
MADINGO.
ONE SIDE FULL OF PEOPLE.
YOU HAVE ONE THING OF MUSIC LASTING.
WHEN I STARTED TO WRITE MUSIC, DECIDED TO SING AND WRITE SONGS, MY GOOD FRIEND TELL ME, HE SAID, LISTEN, WHEN YOU´RE WRITING A SONG, YOU HAVE TO DO ONE THING RIGHT.
IF YOU WRITE A SONG FOR CARNIVAL AND WHEN CARNIVAL DONE YOUR SONG DONE, THEN IT AIN´T WORTH IT.
>> THAT´S RIGHT.
>> YOUR SONG IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE YOU AROUND THE WORLD.
>> YEP.
AND WHEN YOU PLAY YOUR SONG TEN YEARS AFTER THE SOUNDS LIKE A BRAND NEW SONG.
>> YES.
>> MADINGO BRASS, AND SOME OF THOSE SOUNDS I COULDN´T BELIEVE THE MUSIC WE WERE PLAYING.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> AND THEN THE NEXT DAY.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE THE KIND OF MUSIC ST. THOMAS PUT OUT OVER THE YEARS.
>> YES, YES, YES.
IT´S BEEN AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION HERE TODAY.
WHEN WE LOOK AROUND AND SEE ALL THE STUFF THAT´S NEVER CHANGED.
THIS IS WHERE WE DISCUSS CALYPSO SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING, AFTERNOON, BRIGHT AND SUNNY ONE AFTERNOON AND RIGHT HERE DISCUSSING WHAT HAPPENED IN THE WEEKEND.
YOU COME TODAY PARTICIPATING IN THIS SPECIAL ART SERIES.
WE HOPE TO DO A LITTLE MORE OF THIS OVER THE YEARS AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
>> WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IS THAT CALYPSONNIANS GO OUT THERE AND PUT THEIR SOUNDS, WHATEVER YOU RECORD -- YOU MAY THINK IT DOESN´T SOUND GOOD BUT PUT IT ON THE RADIO AND LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE IF YOUR SONG IS A GOOD SONG OR NOT.
YOU UNDERSTAND?
THEY´RE GOING TO HEAR IT AND THAT WILL BRING MORE PEOPLE OUT TO PARTICIPATE.
>> YEAH.
SOMETIMES REALITY IS THE LIGHT SHINES ON ME, BUT SOMETIMES I COULD BARELY SEE.
YOU KNOW?
THAT´S THE REALITY OF THE WHOLE THING.
>> WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO YOUNG FOLKS, YOUNG PEOPLE, LIFE ITSELF HAVE A LOT OF WEALTH.
SO, PLEASE HUMBLE YOURSELF.
>> ALL I´M GOING TO SAY IS I LIKE WHAT HAPPENED, BRING BACK SOME IN ´22.
IT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU.
INTERESTING IN SINGING, TOO.
MY OLDEST GRANDDAUGHTER AND MY ONE GRANDSON, THEY WANT TO DO A DUO.
2022, WATCH OUT.
>> WE MAY DO THIS AGAIN SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE AND HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS.
Support for PBS provided by:
Festival Arts Dialogues is a local public television program presented by WTJX