Cro Cro, Chalkie in 'political' tie

Gypsy booed, Lucky cheered
Wayne Bowman

Cro Cro has retained his title of National Political Kaiso Monarch, but this time around he shares it with Chalkdust who tied with the Mighty Midget to jointly claim the challenge trophy and $100,000 first prize at the finals of the competition that took place on Saturday night at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

The two veterans each scored a total of 257 points, beating their 24 opponents in what was a much less volatile square off than had been anticipated.

In defence of his title, Cro Cro performed a song entitled "Patrick Is Boss" in which Cro Cro stated that when he went around asking women what party they would be voting for in the upcoming general elections, they all proclaimed the PNM.

Cro Cro further sang: "Stain yuh finger for the Balisier because Stalin say, Dookeran is a old cross. Panday is a dead horse. Patrick is the boss."

As he sang each chorus, Cro Cro jumped onto a spring rocking horse that represented UNC Political Leader Basdeo Panday, riding it as the audience cheered.

Chalkdust performed "D Screening Test," in which he sang that while the various political parties were screening people to represent them at the polls, he was conducting his own tests to decipher who he would lend his support to.

Chalkie sang that all three major parties had thieves within them and so it was a matter of selecting the one who would steal the least.

One of the night's most appreciated calypsoes was performed by Cardinal who the audience laughing as he performed "Vote Wisely".

Cardinal's intro featured three PNM pallbearers bringing the UNC in a casket to the stage and as his performance began Cardinal sang that the UNC was dead already, so the only party there was to vote for was the PNM.

He continued claiming that he was not trying to tell the people what party they should vote for, but simply counselling them that they should not vote "fuh cop." He placed third with a score of 255 points.

While the majority of finalists were pro-PNM there were calypsonians voicing their support of other parties.

Gypsy, who came out in support of the UNC, was booed heavily as he performed "This Is My Land." As Gypsy sang lyrics such like "Ah not staying quiet again. Down with them, the power of any land resides in the people's hand," the balisiers went up and many of the more than 10,000 patrons started to shout and boo as Gypsy performed.

Eventually several patrons approached the stage throwing objects at Gypsy and waving balisiers and other items at him, while the police including a superintendent, looked on from the side of the stage.

Gypsy rallied and went on to complete his performance without missing a beat.

He made the statement before leaving the stage that when Trinidad and Tobago became like Venezuela the people such as those who were heckling him will be contented. Members of the audience continued to boo as he made his final exit.

Just look at the behaviour of niggas.

They eh even give tima ah day to listen to one word of the man song, but they waving balisier and fockin booin.

Niggas are so fockin stupid and illiterate that they done pick dey fockin balisier and gone down Hasely Crawford. Unless they ha balisier plant dong in the stadium.

They went there not in the interest of hearing good political kaisos but to support the PNM.

See Manning could make these baboons eat fockin grass and is still PNM all the way.