IF THERE IS ONE PERSON who is ecstatic about the developments in calypso over the past 50 years and the respect being given to calypsonians for their contributions to Barbados’ cultural landscape, it has to be Charles Smith.
More popularly known as Romeo, he has basically spent his life as a champion of the genre.
Romeo was there in calypso when the money “couldn’t buy a pork cutter”, even after he placed last in competitions a record eight times and in spite of his several personal challenges.
In 2005 when he was at death’s door, his ability to jig on stage or make his admired fashion statements may have waned, but his love did not; and neither did his writing skills or his singing/talking voice, he joked.
After his devoted wife of 46 years, Cecily, two sons, grands and the Lord, Smith’s next love is kaiso.
This affair began when the 69-year-old was just a young boy running around in Eagle Hall and dancing to the sweet sounds of the Mighty Sparrow and Lord Kitchener on his neighbours’ radios.
His grandmother, a devout Christian, raised him so he could not sing what was then considered “banja”. However, without her knowledge, he would sing some rhythms, write poems and try to hone his skills while at St Leonard’s Boys’ School.
When she passed, the then 16-year-old decided that calypso was the way to go. Hence his entry into the calypso arena in 1963, thanks to Lord Radio, who would have earlier taken the young Charles to hotels and other gigs to get his feet wet.
“She would be surprised to know that [calypso] is what made me the man that I am today,” he quipped during an interview with the DAILY NATION at his St George home.
That first year, he placed second behind the inimitable Don Sir Don Marshall with the song Scavenger in the calypso competition held at Kensington Oval.
After that Romeo was hooked so he returned every year. In 1973 he experienced his first win with the patriotic A Land So Dear and eight years later, he won his first Pic-O-De-Crop crown with Brother Fuzzy and Gem Gone.
Personal success aside, Romeo said he believed the best year for calypso in Barbados occurred in 1982.
That was when a little known youngster by the name of Stedson Red Plastic Bag Wiltshire, singing with the Untouchables Tent, came from St Philip and upset the conventional norms at that time.
After that, according to Romeo, the art form grew in importance and was taken more seriously. Prize money was increased and respect was now being shown to the people once lowly rated.
“The name is show business. We liked the show back then but we didn’t see the business part of it. For instance, when I won in 1981 I got $2 000. In 1983 I got the same amount of money for coming third. By RPB’s entry into calypso we start to get money then,” he said.
Romeo was a fixture at many calypso finals and semi-finals. However, he has not competed since 2008 because of a near-death experience that has left him disabled.
The still jovial Romeo said kaiso was still priceless to him, and whether he sang or talked, he was “proud to be a kaisonian”.
That’s why he is especially pleased to see how far the art form has come, with stalwarts like RPB and Gabby getting their due rewards.
“Look at Gabby now; he came from the village and now he is Dr [Anthony] Carter, a doctor of letters.”
To Romeo, more kaisonians were deserving of the country’s highest honours. He noted that Barbados’ 50th anniversary celebrations were particularly appropriate to do such as it should remind all of the importance of the music of Barbados.
“They say Romeo does talk, but the people don’t listen to parents, politicians or priests, but the calypsonians get an ear because we are the vehicle to inform the masses,” he said.
“We are all calypsonians. You get the opening batsman, you get the wicketkeeper, you get the fast bowler, you get the spinner – we are all playing cricket.
“Therefore in calypso, you get Romeo that gine talk a serious social commentary – he is the wicketkeeper. You gine get Gabby that gine sing fast and wuk up and come back and sing a social commentary – so he is an all-rounder. I am so happy to be associated with calypso for so long,” he added.
The public may not see Romeo competing on a stage again because of his disability, but they may begin to hear more of his compositions as he plans to do more writing. (SDB Media)
