Soca pulpit

FATHER CLEMENT PAUL will be using the calypso stage for a pulpit this Crop-Over.Paul, who made his debut at the Celebration Time tent launch last Tuesday night with the original De Young People And De Media, said he was honoured by the invitation of manager Peter Boyce to pray and to sing his song at the launch. “Peter heard me messing around with the song, and asked me why I would not come and sing it. So I took him up on the offer,” Paul explained.The song, inspired by the recent surge in negative criticisms of young people, is Paul’s contribution to the national community.“I have an appreciation for the art form, and since this is the National Year Of The Youth, I will use it as my contribution,” the Roman Catholic priest explained. Paul confessed that he was not a calypsonian, but said if the song took off he would consider performing it in any tent – “but not a Christian one”. “I am not one for a Christian tent. If I ever think of joining a tent in any big way and performing my song, I will not do it in a Christian tent, because priests should be everywhere the people are.” But Paul did call for more churches to be more involved in Crop-Over.“Crop-Over is our culture . . . . It is definitely an art which is a very positive expression of our culture and of our people. So our churches need to be a little more supportive of this art form.”