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The Mighty Duke Speaks
The Mighty Duke and his wife, Rebecca
TriniSoca.com Reporters
Recorded: on September 27, 2007
Posted: October 03, 2007
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TRINISOCA.COM: I guess somebody who is singing to express certain issues about what they are observing in society is quite different than somebody who is just singing for monetary gains.
DUKE: Well of course. Although we must have money to survive, I would say that we do it for the love of the art or as our conscience dictates but not because of money. When you compare Calypso today with what happened long ago we are talking about two different things in the sense that our Calypsos are very effective in general. The Calypsos you hear today is probably effective in the dancehall, in the parties and that's it. After you take it out from the party scene it doesn't mean a thing otherwise. Long ago, Calypso wasn't only effective in the parties but in life in general. Long ago, when you were hearing a party song you were still hearing something informative in that melody which is unlike today.
TRINISOCA.COM: Would you say that the role of Calypso as a mechanism of resistance has been weakened?
DUKE: Yes it has and for a lot of reasons. To fight against society or whatever it is, you first have to be fearless. To be fearless in today's society you mustn't be dependent on anyone. You must be self-reliant so you can say what you want to say without caring about the repercussions from there. Who then can stop you from making a dollar and that sort of thing? If you are dependent on others you can become fearful and not speak your mind because if you speak your mind you are affected by those who are in power. That is what has affected Calypso today. The Calypsonians do not always speak their minds for fear of the repercussions of what they say.
TRINISOCA.COM: So even though Calypsonians are now better compensated in terms of finance because the state pays the tents and such they may not feel that urge to sing freely from themselves?
DUKE: There is no urge to sing. You cannot bite the hand that feeds you. It will be ungrateful in one way to bite the hand that feeds you. If you bite my hand I wouldn't have a hand to feed you again and you will starve. It's something that needs a lot of thinking. Then again, the Calypsonian should be so clever that even though he is saying something against the hand that is feeding him, it should be done in such a way that the hand and all will laugh and smile about it because of the way it is put. That again is the art of Calypso. We do not have that artistry today at all.
TRINISOCA.COM: That is something which 'Chalkdust' referred to as the 'Mask in Calypso.'
DUKE: That's right. We no longer have that artistry. I wouldn't say it is lost but you hardly see it. When I hear the first verse in a Calypso today I know exactly where somebody is going. When I hear a line and I am still thinking, "Where is he going?" it keeps me more interested and then I say, "Wow, beautiful!" Things are totally different today and we are losing it. It is harmful that our younger ones would not be exposed to that sort of thing that is lost from Calypso. This is not just the spirit; this is the whole body of Calypso. That mask, that double entendre: that is the soul of Calypso. If you take the soul away from Calypso then you have nothing but just a wandering spirit.
TRINISOCA.COM: Have you been approached to share your years of experiences with budding Calypsonians?
DUKE: Yes, a few young guys came to me. I always do my best to help in whatever way I can.
TRINISOCA.COM: The Calypso arena is facing some challenges some of which you mentioned. What would you say are some of the things that could be done to improve some of the Calypsos being sung?
DUKE: A lot can be done. The Calypsonian should be free to "do his do" as they would say without fear of anything. Of course, if he is a true artiste he will police himself so he wouldn't go overboard. The true artiste doesn't go overboard because he polices himself. He should be free to do as he sees and to sing what he sees and to express himself other than be in a cocoon. This is the only problem I see with Calypso in general.
TRINISOCA.COM: In your own career what were some of your highlights?
DUKE: There have been many highlights in my career. I like traveling a lot. I traveled with people like Aubrey Adams (who died a few weeks ago) and Ambakaila. We played in some of the most prestigious halls in the world like the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Kennedy Centre for the Arts in Washington, which is one of the top places in America, Broadway in Manhattan and off Broadway. I traveled throughout North America, Paris and so on. Winning the Calypso Monarch and being honoured by certain governments for my work are also included in some of my highlights.
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