The Hunter's hand!

Every time my country has a controversy, I am always surprised by the justifications of some people for what seems to be a simple matter, a simple case of right or wrong… my people seem to find every imaginable reason to excuse wrongdoing… are we that eager to accept wrong?

I agree, maybe Calypso isn’t that big a deal to some in Dominica, but, to people like me that look forward to the Calypso season, almost akin to that of a Catholic’s eagerness to celebrate Christ the King or Easter, it means a whole lot to me that a calypsonian so celebrated that many hail him to be one of the legends of the art form has found himself in hot water and not just because he was caught in a dubious act, but especially because he had a chance to explain his actions and chose instead to offer up a “cock and bull story” for want of a better phrase.

He could have simply said, yes, I erred; it was a rash action during a time of desperation. I would have gladly accepted that rationale, after all, we have all fallen short. But his explanation turned out to be utter rubbish, based on photos that appeared all over social media. It is one thing to write the words to your own song on your hand, it is another thing to deny it, cover it up and then send half the calypso-loving nation into a frenzy; either trying to prove you wrong, seeking to cover up your lies or even offer up justifications for your actions.

I may get flack for my opinion, but what the hell… I like expressing myself. This isn’t anything personal. I have nothing against the artist; I am not even really much focused on him as much as I am focused on his actions. Many young, aspiring artists (junior calypsonians too) I am sure, look up to him as a prominent figure and a role model within the calypso realm. I am sure they are all too knowledgeable of his actions by now as nothing passes over the heads of children these days, as much as we would like to think it might.

Again, I can’t tell the man what he should or shouldn’t do, whether he should step down from the competition, resign from the Association, or otherwise, that is left to him and his conscience but he should surely seek to do the right thing in that case. He didn’t only leave a sour taste in my mouth or in the mouths of other fans, he also managed to sully the image of the art form and the Association. Surely, the two are bigger than the personality of the Artist, even one who is as prominent as he has become over the past two decades.

In my eyes, there’s no justification for writing on his palm, whether or not he peeked, looked at or ignored his palm is irrelevant. The fact remains, by writing the lyrics on his palm, that he sought to gain an unfair advantage, whether or not the rules of the competition guard against this action or not. I won’t even seek to compare that to cheating on an exam, that would be to simple a comparison and I’m sure we can all see the similarities without me pointing them out.

I have offered by opinion and that’s all I will do, my opinion is not to condemn the man, but to condemn his actions.

It is clear all is not well,
Too much hate in Dominica
We are caught in our own spell
That’s why we ain’t going nowhere

Thank you Bobb (can’t believe I’m actually quoting Bobb, smh)

Delroy
Calypso Fanatic