WHEN I heard about the recent King of Kings Calypso Competition, I was very excited and pleased that such a venture was initiated, especially since it was geared at fostering and developing an art form which has certainly been taking a beating for years now.

And when I was told that the legendary calypsonian ‘Mighty Rebel’ was behind the event, I was even more overjoyed that such a feature was in the making.

What I did not anticipate was the chaos that unfolded the minute the Mighty Rebel took ill and the event was left in the hands of a few persons.

Aghast when Bonny Alves of SSignal Productions announced that the media had boycotted the event entirely, this publication carried an article promptly after the event, and my investigations revealed that many of the media houses had not been officially invited to the event.

That being said, I was in no way prepared for the reports we received from participants of the event. OMG!!! Is wha really happen wid dis supposedly prestigious affair??

Well, to begin with, the winner of the event, Malcolm Ferreira (King Perai), was promised a brand new motor car, but both the vehicle and the promise seem to have disappeared into the clouds. When he turned up at the handing over ceremony with expectations of receiving a spanking new automobile, he was handed $600,000 instead.

Well, if dat is de car money, deh musse been planning fuh buy he a second hand car.

Wha happen deh mighta been ah good thing though, because I doan know how he woulda been giving half ah he winnings tuh Signal Productions if he de indeed get de car. He certainly could not split de car in two halves.

So I only hope he de hand over 50% ah he winnings to folks at SSignal Productions, because is dem who actually write de song fuh he. Word is out that folks there went through a living hell to get half of his earnings when he had won the Adult Calypso Competition. They had also reportedly written his song for that contest.

Another finalist, the ‘Might Smoker’, was promised a trip to Kaieteur Falls, but this never materialised. I am sure he was glad to receive the $200,000 he was reportedly given at the handing over ceremony. Ah glad he receive de lil small piece, because he unsighted and it woulda certainly been a challenge fuh he see de beauty of de majestic Kaieteur Falls.

We are informed that the ‘Mighty Professor’, who maybe was planning to store vegetables and meat in his promised refrigerator, had to change plans and accept $100,000 in cash. And Young Bill Rogers, who de want get rid ah he bicycle fuh a brand new motorcycle, will have to use de $150,000 cash wha deh give he fuh buy de motorbike, if he still want it.

But when yuh think about it, yuh gaffa be glad dat all dem finalists received cash instead. And as one finalist revealed, the man who was in charge of sponsorship really had to dig into his pocket and fork out some hard-earned dollars to present to the winners.

At least we can call him a good man…