Father Paul the singing kaiso priest

Catholic priest Father Clement Paul gave a teaser of his social commentary at the launch of the Celebration Time Calypso Tent .

By DAVANDRA BABB | Sun, June 27, 2010 - 1:13 AM

For as long as Father Clement Paul REMEMBERS he always wanted to be a singer, but owing to the “lack of a good singing voice” that “want” remained nothing more but a dream.

However, what Father Paul lacked in voice, he made up for in his compositions. He said that for quite some time he had been dabbling in songwriting, producing what he refers to as “dippies”: one-verse songs which he usually performed after prayers.

“When people asked me to give prayers and blessings at functions, I would include a ‘dippy’ at the end to capture their attention even more.”

The priest said he was inspired to write his songs because he had high respect and love for calypsonians. And because of all that, the St Patrick’s Cathedral Roman Catholic priest has taken up this new, fresh and appealing way to reach “lost ones” – the calypso stage.

Commentators

“I believe [calypsonians] are the social commentators, and sometimes even the prophets in our country. Through a single song, they can tell us some of the issues going on in the country,” he stated, adding that besides reporters, calypsonians were the most creative people in a society.

But Father Paul still does not refer to himself as a calypsonian.

He recalled that his first “dippy” was at Congaline on Dover Pasture in Christ Church, and that it created a stir among Christians.

Blasted

“I remember getting blasted by a pastor on the radio for performing this song; but I have not let that stop me. Every year since then I have done a dippy,” Father Paul said with a chuckle.

He believes he has written one of his better songs this Crop-Over. The offering De Youth And De Media was inspired by recent news “highlighting the negativity” of the young.

“It troubles me greatly to see the media highlighting so much bad when the majority of the youth are doing good and are succeeding.
So this song gives a message to both the youth and the adults.”
The chorus basically tells adults that they are the ones who have made the youth the way they are, and now it is their duty to help them. It goes:
No to the bad news syndrome,
We are reaping what we have sown.
The young people are our own,
So let’s work to bring them all home.

In the final verse of the song he gives a stern warning to the media:
To those who are in the media, I say this to you,
Before the old folks were no better and we were young too.
Leave the youth alone,
They are God’s very own.
Please be more positive
In the criticisms you give.

Father Paul said he was feeling very moved to go further with the song, because of his love for young people.

“Young people hold a special place in my heart and I want to support them. I enjoy working with them,” he added.

The priest plans to have his song arranged, with the help of friend Derek Fields, so that it could be better presented to the public.

“I will get it tightened up so that when I am asked to perform it in the future I can do so with ease. I do plan to perform the song at tents that may ask, so that the message could get through to the youth and the media.”

However, Father Paul said that if the song was to make it big, and he was to join a tent, it would be any other but a “Christian tent”, because he believed Christians should be wherever the people were.