Kid Site: Why I am out

(KID SITE: no longer participating in the Crop-Over Festival.)

Thu, July 29, 2010 - 12:00 AM

THE DAILY NATION of Tuesday, July 27, published a front page story, breaking the news that former calypso king David Kid Site Piggott had called it quits from the Crop-Over Festival.

Since the publication there have been several comments challenging the authenticity of the story, including charges of inaccuracy by Piggott.

Today, we publish the full text of the telephone interview which was conducted by Associate Managing Editor Tim Slinger.

Slinger: Hello . . . morning, Kid Site, this is Tim Slinger.

Piggott: I called THE NATION first because I’ve made a decision to end my participation in the Crop-Over Festival from this year.

Slinger: Why is that?

Piggott: Reason being, what is happening to the Crop-Over Festival to me that it’s no longer enjoyment or fun, and it’s no longer a competition anymore either.

Slinger: Why do you say that?

Piggott: I’ve always resolved that in relation to calypso; plus calypso is . . . in its interest in the people’s mind, and I’m talking more about social commentary, you have to get it more entertaining, because I think that all through the island in front of a community crowd, cavalcade crowd, a finals night crowd, I gear myself to that crowd all the time.

You have to be more entertaining. When I performed at the semi-finals, and I’m entertaining, I create impact and am left out for people that don’t even create a ripple among the audience at all.

It is time that I finish, because I know what direction calypso has to go in. I’m not going back to singing calypso for a message and just present a song and not entertain. I’m an entertainer about 27 years now and I look to entertain when I bring a song. I bring a calypso with humour and performance.

It’s no longer a competition anymore, I don’t enjoy it anymore. It makes no sense putting your money in it anymore. I resolved before the half-time at the semi-finals Friday night that I’m finished with this. It only confirmed after the second half was over that I make my decision even more firmer.

Slinger: Do you think you were not treated fairly?

Piggott: I don’t know if I was so much unfair, in that how it’s run now. I personally feel that if I was in one of those “tents” that pull so many people, if I was in those tents singing, and I had over-powered the people judging night, I would be there in finals. So that can tell you something.

I know from playing this game that once you’re in a tent with a big following on the judging night, you can make it into the finals and make it to win. I know that game. I know how to play the game. And that is the game I saw playing on Friday night. It’s not about a competition anymore.

I see a major sponsor come in to Crop-Over and sponsored a tent, sponsored individuals and made a big speech on the radio. So I know that the major sponsor has to have a lot of people within the finals and winners this year. This is no longer a competition and anything about development. I’m seeing the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) moving in a direction that they don’t care anything about development at all.

Slinger: Which tent did you sing with this year?

Piggott: I sing with Bachannal Time. Bachanal Time has a big following at the gym show.

Slinger: Are you saying that if you were in another tent you would have made it through to the finals?

Piggott: I think that if I was in another tent, I would have gone through to the finals. Maybe if I was in All Stars I would’ve definitely gone through to the finals. I would have been able to overpower the same people that gone through in front me.

But having overpowered them and performed superior to them on the night, I still expected to go. I’m very disappointed. I’m not even accepting a reserve from NCF. NCF can take their reserve and give it to somebody else. I’m not interested.

Slinger: How many times were you calypso king?

Piggott: Four times.

The recording of the full interview with Kid Site can be heard below.

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Posted by Well well well 1 year, 6 months ago

Schupes. Kid Site can’t be serious. He can join Peter Boyce and the other drama kings and queens out there who are hurting the festival.

Nonsense.

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Posted by poop 1 year, 6 months ago: Did Mr. Timothy Slinger inform Mr David Piggot that the conversation was being recorded ?
I want to know the answer to this question. I would implore artistes to very careful who they speak to and what they say to whom. Be careful what you say on the radio and what you say to journalists. Anyhow, contrary to what Kid Site is saying about competition, it is a competition that has gotten very vicious with people who do not understand the culture getting involved and mucking up the music scene in Barbados.

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Posted by D 1 year, 6 months ago: In an article under the caption:‘Out of site’ Kid Site blogged that he had lost the feel for the competition since 2005. What sense did it then make to invest this year? If he thinks there is advantage in certain tents, why did he not perform in one of those tents? There are avenues to address his discontent or recommend change rather than wasting his time and then crying sour grapes in this fashion. He is a bright man, surely full of ideas and a great contribution to make.

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Posted by Double U 1 year, 6 months ago: I always believe, like another blogger commented, that there is a time to move on and make room for others. Sometimes to hang on connotes greed, although some could well have the thrill of the festival in their veins and would compete for the thrill of it. It begs the question whether the veterans should be allowed to compete with the amateurs. Could the former be regarded as an inspiration for the latter? Should NCF revisit their criteria and divide the competition in sections or levels? Could a cap on the number of times a winner is allowed re-entry be considered as a bias?

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Posted by SimpleBajan 1 year, 6 months ago: @POOP - By now calypsonians should know that when they speak to reporters or call in on radio programs that their conversation will be recorded.