NIGEL A CAMPBELL
At the end of it all, the Izza Riddum, a soca and calypso concert by the National Philharmonic Orchestra (NPO), held on May 29 at the Lord Kitchener Auditorium at NAPA, represented a paradigm shift in how local audiences engage with calypso and soca.
More importantly, it showcased the commercial appeal of this type of music in the hall, which was packed almost to the rafters.
In a two-hour spectacle that included sung calypso by Krisson Joseph and pan via the National Steel Symphony Orchestra (NSSO) as adjuncts to the NPO performance, the local canon of music was put front and centre for a paying audience to appreciate –or not – in a form that moves away from the recorded original.
The calypsoes of Black Stalin and the modern soca of Machel Montano, Kes, Olatunji, Farmer Nappy and more were all given Western classical arrangements by music director and conductor Dr Roger Henry and musicians, principal cellist Wasia Ward, flautist Martina Chow-Antoine and trumpeter Barry Homer.
They forced a deeper understanding of how calypsoes and soca can be more than music for a circumstance – a fete, a Carnival parade, a tent. Melodies become more important than words and even rhythm. A new context for the music allowed for the arranger to invent and reinterpret. Listening became important, and the audience showed appreciation for these adventures outside of a jam.
As the concert opened, one was taken aback by a number of details that, holistically, made a statement that the NPO was finally ready for “prime time.”
The theatricality all awed immediately: a lighting design that dazzled, yet worked effectively; the brightness of the percussion and the lack of discordance so prevalent in local orchestras – brass bands and recent string aggregations. The sometimes grand flourishes of conductor Henry, with his fashion statement of red socks juxtaposed against his black suit, were an apt metaphor for the thrill and delight of this young cohort of musicians, resplendent in formal attire as per protocol.
Creole philharmonic. This was showtime!
Chow-Antoine’s arrangement of Black Stalin’s We Can Make It had elements of a march. Ward made Savannah Grass reminiscent of a John Williams space-fantasy movie theme with the bombast of declarative horns, yet also incorporated percussion that hinted at the tropics in places.
That wonderful moment when the thrill and awe of the audience become tangible as it finally recognises a familiar melody inside a slow passage, or after a pizzicato string arrangement, was repeated often. Audible gasps and murmurs, then singalongs happened, without instruction, for Hookin’ Me and DNA, arranged by Henry and Ward, respectively.
A transition via spoken word/rapso synopsis of Izza Riddum, with drums and dance allowed for the calypso element of the concert to happen. Joseph singing Is the Rhythm They Want by King Radio was sublime, as “kaiso with strings” made for audience participation. Singing Sandra’s Nobody Wins a War, written by Tobago Crusoe, with an a cappella introd
