Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC has dismissed claims of censorship in calypso, saying the art form has not been suppressed by political interference.
In a statement on Carnival Monday evening, the Prime Minister said, “Sorry to break this news to my loving and dedicated haters but NO one has to censor calypso because over the years, political stooges masquerading as calypsonians censored calypso themselves by alienating the majority of the population with their hateful diatribes.”
The Prime Minister highlighted the popularity of Soca events versus attendance at calypso tents, as evidence of calypso’s unpopularity among citizens.
“Soca fetes are sold out by the thousands every day from January to Carnival Tuesday but a calypso tent can’t even sell 100 tickets on its best night. That’s because the majority of citizens have moved on from that type of divisiveness and negativity, people just want to enjoy themselves and be happy.”
The Prime Minister also pointed to young artistes she believes are helping to revitalise the genre through powerful uplifting music.
“Singers like Terri Lyons and Yung Bredda are saving the calypso art form with songs grounded in social consciousness and reality.”
Referring to the 2026 Calypso Monarch competition, she added, “Terri Lyons showed how great calypso could be last night. Congratulations Terri, our beautiful 2026 calypso queen. Her song was emotional, real, inspiring, and unifying.”
The Prime Minister urged the public to focus on celebrating the winner rather than speculating about political motives.
“People should celebrate her victory instead of chasing wild conspiracies to push political agendas.”