Moontown

WE sense that like that 15th century saint, Sir Thomas More, the Reverend Al Miller is convinced that his first allegiance is to his conscience as opposed to the will of the State.

And if that’s true, it’s admirable.

It’s admirable because it takes a lot of courage to stand up for unpopular principles in the face of unrelenting public criticism, condemnation and ridicule.

Indeed, if the Reverend was speaking the truth about his intentions to circumvent the Jamaican system by delivering Mr Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke to the United States Embassy last week; if he can convince the court that he was honestly acting in belief that the life of Mr Coke, who stands accused of drug-trafficking and gunrunning, was in mortal danger, it is thought by some that he may just get away with what looks to us like downright criminal folly.

The argument as we understand it is that Reverend Miller, who escorted Mr Coke’s siblings to the police a few weeks ago, refrained from following through on the trend in Mr Coke’s case, because the option was not open to him. It was either carry him to the United States Embassy or no deal. Faced with the choice of two ‘evils’ Reverend Miller chose what seemed to him to be the lesser, that is breaking the law by harbouring the fugitive Coke and obstructing the course of justice.

The problem with all of this is that while it may sound plausible in theory, the reality of the Reverend’s problem is that necessity has traditionally been viewed by the Court through extremely cautious lens, even in matters of life and death.

Were it otherwise, what would appear to be a platform of righteousness on which the Reverend Miller could legitimately expect to be exonerated, would ultimately realise its true potential as what was once described by Scottish Professor Kenneth Norrie as a ‘Trojan horse for anarchy’.

Indeed, even if we were to believe the reverend — whose reported defiance in the face of being charged is, according to Friday’s edition, grounded on notions of being right — where would the line between the authority of his righteous beliefs and that of the State’s be drawn?

Would it be alright for marauding gunmen to decide how, when and why to escort whomever to wherever they had a mind in the name of justice?

And if that could be alright, why stop there?

Why not just run the full course and dispense with everything called due process?

The answers to these rhetorical questions which have been staring us in the face for ages; which have become crystal clear since last year when Prime Minister Bruce Golding made the costly error of interfering with the US extradition request for Mr Coke on grounds — which like the Reverend Miller’s are yet to be vindicated in a court of law — are simple.

This is supposed to be a civilised democracy where it is understood that all men, regardless of class, race, social connections, and everything else we tend to pride ourselves on, are, at the end of the day, equal human beings, capable of universal virtues and vices.

We all are as capable of lying, stealing, murdering as we are of keeping our hands out of the public purse, being truthful and putting the public interest ahead of our own.

So given the reality that the devil himself knows not the intention of any man, we have to do the best with the rules and systems that are available to us.

Said rules and systems are by no means perfect, but they are what we have.

Their success depends upon the co-operation of all of us… Mr Coke, Prime Minister Golding and yes, the Reverend Al Miller too. (Jamaica Observer)

Cop says former Tivoli strongman showed fear when captured

BY INVESTIGATIVE COVERAGE UNIT icu@jamaicaobserver.com

FORMER Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke wet his trousers when he ran into a group of policemen who took him into custody while he travelled with religious leader Rev Merrick ‘Al’ Miller in St Catherine last Tuesday, one law enforcer told the Sunday Observer.

Coke, 42, who is accused of being the leader of the ruthless Shower Posse, was travelling with Rev Miller along the Mandela Highway when police intercepted the sports utility vehicle, allowed Miller to leave and took Coke initially to the Spanish Town Police Station and later to Up Park Camp, the army’s headquarters in Kingston.

Miller was later charged with one count each of harbouring a fugitive and perverting the course of justice.

“The man p… up himself when him see the police,” one member of the party which intercepted the vehicle told the Sunday Observer on condition that his name is not mentioned.

“Him just look so frighten with this wig and the woman glasses that you would never believe this was the same man who everybody say is bad and mighty,” added the cop.

“He wasn’t sweating and the vehicle had the air condition on, so you could clearly see the impression on his pants that some wetting was going on when we took him out. Rain was in the area, but it wasn’t caused from that,” the policeman said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police assigned to the constabulary’s National Intelligence Centre Kevin Blake was non-committal when the Sunday Observer asked him about the matter last Friday, offering only that: “Well, let us say that it is the rainy season.”

The wetting of trousers is nothing new to wanted men. Kevin Tyndale, better known as Richie Poo, reportedly wet himself when he was captured by police on February 12, 2005.

Tyndale became head of the Gideon Warriors gang, based in Papine, eastern St Andrew, after the capture of its former leader Joel Andem in May 2004.

“He wet his pants,” a policeman who took part in the operation told the Sunday Observer at the time. “It was amazing to see a man whose name drives fear into many hearts, begging and pleading for his life,” added the policeman who did not wish to be named.

“Even after he was handcuffed he kept begging the officers not to kill him, and when he was taken to the lock-up he thanked the police for not killing him,” the cop added.

Tyndale — who was a suspect in 19 major crimes including murder, shootings and robberies — was accused of killing 56-year-old Ena Grant while she worshipped at a church in Land Lease, St Andrew, in June 2004. Police and eyewitness reports at the time said he entered the church, pointed the gun at the senior citizen, pulled the trigger, but the gun misfired. Amid the chaos that ensued, with worshippers fleeing, Tyndale corrected the problem on the firearm and shot Grant dead.

He was later convicted of murder, for which he was given a life sentence.

He was also found guilty of wounding with intent, illegal possession of firearm and shooting with intent, and received separate sentences.

“It is a normal human reaction,” said noted psychiatrist Dr Aggrey Irons in an interview.

“Such a situation is based on a lack of control… when there is a serious autonomic response, the autonomic nervous system just does that,” he said. “It is not because you are a coward, but something happens at the time that raises your level of awareness very suddenly.”

A medical doctor who opted for anonymity said that it was a natural reaction for something like that to occur, if that were the case with Coke.

“It can happen to normal individuals… the suddenness of that situation, where all the muscles relax and you lose control,” said the doctor. “Under normal circumstances when you do not urinate on yourself, it is because your brain is sending out signals of control. It happens all the while to people who are fearful… it is a phobia.”

Tyndale’s predecessor Andem, was also reported by the police as showing signs of nervousness when he was captured.

“He was trembling like a badly-tuned truck,” police superintendent Donald Pusey told the Observer at the time.

June 27, 2010 — Updated 1646 GMT (0046 HKT)

Germany hammered England 4-1 in Bloemfontein.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Germany crush arch rivals England 4-1 to reach World Cup quarterfinals
• Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Thomas Mueller (2) score for Germany
• The result is England’s heaviest ever defeat at a World Cup
• Germany will meet Argentina or Mexico in last eight in South Africa

(CNN) — A rampant Germany thrashed arch rivals England 4-1 in Bloemfontein to reach the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup.

Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski took advantage of sloppy defending to give Germany a 2-0 lead before Matthew Upson headed in for England.

Frank Lampard was denied an equalizing goal for England when the officials failed to spot that the ball had clearly crossed the line.

But despite England coach Fabio Capello’s claim that the controversy was the turning point, a far superior Germany ran away with the match in the second half, with Thomas Mueller scoring twice on the break to inflict England’s biggest ever World Cup defeat.

“I think we played well but then I was disappointed by the mistakes and they counter-attacked well,” Capello told BBC Sport.

“Germany is a big team and they played well - we made mistakes, but the referee made a bigger one. This is football.”

It was the first World Cup meeting between two of football’s oldest foes since 1990, when West Germany beat England on penalties after a 1-1 draw. England’s only previous victory had come in the 1966 final — a 4-2 triumph at London’s Wembley.

Video: Blatter favors ‘accurate’ technology

Germany carved the game’s first opening inside five minutes when a pass over England’s defense found Mesut Ozil, whose shot was saved by the legs of David James.

The same direct approach brought the opening goal after 20 minutes when a long punt downfield from Manuel Neuer sent Klose racing clear.

The striker showed strength to hold off Upson and flick the ball past James with an outstretched right foot to post his 50th international goal and his 12th at World Cup finals.

England’s defenders were caught out of position again for Germany’s second goal as Muller shifted the ball to Podolski, who slashed a left-footed shot into the far corner.

Five minutes later, England got back in the game when Gerrard’s cross was headed home by Upson.

Then came the controversial moment when Lampard’s strike from the edge of the penalty area struck the underside of the bar and bounced down about two feet over the goal-line, only for Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda and his assistants to fail to award a goal.

Germany may feel the decision atones for 1966, when England were famously awarded a third goal even though Geoff Hurst’s shot appeared to bounce down on the line.

England looked the stronger side in early stages of the second half and Lampard rattled the bar with a free-kick.

But then the German onslaught began as England’s hopes were buried by two fine counter-attacking goals in three minutes.

First Bastian Schweinsteiger teed up Mueller to smash the third past James at his near post, and then Mesut Ozil crossed for the Bayern Munich winger to compound England’s misery.

Germany, who have now reached at least the quarterfinals at every World Cup since 1954, will face either Argentina or Mexico in the last eight.

www.wunderground.com

Although the Met Office had put people on guard for a few days, Saturday’s rain storm came as a surprise to many residents. It affected business operations in St John’s, caused drains to overrun, and created limited visibility for drivers.

Between 2 and 3 pm people reported seeing a funnel-like cloud extend downward over the ocean between Antigua and Montserrat.

“This storm cloud is just like so weird. My dog ran into my house, like the animal is reacting to something in the weather,” said a Sutherlands woman, who, like other residents, called OBSERVER Radio’s Snake Pit programme to relate their experiences.

The curious spectacle over the ocean was followed quickly by heavy rain, which overwhelmed the drains in St John’s. In some areas, the water was knee high.

OBSERVER’s Shane Potter toured downtown after the rain subsided and, in a live report, said mop-up operations were under way.

“Clerks are actually pushing water out of the stores and, of course, inventory that got wet, they’re also taking them out of the stores. So it’s almost like an after-hurricane cleanup campaign taking place with the thunderstorm that passed,” Potter said.

The Met Office at VC Bird International Airport was inundated with calls, and Meteorologist Orvin Paige told OBSERVER that  the Met Office had issued warnings for days.

“An upper-level trough system to our north and northeast has been providing some unstable conditions, and what happened (Saturday), as expected … the temperature got pretty high, 32 degrees. And with the amount of solar energy in, this would have added some fuel to the already unstable conditions which ignited the thunderstorms,” Paige said.

Electricity, Internet and cable -and-cell phone service blackouts accompanied the storm. The cable TV outages, which affected both providers, left FIFA World Cup fans unable to watch the end of the Ghana-USA final 16 game. The match ended with a 2-1 victory for Ghana and ended the USA’s hopes of advancing to the final eight.

Also Saturday,  a completely unrelated weather system developed into Tropical Storm Alex, the first for the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

A set of clouds spanning from the Caribbean Sea across the Yucatan Peninsula and into the Gulf of Mexico developed wind speed of up to 45 mile per hour at the 3 pm reading. The minimum for a tropical storm is 39 miles an hour.

Director of the Met Office Keithley Meade said that people here should take note of how early in the season Alex formed.

“I remarked, some weeks ago, that the presence of an early system just around the western Central America was some indication that the atmosphere was pretty conducive to the direct development of storm systems, so now we’re seeing the effect of it.

“As we can see, the atmosphere is off to a flying start and, as such, we can expect, as predicted, an active season,” said Meade.

Up to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 and above, with wind speeds of at least 111 miles per hour, are predicted for this hurricane season. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted that many as 23 named storms could develop, with as many as 14 becoming hurricanes. (Antigua Observer)

By Andre Haynes

The race composition of the sample used in the recent CADRES political opinion survey was not representative of the national demographic profile, but the pollster maintains that even if it had been the findings about electoral support would have been no different.

According to a report on the results of the survey seen by Stabroek News, 39.6% of the sample was African-Guyanese, 26.6% was Indian-Guyanese, 22.2% was mixed, 7.1% was Amerindian, 2.3% was Portuguese, 0.4% was Chinese, 0.1% was Anglo (White) and 1.8% was classified as “other race.” However, at the time the last census was conducted Indian-Guyanese made up 43.5% of the country’s population, African-Guyanese made up 30.2%, Mixed Race persons made up 16.7% and Amerindians 9.2%, while Anglo, Chinese, Portuguese and others made up slightly under 0.5%. “It would appear as though your newspaper has acquired some information that was not released to it by CADRES and I do not care to comment on any such speculative information,” CADRES’ Director of Research Peter Wickham informed Stabroek News, when contacted about the race composition of the sample.

CADRES had done polling for the main opposition PNCR prior to the last general election. It has not however released the findings of that survey, which was commissioned by one of the party’s donors. However, a source who is familiar with that survey told Stabroek News that it was “a disaster,” noting that it was based on a similar methodology that under-represented Indian-Guyanese in the sample. According to the source, the findings suggested a PNCR win, with the AFC and the PPP/C, following behind in that order. The source suggested that Wickham was someone “who did not understand Guyana,” and, in particular, “sampling in a multi-ethnic society.” The PNCR subsequently secured 33.4% of the vote, behind the PPP/C’s 53.39% and the AFC’s 8%.

The March 2010 survey found that the governing PPP/Civic continued to command the single largest bloc of voters but had lost major support since the last general election. It measured the PPP/Civic’s overall support at 38%, the PNCR at 31% and the AFC at 26%, representing a drop of 16%, 3% and a gain of 18%, respectively.

CADRES has stated that there was a +/-5% margin of error at the national level. However, it noted that the survey was not designed to render a similar level of confidence at the local level and therefore assertions made in respect of the regions could only be considered a guide to public opinion in those areas.

‘Design bias’

CADRES did not establish pre-set racial categories in which interviews were to be conducted, the report on the survey seen by this newspaper said. “The interviewers were instructed to focus on those areas where political support for both parties was most neutral and in some instances, these areas turned out to be racially ‘unrepresentative’ of the national demographic profile…” it said. It added, “This is more a design bias than a design flaw and the poll might therefore exaggerate the electoral swing away from the PPP/Civic somewhat (most Indian-Guyanese supported the [party]).”

According to the report, the “design bias” did not mean that the shifts in electoral support identified were incorrect; rather, it argued that the poll would demonstrate “definitive trends” which were perhaps at this stage “slightly muted.” Moreover, it emphasised that “if the poll were to have canvassed 17% more Indo-Guyanese, the result would be no different, since the PPP/Civic would not attract the support of all these persons.”

The survey attempted to capture the opinion of 1,000 persons at the national level and 1,074 usable questionnaires were used to prepare the report. The data was collected using face-to-face interviews in all 10 administrative regions and interviewers were assigned to areas which corresponded to polling divisions with a relatively “close” relationship between both major political parties. The interviewers were also assigned gender and age categories along with quotas, which were to correspond as closely as possible with the national profile.

The report explained that such an approach targeted the “most politically sensitive” areas in Guyana. Between 12 and 36 interviews were conducted in each area and the interviewers selected the respondents based on a one in three formula and conducted the interviews in or near homes with persons who were already registered or who planned to register before the next general election.

A breakdown of the sample showed that 48.5% of the respondents were male, while 51.5% were female, while 33% were between the ages of 18 and 30, 36.2% were between the ages of 31 and 50 and 30.9% were 51 and over. Additionally, 50.1% of the respondents were working, while other categories included house-wife/husband (17.2%), unemployed (15%), student (6.0%) and retired (7.8%). The breakdown by income group, meanwhile, showed that 64.7% of the respondents earned below $50,000 per month, 31.2% earned between $50,000 and $200,000 per month, 3.3% earned between $200,000 and $900,000 per month and 0.8% earned over $900,000 per month.

A breakdown of interviews conducted by region indicate that 33.5% of them were conducted in Region 4; 15.6% in Region 6; 13.2% in Region 3; 8.8% in Region 5; 6.6% in Region 2; 4.5% in Regions  1, 7 and 9; and 4.4% in regions 8 and 10.

The PPP/Civic has strongly criticised the survey, calling it misleading. CADRES, however, has stood by its findings, saying it was satisfied that they were “a fair and accurate assessment” of the fortunes of the various political parties

CADRES has said it has a reputation as the region’s “most reliable” polling organisation. In responding to the PPP/C’s criticism, it emphasised that it adhered to the strictest methodology, which was available in detail to those who might be interested. “This method has been vindicated repeatedly over the 20 years that we have been in existence,” it said, adding that the organisation continued to be led by an individual who lived in the Caribbean and was intimately familiar with its political complexity.

CADRES noted that it had been in the business of political opinion polling since 1990. Recently, it predicted the win by the Democratic Labour Party in Barbados in 2008, the victory of the incumbent Roosevelt Skerrit in Dominica last year, the incumbent UPP’s success in Antigua last year and the victory of the incumbent Denzil Douglas in this year’s polls in St Kitts and Nevis.

Additionally, Wickham confirmed that CADRES had been retained by the COP in Trinidad in an advisory capacity. COP was part of the successful People’s Partnership coalition. He said while polling was part of CADRES’ remit, it also provided other support to the initial negotiation process and thereafter to the campaign. (Stabroek News)

RUSTENBURG

Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan a superb scored three minutes into extra time to send Africa’s last World Cup contenders into the quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory over the United States yesterday.

The Black Stars booked a last-eight meeting with Uruguay on Friday at Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium.

The South Americans also secured their progress with a 2-1 victory over South Korea yesterday.

Ghana become only the third African team to reach a World Cup quarter-final, matching the achievements of Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002.

’I am the happiest man in the world,’ said Gyan.

’In 2006 we made the second round, now we have gone a step further. We have made Ghana proud and the whole of Africa proud.’

The Black Stars, who also defeated the Americans to eliminate them from the 2006 tournament at the group phase, are the last of six African teams that began the first World Cup on African soil.

’I thought at 1-1 we had a chance but we didn’t have enough freshness against all of Ghana’s power,’ said US coach Bob Bradley.

’We have a great squad. We’re proud but also disappointed not to have gone further.’

Kevin-Prince Boateng gave the Africans the lead in the fifth minute but the Americans, who fought back to draw after falling behind against England on the same pitch two weeks ago, equalised in the 62nd minute via a Landon Donovan penalty.

Former US President Bill Clinton and British rock legend Mick Jagger watched as four-time African champion Ghana denied an attacking US side the decisive goal late in normal time, setting the stage for two 15-minute extra-time periods.

The wait for the game’s pivotal moment lasted only three minutes.

Ghana’s Andre Ayew launched a high, bouncing pass upfield to Gyan, who tried to keep control as he was bumped into by US captain Carlos Bocanegra — Gyan’s friend and team-mate with French club Rennes.

Gyan came away with the ball and met it on the bounce two strides later to blast a left-footed shot over US goalkeeper Tim Howard for his third goal of the tournament, taking him to a share of the lead in the goalscoring chart.

The Black Stars, whose only goals before the match had come from two Gyan penalty kicks, had to be wary of a US side known for late-match dramatics.

’It’s incredible, we’ve created history, it’s the first time that Ghana have reached the quarter-finals,’ beamed Ghana right-back John Pantsil.

’We played for 120 minutes and everyone gave his best.’

The Americans had rallied to draw 1-1 with England, come from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Slovenia and edged Algeria 1-0 thanks to a Donovan goal in stoppage time that put the US squad into the last 16 and into Ghana’s path.

Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson, the third-choice keeper for English side Wigan last season, had already been heroic in thwarting the Americans time and again in the second half and he anchored a Black Stars defence that denied them to the final whistle.

A US corner just into extra-time injury time saw the Americans send goalkeeper Tim Howard into attack to try and net the equaliser but the extra attacker was not enough for another Stars and Stripes miracle finish.

The US team failed in a bid to match their 2002 quarter-final run and win back-to-back Cup matches for the first time in 80 years, while they have still not won a World Cup match in which they trailed.

Yellow cards issued to Ghana defender Johnathan Mensah and midfielder Ayew mean they will miss the match against Uruguay. (Trinidad Express)

Accused drug kingpin Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer

Accused drug kingpin Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke is kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day in a maximum-security prison in New York.

The Sunday Gleaner has learnt that Dudus, who last Friday appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to charges that he operated a massive drug and gunrunning enterprise, is confined to a very small area in the prison.

Solitary confinement is a punishment or special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is denied contact with any other persons, excluding members of the prison staff. It is considered by some as a form of psychological torture.

Coke has been under tight security since Tuesday of last week when he was apprehended on the Mandela Highway, near the border of St Andrew and St Catherine.

But the security measures around Coke tightened even more when he was placed in the hands of the Americans last Thursday.

An hour of exercise

According to word out of New York, Dudus is kept alone in his cell for 23 hours each day, only taken out for an hour of exercise.

“No one from outside the prison system is allowed to speak to him at this time,” disclosed an attorney who is watching the developments closely.

The court had appointed attorney-at-law Russel Newfeld from the Public Defender’s Office to represent Coke when he appeared in court last Friday, but noted American defence lawyer Frank Doddato later told reporters that he expected to represent Coke and would vigorously fight the charges.

“There’s not going to be any leeway for compromise here,” Doddato told journalists, as he claimed he would be the man beside Coke when he appears for a bond hearing tomorrow.

But since then, three other lawyers in New York have indicated that they could also be representing the Coke who the American law-enforcement agencies describe as one of the world’s most dangerous drug dealers.

However, before the matter of legal representation is settled, Coke will be required to prove that the money to be used to pay his lawyer was not derived from any illegal activity.

“Before they can represent him, they will have to prove that the money that is going to be used to pay them is money which is not dirty. That will be very difficult to prove,” a noted attorney told The Sunday Gleaner.

Coke was before the United States courts less than 24 hours after he was flown to that country.

This was the clearest indication that the US authorities had become impatient with the almost 10-month wait for his arrival to answer drug and gun-trafficking charges.

US officials had started to grumble when the Bruce Golding administration resisted its attempts to have the alleged Shower Posse boss extradited.

There had been rumblings during the past month over deals being hammered out for Coke to hand himself over to the US authorities here while he was on the run. The latest of these came with his capture on Wednesday last week along the Mandela Highway, where the Reverend Al Miller indicated that Coke had asked him to transport him to the US Embassy in Liguanea.

US marshals were already in the island Thursday morning when Dudus appeared in the local courts and waived his right to an extradition hearing.

Hours later, he was off to New York where by Friday, he was before the courts for a formal reading of the charges and the entering of a plea.

Coke, wearing a blue inmate smock and speaking softly, entered the plea during a brief appearance in a Manhattan federal court.

Asked by US District Judge Robert Patterson whether he understood the charges, the short and stocky defendant replied, “Yes, sir.”

In court papers, New York prosecutors said Coke had conspired to distribute cocaine and marijuana throughout the eastern United States since 1994.

The indictment alleges that members of Coke’s gang in Jamaica and their US counterparts “sold narcotics, including marijuana and crack cocaine, at Coke’s direction”.

Phone conversations

It says co-conspirators had recorded phone conversations with Coke about shipments of drugs and handguns.

Gang members would buy “firearms in the United States and ship those firearms to Jamaica”, the indictment says.

It alleges that Coke would distribute the guns and cash as a way “to support and increase his authority and power in Kingston, Jamaica, and elsewhere” .

The papers also claim that drug dealers in the US regularly sent cash and goods, including clothing, firearms and electronics, to Coke as “tribute” payments, in recognition of his leadership and assistance. (Jamaica Gleaner)

- gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com

Close[X]

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

By: DAVANDRA BABB

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. (Nation News)