Magician sat in the rear seat of his Nissan Sentra motorcar with his head bent. He was crying silently. Around the car an angry throng had gathered. Everyone seemed to be shouting and screaming- "they tief", "Robbery", "Is obeah", etc
Their hero had lost again. They could not understand nor accept this perennial disappointment. For the past seven years they had been hoping that the Magician would win the calypso title. But each time it eluded him. They were confused and angry, both with the judges as well as with the Magician.
The first year that Magician entered the competition he placed last. Most people agreed that he was an excellent composer, but a weak singer and a stilted performer. But he seemed to have been penalized for singing negatively about businessmen and most of the judges were members of that profession. In the eyes of the judges, Magician did not appear to be a supporter of the free enterprise system. This calypsonian, was said to be communist. So as far as the judges were concerned, he would never win a crown.
Many people loved Magician's songs but not Magician. These people agreed that he was a brilliant composer who wrote serious songs about serious issues and used his words poetically. But Magician, so agreed even his staunchest fans could not perform. On stage he could not dance; he had no body rhythm. His movements were mechanical, jerky and erratic.
Magician had also made it a habit of trying to impress the judges by positioning himself, while on stage, very close to them and jerking his pelvis suggestively. One female judge, a few years ago, recommended to her counterpart judges, that Magician be disqualified for "jooking" in front of her. But she was overruled. From that night she became one of calypsoes greatest enemies.
The leader of Magician's fan club entered the car and placed an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Boy don't worry with them. Everybody know you is the best calypsonian it have in the country. But they don't like you for two reasons; first, you does tell the truth, and they don't want to hear that. Second, you is a country boy from Sea View. You not a town man or a party man. Another thing is, they fraid you brain. They know you is a genius, so they don't like intelligent people. But some times is a good thing you don't win, too. They might try to spoil you. You see what happen tonight? You don't believe is something they try? How all the time you singing you tunes good, good and tonight you just can't remember parts. Boy, I believe is something they try on you".
The last part was heard and taken up by those around him. One girl said that she heard a cousin of the winner saying a few days before, that they will remove the magic from Magician. And when she inquired about the meaning of that statement, she was told to wait for Sunday night, she would see. Boyo who is always a witness to every intrigue, claimed to have seen a strange woman shaking a red piece of cloth in front of Magician's face just before he stepped on stage. Boyo further stated that just as he was about to grab the cloth from the woman, she vanished. Only a drink from the bottle in his pocket prevented him from fainting.
Magician's oldest sister, Amanda, remarked in her loud manner, "Boy don't even take the prize money. Leave it for them hungry judges and them. Make them see you don't depend on them. You go sing and make you record and sell. Some ah them foolish people saying that you can't 'wine' and is only 'jook you jooking'. You bound to wine?"
By now most of the crowd had drifted away from Queen's Park and from around the car. Magician sat up, dried his eyes and blew his nose. A passerby staggering along, looked inside the car and said drunkenly, "Go and learn to wine, you bulldog".
Magician flew out of the car and grabbed the drunk around the neck. He began to rain blows to the man's head and face. The few people around appeared stunned. They were paralyzed. Never had they seen Magician react with such violence.
"Oh, he killing the man!", a girl screamed. This galvanized the spectators into action, but it was too late. Magician had given a vicious twist to the man's neck before shoving him face first to the ground.
Magician received ten years hard labour for manslaughter and is now an inmate of Her Majesty's Prison at Richmond Hill. His tune 'Calypso Done' was indeed a prophecy into his fate.
Roy Benjamin
August 1992
Their hero had lost again. They could not understand nor accept this perennial disappointment. For the past seven years they had been hoping that the Magician would win the calypso title. But each time it eluded him. They were confused and angry, both with the judges as well as with the Magician.
The first year that Magician entered the competition he placed last. Most people agreed that he was an excellent composer, but a weak singer and a stilted performer. But he seemed to have been penalized for singing negatively about businessmen and most of the judges were members of that profession. In the eyes of the judges, Magician did not appear to be a supporter of the free enterprise system. This calypsonian, was said to be communist. So as far as the judges were concerned, he would never win a crown.
Many people loved Magician's songs but not Magician. These people agreed that he was a brilliant composer who wrote serious songs about serious issues and used his words poetically. But Magician, so agreed even his staunchest fans could not perform. On stage he could not dance; he had no body rhythm. His movements were mechanical, jerky and erratic.
Magician had also made it a habit of trying to impress the judges by positioning himself, while on stage, very close to them and jerking his pelvis suggestively. One female judge, a few years ago, recommended to her counterpart judges, that Magician be disqualified for "jooking" in front of her. But she was overruled. From that night she became one of calypsoes greatest enemies.
The leader of Magician's fan club entered the car and placed an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Boy don't worry with them. Everybody know you is the best calypsonian it have in the country. But they don't like you for two reasons; first, you does tell the truth, and they don't want to hear that. Second, you is a country boy from Sea View. You not a town man or a party man. Another thing is, they fraid you brain. They know you is a genius, so they don't like intelligent people. But some times is a good thing you don't win, too. They might try to spoil you. You see what happen tonight? You don't believe is something they try? How all the time you singing you tunes good, good and tonight you just can't remember parts. Boy, I believe is something they try on you".
The last part was heard and taken up by those around him. One girl said that she heard a cousin of the winner saying a few days before, that they will remove the magic from Magician. And when she inquired about the meaning of that statement, she was told to wait for Sunday night, she would see. Boyo who is always a witness to every intrigue, claimed to have seen a strange woman shaking a red piece of cloth in front of Magician's face just before he stepped on stage. Boyo further stated that just as he was about to grab the cloth from the woman, she vanished. Only a drink from the bottle in his pocket prevented him from fainting.
Magician's oldest sister, Amanda, remarked in her loud manner, "Boy don't even take the prize money. Leave it for them hungry judges and them. Make them see you don't depend on them. You go sing and make you record and sell. Some ah them foolish people saying that you can't 'wine' and is only 'jook you jooking'. You bound to wine?"
By now most of the crowd had drifted away from Queen's Park and from around the car. Magician sat up, dried his eyes and blew his nose. A passerby staggering along, looked inside the car and said drunkenly, "Go and learn to wine, you bulldog".
Magician flew out of the car and grabbed the drunk around the neck. He began to rain blows to the man's head and face. The few people around appeared stunned. They were paralyzed. Never had they seen Magician react with such violence.
"Oh, he killing the man!", a girl screamed. This galvanized the spectators into action, but it was too late. Magician had given a vicious twist to the man's neck before shoving him face first to the ground.
Magician received ten years hard labour for manslaughter and is now an inmate of Her Majesty's Prison at Richmond Hill. His tune 'Calypso Done' was indeed a prophecy into his fate.
Roy Benjamin
August 1992
Comments
Post a Comment