In 1966, Anglican Reverend Father Clifford Hendey caused a stir in Trinidad and Tobago when he played mas on the streets with the Angostura Starlift Steel Orchestra.
His actions inspired the legendary calypsonian Mighty Cypher to win the 1967 Calypso Monarch title with his iconic song, “If the Priest Could Play (Who is We?)”.
When Fr. Clifford Hendey took to the streets of Port-of-Spain in 1966, the public reaction was fiercely polarised. According to historical archives from the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, outraged parishioners went as far as nailing a poster to a church door that read: “We want a priest to say mass. Not play mas’.”
The event was so monumental in Caribbean pop culture that Calypsonian Lord Brynner also released the track “Play Yuh Mas’ Rev”, singing about a Reverend throwing down his gown to jump when he heard the steelband coming down the town.
In recent years, Catholic priests Fr. Emmanuel Dafe, a Nigerian who moved to Trinidad after being personally invited by the local Archbishop, made local headlines in Trinidad for his welcoming stance on cultural celebrations, famously stating that there was nothing wrong with playing mas and receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday.
He publicly defended parishioners who jump on the streets for Carnival Monday and Tuesday and showed up for service the very next day, stating it was unfair to label them insincere.
The blending of church hymns with calypso began in the United Kingdom as early as 1964.
Reverend Perry, an Anglican priest, composed the universally famous “Calypso Carol” (also known as “See Him Lying on a Bed of Straw”), which deliberately paired a standard nativity story with a syncopated Caribbean calypso rhythm to make church music more vibrant.
The entry of ordained priests in the Caribbean into the calypso arena represented a powerful intersection of Caribbean religious history, social commentary and cultural expression. A deep division separated the Christian church from the “bacchanal” and satire of Calypso.
Father Branker John of Dominica long before his ordination, performed under the calypso sobriquet “De Brakes”. He became a towering figure in the art form, capturing Dominica’s National Calypso Monarch titles in 1997 and 1999 with hits like “Remember me the Malaway” and “Keep the Candles Burning” left a political and entertainment career to pursue theology and was formally ordained as a Roman Catholic priest on June 29, 2013.
Father Albert Aaron Smith of Saint Lucia had a dynamic and sometimes complex relationship with calypso, famously crossing the line between the priesthood and the art form by actively performing as a calypsonian.
He has been highly celebrated for performing “Gospelyoso” (gospel-themed calypso) at community and church events, using the traditional rhythmic storytelling format to preach the Gospel.
He made waves by performing on stage at events like the Gospelypso Show and even sharing the stage with local artists during major events like the Saint Lucia Calypso Finals.
He defended his love for the music by referencing scripture (such as Psalm 105), arguing that singing praise in local styles helps reach people and spread spiritual messages.
In August 2024, Fr. Gerald Paul was one of the masqueraders playing Jab Jab in St. George’s, Grenada. That same year, he was suspended on April 4, 2024, with a follow-up indefinite suspension notice delivered on April 20, which was issued by Bishop Clyde Harvey of the Diocese of St. George’s-in-Grenada after being accused of persistent pattern of public attacks against the Catholic Church and its leadership.
This year, the suspended Roman Catholic priest Father Gerard Paul is performing calypso in Grenada for the Spicemas season, joining the Kaiso Bards tent. He began singing calypso originally in 1976 as a teenager and won local monarch titles before his priesthood.
He returned to the stage for the Spicemas celebrations, reaching the competition finals to be held the Sunday before Carnival. His lyrical choices and performance have led to criticisms from members of the local Catholic community.
His calypso music focuses heavily on bold religious, social, and political commentary through two primary tracks. The first is a controversial track which takes a direct swipe at the Roman Catholic Church, specifically targeting priests who are suspected of engaging in homosexual activities.
Father Paul defended the song as a reflection of a systemic issue that has dogged the Catholic Church for centuries, which he claimed the institution frequently chose to ignore rather than address.
In his second calypso, he has utilised the “radar” concept to vocally oppose political requests from the US to install military radar systems on the island.
His calypso about “The Radar” alleged a hidden, systemic network of homosexual activity among Roman Catholic clergy, specifically targeting priests stating that he needs a radar to find them.
The lyrics accused church leadership of ignoring this behaviour for centuries and, despite backlash, the song successfully advanced him to the National Calypso Finals.
The second is a deeply political kaiso track which focused on the geopolitical conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This track serves as a fierce tribute and a vocal critique of the international response to the war.
His public stance on this issue and his vocal criticism of church leadership regarding Gaza directly contributed to his official suspension from his priestly duties.
Deacon Raphael Johnson is a Roman Catholic deacon in Grenada who performs calypso under the stage name “The Mighty Croqueta” (or simply Croqueta). He serves on the pastoral staff as a Deacon and Pastoral Assistant at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in St. George’s, while simultaneously working as a long-standing local educator. He has a history in the culture, originally starting his calypso journey while studying in Cuba during the Grenada Revolution.
He remains a regular fixture in the island’s annual competitions, performing tracks like “The Prescription” at the Grenada Independence Calypso Finals and continuing to perform for the Spicemas 2026 season.
In Barbados, members of the clergy have actively participated in the country’s Carnival culture (known locally as Crop Over), both as official ceremonial leaders and as competitive musical artists.
Because Crop Over originated as a celebration marking the end of the sugar cane harvest, the church maintains a structural, sanctioned role in the festival alongside instances of individual clergy entering the creative calypso arena.
Father Clement Paul actively wrote and performed calypsos, stating that he viewed calypsonians as the true social commentators and “prophets” of the country. He fiercely defended the integration of the church and Bajan culture, using the traditional calypso tent medium to deliver spiritual and social messages directly to the public.
In the early 1990s, Father Harcourt Blackett, another prominent Roman Catholic priest from Barbados, actively attempted to cross over into the street-parade aspect of Carnival. He tried to organise and launch an official costume band for the Crop Over festival.
While his specific band did not ultimately materialise due to push back from traditional church factions, the initiative laid the groundwork for contemporary “evangelical bands” that participate in regional Carnivals today.
Whether playing Carnival is correct for a Christian is a deeply personal and debated topic, with no single consensus among different Christian denominations. Churches generally fall into three main viewpoints regarding the festival.
– Total Abstinence e.g., Denominations like the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as well as many Evangelical and Pentecostal churches, choose to completely separate themselves from Carnival. Members often organise church retreats, camps, or family beach trips on Carnival Monday and Tuesday to physically remove themselves from the festivities.
This stance is rooted in Biblical teachings on holiness, modesty, and avoiding the “ways of the world.” These groups view modern Carnival as an environment centered around immodest dressing, heavy alcohol consumption, and sexually suggestive dancing (wining), which they believe contradicts a Christian lifestyle.
– Full Inculturation and Participation, e.g., some Catholic and Anglicans whose viewpoints separate the artistic, historical, and musical expressions of Carnival (like steelpan, calypso, and traditional masquerade) from sinful behavior. Proponents argue that a Christian can enjoy their culture responsibly without engaging in excess, drunkenness, or immorality. They view it as a joyful celebration before the solemn, penitential season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.
– Avoid the Excess”
Many Christians take a middle-ground approach. They may not join a masquerade band or “play mas” on the street, but they will happily look on from the sidelines, attend steelpan competitions (Panorama), or listen to calypso and soca music. Their boundary is defined by enjoying the creativity and community spirit of the festival while consciously avoiding behaviours that conflict with their personal faith.
Ultimately, the choice comes down to how a Christian’s specific church interprets scripture, and how the individual’s own conscience guides them to navigate culture and faith.
Grenadian born, the Mighty Sparrow sang a calypso titled the Beach, which captured the cultural clash between people who try to skip the heavy, chaotic crowds of Port-of-Spain on Carnival Tuesday by escaping to the quiet of the beach, only for the irresistible pull of the festival to pull them right back.
The calypso was about a family who decided to avoid the wild “bacchanal” and madness of the downtown Carnival jump-up by packing up and heading out to the peaceful shores of Maracas Beach. The parents’ claim of a quiet family beach day was debunked when their daughter was seen “jumping up” in town, abandoning the planned trip for Carnival festivities with her boyfriend.
Simeon Collins is a former Director of the Grenada Bureau of Standards and first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA), a CARICOM Institution