One year after announcing he will no longer take part in the local calypso competition anymore, reigning King Finley “Scholar” Jeffrey has had a change of heart and will be defending his title in next month’s Dimanche Gras show.
In an exclusive interview with THE NEW TODAY on Tuesday, Scholar said it is now public knowledge that he will be in the line-up before the judges and made an announcement to this effect over the weekend during the judging night of his tent at Deluxe Cinema in Grenville, St. Andrew.
According to Scholar, he was influenced into deciding to quit competition as the artiste with the most Dimanche Gras titles, in order to concentrate on managing the tent as part of efforts to take the artform to a different level.
“I understood that the tent was going to be huge as you saw this year and the Management of that tent that is so huge it is a monumental task and so I was saying to myself to take on that management and everything – I have nothing to prove, nothing to do (so) I will take a break and work behind with the guys and so on,” he said.
Scholar stated that he was able to surprise himself as he “was able to do the two easily and successfully” and had enough time to do other things.
He admitted that it is “a lot of work” to manage a calypso tent but he had “a good support staff” and was still able “to produce music and so on.”
“The truth is that calypso is something that is in me,” said Scholar as he gave reasons for defending the crown.
He also said it is now clear to him that he can successfully manage the tent and still find the time to take part in the calypso competition.
The defending calypso king also expressed concern over the lack of support given by some government ministers to the artform.
He praised the Minister with responsibility for Agriculture Sen. Adrian “Persuader” Thomas, as well as Foreign Minister Joseph Andall, Economic Development Minister Lennox “Toes” Andrews, and Minister with responsibility for Social Development Sen. Gloria Thomas as persons in the current Cabinet of Ministers who “religiously come” to calypso shows at the level of the tent.
“We have always invited the Culture Minister and so on to the tent but they never show up – I am watching them,” he quipped.
Scholar said he has never seen the current substantive Minister of Culture David Andrew and the Minister with responsibility for Culture Ron Redhead attending the tent for the season.
“…The current Culture Minister is only a Minister within the ministry so you have an overacting Minister of Culture who is David Andrew, he doesn’t come and then Ron (Redhead) who specifically deals with Culture, he doesn’t come. It’s very, very sad – they have to stop that – they need to be coming to the tents,” he added.
THE NEW TODAY was not able to reach Minister Andrew to ascertain claims made by a Congress party supporter that she did see him attending one of the shows at the tent.
“I tell you he (Andrew) was there the Sunday I was there. I don’t know if he stayed long. I took note because his wife is very pretty and she dresses sophisticated,” she said.