After
years of dedication and consistency, Winston "Gypsy"
Peters has reached the pinnacle of his profession
having won the Calypso Monarch competition at the
Dimanche Gras show from among ten other calypsonians.
For him, it was not an easy road to travel and like
any other field of endeavour, there were rules to
be followed and "tricks of the trade" to learn.
The entertainment profession can be rewarding for
those with the tenacity to continue despite the
setbacks, disappointments or rejections. Gypsy has
been through it all and is today the Calypso Monarch
of 1997.
The toast of Mayaro, he is recognised everywhere
he goes. He is their hero and on the streets, all
of the "brothers" on the block each try to get in
a word with him. The vendors in the market all stop
briefly to exchange friendly greetings, many school
children are unable to resist the compelling urge
to approach him for autographs and to exchange handshakes
and friendly smiles with their Monarch.
His victory was a victory for Mayaro, which has
in recent years seen economic decline and a large
demographic shift to areas of enhanced job opportunities.
Many of the buildings are dilapidated, unoccupied
and are stark reminders of an area that once attracted
vacationers and was supported by a booming fishing
industry. The largest employer in the area is the
Government and the offshore oil company, Amoco.
Gypsy grew up in a poor family with three sisters
and nine brothers. He won his first calypso competition
in 1957 at age 4 at the Mayaro Village Hall with
a song that he composed and has not stopped singing
since. His idols were people like Sparrow, Stalin
and Kitchener and as a youngster, sought ideas from
them as part of his development as a composer and
singer.
At 13, Gypsy had to leave school to work so that
he could help support the rest of the family. He
eventually found his way to St Croix and finally
in the USA where he continued his singing and making
a name for himself. He returned to Trinidad every
year for carnival and to sing at the tents but left
after the season to fulfill engagements in other
parts of the Caribbean and in the USA.
Over the years, Gypsy has given us memorable songs
as "Sinking Ship," "Where Do We Go From Here," Black
Man Where Is Your Cry," "Suzanne" and his big seller
this year, "Little Black Boy." Gypsy is very sensitive
about public opinion and relates that," my calypso
was inspired by the observations that I make in
the society and is the reflection of a real and
serious problem." He continues, "I have been called
racist because of the song and people have remarked
that I am compounding the feelings of hopelessness
in young Afro Trinidadians." Gypsy states emphatically
that his detractors do not understand the song because
they have not listened to or carefully read the
words to his song and in a defiant tone exclaimed
that he was willing to debate the issue with anyone
to defend his position.
He also indicated those years ago "I addressed the
little black girl in my song called Suzanne." Nobody
remembers that song nor gave it the attention that
it deserved neither did they listen to many of his
other songs over the years urging young Afro Trinidadians
to rise up and take charge of their lives." He laments
that " all of the other racial groups in Trinidad
and Tobago have support systems to take care of
their people in times of crisis except the Afro
Trinidadian and that they had invested their wealth
to secure and apply it to the needs of members of
their communities." He also pointed out that for
the past ten years, he has composed at least one
song each year to inspire his people towards self-esteem,
embracing knowledge and living meaningful lives.
Gypsy, 44, has the honour of being the first Calypsonian
to perform before a US President and did so before
President Carter on the recommendation of the Smithsonian
Institute in Washington. This was one of the memorable
occasions in his long singing career. He won the
one and only Calypso King Of The World competition
in Barbados in 1988. He is the reigning Extempo
King and had the distinction of being crowned Calypso
Monarch before a capacity crowd at the Queens park
Savannah on Carnival Sunday night. Gypsy also has
also broken new ground as he is the first calypsonian
to win both titles in one year. He is proud of his
achievement, considering the poor conditions from
which he emerged and one of the assignments that
he has undertaken during the year is a visit to
schools throughout the country.
His album for this year "Bad" containing the hit
" Little Black Boy" is already sold out. Locally
produced and costing $70 000 to produce, he has
nine songs on it and some of the cuts include "Rhythm
of a people," Soca Yuh Body," Gimme Love" and "Crazy
Love." Gypsy is serious about his work and says
"I put a lot of thought in everything that I sing."
He does not believe in calypsos that denigrate women
and believes that a good calypso should be melodious,
contain meaningful or sensible lyrics and well structured.
He avoids political bashing but would willingly
comment on the burning issues of the day without
fear or being disrespectful.
He believes in God but avoids organised religion
and praises him for the talent that he has. A father
of ten children, mostly teenagers and adults, Gypsy
has vowed to continue composing and singing as this
is what he does best and will also continue to sing
those songs that he feels could impact positively
on the lives of others.
