‘WHY NO CALYPSO ON PARIA?’

WHILE prominent calypsonians dodged the issue of the deaths of four Paria divers, a music teacher has poured her heart into the scandal.

Reanna Edwards-Paul sang at the recent South Calypso Monarch Competition about calling a radio station with a request to air a calypso on the deaths of the four divers.

Ms. Edwards-Paul, a teacher for the past 15 years at Naparima Girls’ High School, sang:
“Ah say play the one about Paria,

“Anybody sing about dem four divers,

How dey leave dem in a pipeline,

To suffocate and dead one time.”

The artiste, daughter of playwright Victor Edwards, sang that she was told there was no such calypso.

“But he say how I could try another kind,

“That it easy to find a jam-and-wine.”

Ms. Edwards-Paul went on:

“Sixty murders last January,

“But dem fellas die innocently,

“Paria just twiddle they thumb,

“Where was the recovery mission?

“Big bacchanal under the sea,

“Calypsonians doh have dat to study!

“Play that damn calypso for me, brother,

“The one about Paria.”

In another verse, she sang:

“Calypso was we newspapers,

“Calypsonians sang on all matters,

“But like dey get picky and choosy,

“About the things they singing for we,

“Paria, they let man dead just so,

“But we cyar ask questions in calypso.

“Just the other day after all ah the banter,

“Enquiry say Paria guilty of manslaughter,

“It take two years for these people to do something,

“Like the commission eh know what they hell them doing,

“I telling you as a woman,

“So far, not one cent in compensation,

“Cyar done talk about Karen and the fence,

“But four man dead and we still cyar make sense.”

She added:

“Forty calypso in the Fiesta!

“Ah hoping someone will sing about Paria,

“Faizal, Kazim, Yusuf and Rishi,

Them fellas is martyrs, you see.”

She ended with the comment:
“Is the reason I enter the show,

“Leh we record this calypso,

“Leh me let the whole nation hear,

“It have calypsoniabns who still care.”

Divers Fyzal Kurban, Kazim Ali Jr., Rishi Nagassar and Yusuf Henry died in the February 25, 2022 industrial accident.

Christopher Boodram survived.

A commission of enquiry, which cost taxpayers $15 million, called for corporate manslaughter prosecution.

Surviving relatives have not received any compensation.

The board of directors and executive management of the State-owned company have been retained by the Government.

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley continues to sidestep the issue.