Monday, May 14, 2007

DAY: Calipsoed


Following one's preference in this world is a quick way to exit from it..."
                                                  -Bartleby the Scrivener

The so called calipso dance has so overtaken conscience, young kids, old men, kindergarten chaps are so into it you could raise the subject be included on the national curriculum. This is written by a chap who scorns dancing it or rather cannot dance it.

OmaGod! Is every dance supposed to turn out calipsoed? Music plays dance strokes start with calipso and end with calipso. It makes for weird thinking-that every musician wants to have a calipso in their videos even when the true look of things cast the dance out of place.

Well, the people are happy about it, as is wont the nature of pop culture, no one can stop it especially when you greatly despise it, it will wane and reappear in another form of annoying stroke of magic, perhaps. It keeps overtaking itself, building on until we don't even remember who exactly can claim to be the re-inventor.

It's disputable. Who among the 21st century Ugandan musicians re-introduced it? This here is a salon argument that would last the whole day. Some say it was Bobi wine's Bada fame; some allege it couldn't have come together but for the efforts of Phina Mugerwa Masanyaraze. No, it Bebe cool. Aaahaa! It's Rebecca Jingo.

This argument is taking us no where. I find it better to settle with the thought that the one who dances it worst must have re-introduced in here. Simple, Ugandans are good at copying and bettering any thing new. Didn't they hijack Lingala?

There is space though for question, now that kids have abandoned the awkward kiddish dances for calipso. What is that new form of calipso they are dancing called? You know, it's not the mechanical calipso, its improvised, rule less and a formidable creative art that involves half strokes, staring lapses, and a break dance in between. I don't really hate calipso I realize.

16:15 Posted in lolling | Permalink | Comments (4) | Email this | Tags: calipso, dance, dancing