ALOES LIVES SECOND LIFEBy JOAN RAMPERSAD Saturday, February 16 2008
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Sugar Aloes...
LAST YEAR, a life-threatening illness kept him away from the calypso arena. However, this season Sugar Aloes (Michael Anthony Osouna) made a triumphant return to competition, winning the biggest calypso prize of the 2008 season, the National Calypso Monarch title.
This week, in a candid and exclusive interview with Newsday, Aloes spoke publicly for the first time about his illness and how that experience changed his life. He also expressed a desire for a musical showdown with his biggest calypso rival in an event he has tentatively titled Cro Cro vs Aloes in Concert.
Aloes, whose calypso career started in 1979 at the Young Brigade Tent, is currently a main organiser of the Calypso Revue Tent. This year’s Calypso Monarch title, which he won with a biting and controversial political commentary, “Reflections”, is his second. Aloes won his first National Calypso Monarch title in 2002 with “Contribution” and “Jubilation Time” - back when two songs were judged for the crown.
Living a second life
The reigning Monarch, known for his dapper suits, abundance of gold jewelry and his preference for hard-hitting political calypsos, says he had adopted a new attitude to life since his illness two years ago left him virtually at death’s door.
Aloes now says he is living a second life.
Speaking candidly about his illness for the first time, Aloes says that traumatic experience, which included emergency surgery in Antigua, has prompted him to take things much easier. He now refuses any overseas gigs which will involve lengthy stays abroad and insists that overseas promoters have to provide his travel tickets to return home immediately after those shows.
“There are times you will get a chance, whether you give it to yourself or if God gives it to you, to reflect on your life,” he admits.
Aloes, who is married to Jessica Osouna with whom he has six children added: “I thank God has given me that chance in life to me. When I took ill I was in transit in Antigua. I could have died without my family around me. What I’m planning to do now, regardless if I have ten shows around the same time, each promoter will have to buy me return tickets because I want to be in and out from home.
“Imagine if I’d passed on and my children were not around my bed? I wasn’t going to be able to tell them how much I love them and care about them, so I told myself that must not happen again.
“I’m not going to be running down every dollar. Every chance I get, I will be back home. That’s my new personal policy I’ve adopted.”
When news of Aloes’ illness first broke in Trinidad, there were reports that the bard had passed on.
Aloes confesses: “I and all believed I died.”
The calypso veteran suffered seepage from two holes in his intestines and had to be rushed into surgery in Antigua. He reveals that it had indeed been a life-threatening situation and recuperation was lengthy. In fact, doctors told him he needed two years to heal since singing, if overdone, could take its toll.
Aloes says since that close call, there are several things he has stopped doing, one of them being smoking.
When asked about his current state of health, he says: “I feel fully recovered but medically speaking I may not be. The doctors told me take two years off from performing, and I only took one year, so I may be feeling physically fit but it may not be so 100 percent. Nevertheless I’ve accomplished what I came out to accomplish.” beating Cro Cro
Commenting on his latest calypso victory, Aloes tells Newsday: “It’s nothing strange, it’s just another milestone. That normal, it’s nothing to be up in arms over.”
On his ongoing rivalry with Cro Cro (Weston Rawlins), Aloes says he never doubted that he would dethrone the former Monarch.
“I know for a fact that I could beat him,” he says. “If we were to spar one on one, calypso for calypso, I don’t think he has a repertoire that surpasses mine. One thing I knew, I wanted the edge on him and the edge I got was to sing right after him. I knew once I had gotten that edge, I knew I would have beaten him, so it was nothing to hoorah about.”
Responding to critics who say the melody of his winning calypso lacked originality, Aloes notes: “Well you don’t need a jump-and-wave song to beat Cro Cro.
“You have to beat Cro Cro on his standards, his style, which is laid back, slow, commentary, picong, biting.
“So really and truly, as far as I am concerned, while I have respect for Chalkie and Singing Sandra, he was the only man to beat.
“There wasn’t anybody else since I knew that I had already beaten everybody else in the field in the semi-finals in San Fernando. Therefore the only man to beat was the one who wasn’t in the semi-final.” Aloes’ politics
Perhaps even more than his current rivalry with Cro Cro, the controversy that has dogged Aloes for most of his calypso career has been his political views. The fact that the calypso that earned him this year’s Calypso Monarch title was critical of Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday has only added to the storm of criticism about Aloes and his politics. Over the years, Panday has been a frequent subject of political commentary calypsos by Aloes.
Never one to dodge controversy, Aloes didn’t hesitate with his response when asked by Newsday:
“Are you PNM?” He declared: “Of course! I am PNM until I dead!”
Looking ahead, Aloes says this year he will do the shows he is accustomed doing abroad, although he expected things will get a little more hectic because he is the reigning Monarch. However, he says he doesn’t intend to “kill myself over running after every dollar.
“I was supposed to spend two years off stage but I only took one so I’m not going to kill myself behind the almighty dollar but I’m going to do enough to live.”
So far he has gigs lined up in Antigua, Canada, New York, Montserrat and England.
He is not too enthusiastic, though, about some people who only started calling and making offers after he won this year’s major calypso title.
“I’m not even jumping at them because I live without them all these years. I could continue to live without them now. “Like Barbados and these places, the promoters there never called me before, and I still ate what I had to eat. By they calling me now doesn’t mean things will increase on my plate; I could do without it.
“I am making more time for family and religious purposes.” day at a time
As for the future, Aloes said that he will be doing what he’s accustomed doing, including see how long he could fly the flag of the Calypso Revue. “Right now I’m trying to hold it down because Jazzy (Pantin) went, Sonny (Woodley), went, Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts) went. So I promised I would take it from there and make sure the legacy lives on.”.
Otherwise, Aloes intends to take one day at a time.
“What more would I want in this life? I am 51. I don’t want anything again. All what I wanted I hustled, fought and worked hard for and got it, so I really don’t want anything more other than peace of mind. I’m contented. I’m no millionaire but I could live comfortably.”
Aloes, who has never taken part in any calypso competition outside of Trinidad and Tobago, had this to say. “I feel those competitions are gimmicks. What the hell those islands know about calypso? I think here is the cream of the crop and when you win it here, that is what counts. It cannot count anywhere else. If you can’t get recognition in your land you can’t go in a next man’s land to get recognition.” The one thing the reigning Monarch is hoping to accomplish during his year-long reign is Cro Cro vs Aloes in Concert. He hopes this will come off by the first week in April. He has it all planned out. He will perform in the first half with support from Panther, Baron and Skatie while Cro Cro will take the second half with M’ba, Johnny King and Cardinal. According to Aloes, it is not so much about war and rivalry between them as it is giving the public a good show.
“But if it doesn’t happen, no love lost. My main concern to keep the flag of the Revue flying,” he said.
