FOUR-TIME Calypso Monarch Weston "Cro Cro" Rawlins said calypsonians this year have failed to represent the mood of the nation and the voice of people.

Rawlins said the only person to raise "dust" at the Calypso Fiesta—the National Calypso Monarch semi-finals—at Skinner Park last Saturday was guest performer Winston "SuperBlue" Lyons, with his hit song "Fantastic Friday".

Rawlins was notably absent from this year's competition, a development he attributed to politics and lack of state funding.

"I was left out of the competition by the (People) Partnership's choice. The Government funds all the Calypso tents. Last year they didn't give me any funding for my (Icons) tent. Sugar Aloes (Michael Osuna) and (Nermal) Massive Gosine got money for their tent, and I was left in limbo and out in the rain."

Rawlins said of Saturday's competition: "Nobody erupted other than SuperBlue. He came back to the stage, and he is the only person to raise dust the way I used to. I can't pick nobody as a clear winner for the title this year, I cannot single out anyone. The calypsoes failed to bring out the mood of the nation."

He claimed he failed to make the semi-finals because of Government interference.

Rawlins, who did not even make it into the preliminary stage of this year's competition, said he was not willing to "sell my soul to eat a food, or to do like other artistes and betray fans for the sake of being crowned this year's monarch".

He said this was the second year that the Icons tent had not received State funding.

He also commented on Saturday's incident during the performance of Sugar Aloes, who was pelted by some patrons with wet toilet paper, wrapped roti and potatoes.

"Aloes dig his own grave. I was offered money too (to perform for the People's Partnership) but I have children and grandchildren to think about. I don't wish anybody bad, but every wrong must deserve a punishment."

He sang a few lines from his calypso rendition this year.

"They don't want me sing certain things so they ain't give me no funding. Look how far they gone and cause me to close down the Icons tent. But Aloes went and sin his soul, he think she is royal, brave and bold, very cute, they make the little brute a cultural prostitute, but Cro Cro ain't doing that at all. I am the last power house to fall."

Eleven calypsonians will compete against defending National Calypso Monarch Duane O'Connor in the grand finals tomorrow night at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain.