By Raffique Shah
October 17, 2026

Had the Mighty Sparrow been present for the reading of last Monday’s “Awesome Budget”, I feel he might have said, or rather sung the following:

But yuh pipe ain’t have no water, you pay too much for butter.

(Take yuh steel beam and go!)

The terrible school system is such a bloody problem

(Take yuh steel beam and go!)

Agriculture’s in a state, planning is inadequate

(Take yuh steel beam and go!)

The northern and southern idol, the two kingpins of bobol

We know! We like it so!

And, without a doubt, he would have been spot-on. That was the most unimaginative and disappointing presentation of the Financial Appropriation Bill for any year in the last century. Madam Prime Minister, let me be the first to say, because Mr Davendranath Tancoo was the best man in your party for the job of Finance Minister that does not automatically mean he was the best man or woman for the job. And, you saying it was an awesome budget insults the intelligence of this country and makes you look like a sycophant.

Every part of that budget was disappointing, but realising the only form of revenue generation explored was adding more taxes to an economy in recession was perhaps the worst revelation. Imagine a whole budget read out and not one new revenue stream indicated.

The cost of living has gone up exponentially over the last ten years, yet the vast majority of citizens are still living on salaries from those ten years ago, so I understand the crunch and the desperation of our citizens in these hard times. Our belts have been tightened so much, most people now have “hour-glass” figures.

The property taxes have returned, just under a new name. At this point you have to wonder, just how foolish do you people think we are? Imagine, I can’t even enjoy a little Netflix now without even that being taxed. Isn’t it enough that I already pay the 7-to-1 exchange fee?

My ruminations on this year’s budget and on associated unresolved issues kept me from focusing on our most recent icon loss, The Mighty Sparrow. For a few days following the presentation, I lamented so many issues directly and indirectly affected by the ineptitude of our politicians, especially those wielding power.

The Government boasts of decreases in crime, and they claim that people now feel safer in their homes. I would love to meet these people they refer to because I, for one, am fearful of venturing outside my house or anywhere that looks and feels unsafe—which is anywhere beyond the confines of my home. I simply do not see the prosperity and safety this Government keeps ­promising.

On to better things now. On Friday, I was privileged to have been able to view the funeral service of the late Mighty Sparrow from the comfort of my home. It was a magnificent service for a man whose monumental accomplishment was to have lived and died as the undisputed King of Calypso. The tributes made me laugh and cry, and the entertainment was provided by some of the better known names of the art form.

Sparrow’s impact on the world was such that senior politicians, dignitaries, and entertainers filed into the main venue, the National Academy for the Performing Arts, and paid tribute to a man who gave to the world a huge slice of, and appreciation for, our culture here in the Caribbean, more so Trinidad.

Long before soca artistes were taking soca worldwide, Sparrow was performing internationally, his biggest hits on some of the biggest stages and labels. His fans, and dare I say lovers of calypso, are spread throughout the world, mostly from the West Indian diaspora, but inclusive of persons from all other English-speaking countries worldwide.

Sparrow sang his way into our hearts and households. He taught us through song the importance of education. A stellar achievement of his was the recording of his soulful rendition of his hit song, “Slave”. He ensured that we would never forget the atrocities and sheer inhumane acts committed against our African brothers and sisters globally.

He even sang about a man in the queen’s bedroom in Buckingham Palace—this after a stranger had breached the queen’s security and ventured on his own tour of the royal family’s living and sleeping quarters. The queen must have loved the rendition, because she bestowed upon Sparrow the Order of the British Empire.

Sparrow, like many other calypsonians of that era, took serious political, socio-economical and geopolitical issues and turned them into songs with catchy beats that one would often be seen dancing to at a Carnival fete or parade. Such was his sense of humour and his talent for making music. For me, Sparrow’s music made this little boy from Beaucarro a lover of his own culture.