Scrunter – A Treasure to Behold

Review

Irwin Reyes Johnson, better known in his homeland of Trinidad as Scrunter (a sobriquet which deserves a whole song of explanation but which essentially means “someone who is hard up and hustling to make ends meet”) is a multi-talented, living legend. His music will soothe your soul and tickle your funny bone as surely as his food will fill your belly and titillate your palate. Besides being a famous hunter and “wild meat” cook, Scrunter is the uncrowned king of Parang Soca (a fusion of the Spanish-derived music played during Trinidad’s Christmas season and fast-paced modern calypso) who can be relied on to produce a Christmas anthem heavily seasoned with humorous and sometimes scurrilous double entendre. A Treasure to Behold presents Scrunter the calypsonian singing his Latin- and zouk-flavoured compositions, including such classics as Woman on de Bass, Oil in de Coil, Crapaud Revolution, Camina Bailar, along with his version of Lord Kitchener’s all-time masterpiece Sugar Bum Bum. This is music to savour open-fire-roasted opossum to. Vegetarians and vegans can cut straight to the dance floor. (SL/Caribbean Beat)