Scrunter

The story so far.

Written and edited by Smokiller

Scrunter, born Irwin Reyes Johnson, began as a traditional calypsonian whose craft was shaped by Lord Kitchener. In the 1982 National Calypso Monarch final he beat veterans including the Mighty Duke, Chalkdust and Black Stalin with "The Will" and "Lick-e-Ting", with Kitchener himself appearing on stage to hand over "the will". His calypso hits include "Woman on the Bass", "Take the Number", "Crapaud Revolution", "Oil in de Coil" and "Judith". After frustrating dealings with producers, tents and radio, he stepped back from calypso and in 1988 released his first parang soca song, "Piece ah Pork", an instant hit at a time when Crazy dominated the style. Follow-ups such as "Anita", "Homemade Wine" and "Backyard Jam" kept him in demand each Christmas, and he was crowned Parang Soca Monarch in 1994 and 1995. He also runs De Forest, a venue in Vega de Oropouche that hosts his annual Pork Dance, held since 1988.