Former Calypso Monarch Weston 'Cro Cro' Rawlins Ordered to Pay TT$250,000 in Defamation Lawsuit
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – A High Court judge has ordered Weston “Cro Cro” Rawlins, a four time Calypso Monarch to pay TT$250,000 in compensation to businessman, Ishan Ishmael, who claimed he had been defamed by the singer’s calypso “Another Sat is Outside Again” last year.
Weston “Cro Cro” Rawlins, ordered to pay quarter million dollars in compensation to businessman (File Photo)Ishmael had in his lawsuit, claimed that the 2023 calypso directly named and defamed him and as a result of the lyrics of the song, he was viewed as a criminal, a racist and a thief.
Video recordings of the former monarch’s performance at a Trinidad and Tobago Unified Calypso Organisation (TUCO) competition went viral.
“This Court will not condone or accept any position which advances a narrative that social media comments or commentary by calypsonians are sacrosanct or that calypsonians should be free to say whatever they feel as they ‘speak their minds’ even if their content is divisive, derogatory, deceitful, dishonest or defamatory,” Justice Frank Seepersad said in his ruling.
Justice Seepersad said while some aspects of the song contained “fair comment,” there were defamatory portions which were not “satire, picong or clever critique,” but “salacious and derogative.”
Rawlins allegedly penned the song following social media furore towards Ishmael based on his comments on the celebrations hosted by residents of Beetham Gardens after fellow resident Kareem Marcelle was called to the bar in November 2022.
In his ruling, the judge said that Rawlins did not deny that the song was directed at Ishmael though, he attempted to conceal his name.
The judge said it was reprehensible to use the artform to attack a person’s reputation.
Rawlins was ordered to pay TT$215,000 in general damages, with an uplift for aggravating damages. Justice Seepersad also ordered Rawlins to pay Ishmael exemplary damages of TT$35,000.
On March 18, last year, hours before Rawlins performed at a concert series in San Fernando and Port of Spain, Justice Seepersad granted an injunction preventing him from performing the song unless it was edited to remove “offending portions.”
Ishmael’s defamation claim also included the Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT), but that was dismissed by the Court with Justice Seepersad noting that the organisation merely collects royalties for its members, including Rawlins.
He also pointed out that the song was not registered.
