Sugar Aloes out of Calypso Monarch finalsKeino Swamber South Bureau
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161592384Sunday, February 7th 2010
The annual Calypso Fiesta at Skinner Park, San Fernando, presented a mixed bag of goodies yesterday as 35 calypsonians sought to secure a place in the finals of the National Calypso Monarch on Dimanche Gras night at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain.
Starting promptly at noon with the national anthem being played by resident band, Kelly Green and Harmony, calypsonians were brought on in quick order making for a show which flowed smoothly with little gaps.
Dressed in army fatigue, two-time monarch, Michael ’Sugar Aloes’ Osuna took to the stage at around 12.30 singing ’Soldier of Success’. he didn’t make it to the finals. (See finalists below.)
Nicole Greaves (Where the Lions Are), Kenson ’Ninja’ Neptune (My Company) and Karene Asche (The Audacity of Hope) were next.
But the Park was brought to life with the introduction of Winston Scarborough ’ The Original De Fosto Himself’ who has been riding a wave with his 2010 offering ’In a Palace’.
Members of the large crowd hung on to his every word and responded resoundingly throughout the performance to the anti-Patrick Manning song.
Giving a very good account of herself was Heather Mac Intosh, whose father Llewellyn ’Shortpants’ Mac Intosh was also a semi-finalist at yesterday’s competition.
Declaring that she was ’a new Heather’, Mac Intosh was strong in her delivery with precise diction. She was brought onstage by former National Calypso Monarch Morel ’Luta’ Peters for her rendition of ’Luta’s Advice’.
One hour into the competition, it was the turn of Winston ’Gypsy’ Peters. Also a former winner of the title, Gypsy returned to the competition last year after a long absence which coincided with his entry into national politics.
The MP for Mayaro’s composition, ’My Trinidad’, was well-received. Even teasing the audience, with whom he has had a love-hate relationship, Gypsy reasoned that one of the things Trinidad is noted for is ’waving toilet paper’. In jest, some fans raised some toilet paper in his ’honour’.
Also a crowd pleaser, a favourite with the women especially, was Oaklan ’OC’ Lashley singing ’Stones’. Lashley emptied some large stones on the stage and advised women, who were being abused by their husbands, to ’grab some stones’. This, OC. said, would bring an end to the licks.
With the loss of his father Roland Gordon still fresh in his mind, Roderick ’Chucky’ Gordon was able to give a performance which, he said, his father would have been proud of.
Dressed smartly in red, white and black, Gordon was commanding in his performance of ’A People’s National Movement’. Speaking with Sunday Express after exiting the stage, Gordon said he was satisfied that he did everything his father would have wanted him to do.
’He must be smiling,’ Gordon said.
’He would have said the performance was smooth. Before I went on stage, I called on him for guidance and protection and for him to give me the encouragement to do what was right.’
Veteran Anthony Emrold Phillip ’Brother Valentino’ showed why he has remained a relevant entity in the industry for so long. His composition ’No Replacement’ was quite appropriate as he lamented that he had little hope that there were those who would step up to the plate and maintain the tradition of calypso when he and others were long gone.
Former finalist Kurt Allen was hard-hitting in ’Too Bright’ and also had the audience singing along with him. Among the back-up singers was his daughter Choc’late Allen who shot into the limelight in 2007 when she staged a five-day fast to bring attention to the many social ills plaguing Trinidad and Tobago.
Starting off the second half at 4.45pm was Karen Eccles in position 21 singing ’Last Call’.
2010 National Calypso Queen, Kizzy Ruiz’s ’Aide Haiti’ was sobering and the crowd became caught up in the emotion of her performance.
Surely one of the biggest pleasers in the competition was Selvon ’Mr Shak’ Noel whose ’Rogue’ has been receiving multiple encores at the Kaiso House Tent in Port of Spain. Almost spontaneously, the whole of Skinner Park had their hands raised in the air as he sang his chorus ’hands up’. Dressed as a police officer, Mr Shak gave the audience his version of how he protects and serves with pride. A loud road followed him as he left the stage.
His tent-mate Brian London received his share of support when he sang ’A Calypsonian’.
Finalists of Calypso Monarch 2010 competition
Twiggy
All Rounder
Brian London
Skatie
Devon Seales
Kizzy Ruiz
Kurt Allen
Protector
Nicole Greaves
Roderick Gordon ’Chucky’
Singing Sandra
Sean Daniel
Mr Shak
De Fosto
