Views reportedly expressed by the well-qualified presenters at a webinar, entitled ‘Hosting and managing the Carnival Experience in Trinidad and Tobago in 2022 and Beyond’, converged with much of what I have been writing concerning Carnival and cultural development matters over several years, including last Sunday. The Trinidad Express newspaper …
Read More »Dear Editor: Tuco must redistribute calypso money, introduce ‘Gospelypso Arm’ and utilise Maria Bhola
“[…] The records will show that over the past 25 years, calypsonians among your membership who have faithfully participated in the Calypso King competition then and now Calypso Monarch have never been compensated financially in the preliminary round of competition. “[…] It is patently clear that the musical labour of …
Read More »Terrible Thursday? Queen Terri tells old-stagers to share tricks of calypso trade
Calypso needs to get its act together! Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly did not think very much of TUCO’s handling of calypso in 2020 and she pulled no punches in letting the world know. Her unflattering comments on TV6 revealed disapproval of the decision to keep Kaisorama and the art form’s Carnival …
Read More »Dark meat to the world! Terri Lyons takes Calypso throne via Prince Harry’s abdication
Dr Hollis ‘Chalkdust’ Liverpool suggested that everything happening in Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere pales in significance to the ongoing ‘Murder Frenzy’—be it the Law Association’s fight to remove Chief Justice Ivor Archie, or whoever putting ‘dog in the curry’. But, last night, the nine-time Calypso Monarch champion was wrong. …
Read More »Juba Doo Bye Bye? Best calls on Chalkdust to hang up his guns once and for all
The Mighty Chalkdust has no more than one month to make a public announcement that that’s it, he’s calling it a day at last. In February, in his 50th year in the business, the former schoolteacher who celebrated his 76th birthday in early March sang “Learn from Arithmetic” to beat out 16 others …
Read More »Letter to the Editor: Saving calypso from itself; a kaiso lover takes dead aim at TUCO
“If calypso is to be saved and the best interests of calypsonians protected, TUCO needs to get out of the tent business and return to its original mandate of looking after the interests of all calypso and soca performers, including the establishment of the much needed pension plan. “To save …
Read More »Algebra, not arithmetic; Best returns to Chalkdust’s ninth win to get his sums right
My friend AJ is not a trained calypso judge, the only ones able, according to now nine-time Calypso Monarch Chalkdust, to judge the annual calypso competition fairly. So I really don’t know if AJ’s view that “Chalkdust should be somewhere in the middle of the field”—shared with us on our …
Read More »Dimanche not so gras! Best casts critical eye; says why he preferred Karene to Chalkie
Not to take anything away from the 2017 winner, Dr Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool, the now record nine-time champion, the results of last night’s Calypso Monarch competition simply do not add up. And as the dissatisfaction with the organisers and complaints about the quality of the show multiply—as they are almost …
Read More »Chalkdust slams child marriages to win record ninth Calypso Monarch crown
Veteran calypsonian, Dr Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool, became the most successful contestant in the history of the Calypso Monarch last night, after he copped his ninth title with his witty, biting social commentary “Learn from Arithmetic.” The calypso targeted child marriages and, in particular, Maha Sabha general secretary Sat Maharaj’s defence …
Read More »Devon Seale is crowned Calypso Monarch; holds off Chuck and young Helon
Devon Seale is Trinidad and Tobago’s new Calypso Monarch after he beat a strong field with “Respect God’s Voice” and the “Spirit of Carnival” at the Dimanche Gras show in the Queen’s Park Savannah last night. “Respect God’s Voice” was a feisty rebuke for former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who …
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