Stinging political commentary was the order of the day as the majority of contenders for the 2015 Couva Senior Calypso Monarch crown presented potent arguments to eradicate the social and economic ills facing T&T when the Couva Carnival Committee staged auditions for its calypso competitions last on January 17.
Staking claim as an early favourite for the senior title was Mellisa Williams who topped the auditions with a hard-hitting number titled We Have to Turn Things Round.
Close on her heels were Georgia McIntyre (The Voice) and Tamico “Spicy” Moore (D Advice).
Female singers dominated the senior auditions with eight qualifying among the 13 finalists. The senior calypsonians will come up against two-time defending champion, Helon Francis, who is aiming to make it an unprecedented hat-trick of senior titles.
Desle Julien topped all qualifiers at the auditions for the junior monarch crown. In a rare scenario, junior monarch N’Janella Duncan-Regis also has the opportunity to register a hat-trick of wins, following victories in 2013 and 2014.
A student of Eshe’s Learning Centre, Woodbrook, Port of Spain, 11-year Duncan-Regis is confident that she will perform the ‘three-peat’. “The number I am singing this year is a great composition. It is called I Sing Praises which offers praise to the long-time calypsonians for their calypsoes,” she said, as she waited for her sister, Jerrisha, to sing at the auditions held at the Balmain Community Centre on Saturday.
Rehearsals for both senior and junior finalists will take place with the Joey Rivers Band at the same venue from 10 am to 12 noon on February 8. Draws for positions for both competitions will also be done on that day.
Finals for the Senior and Junior Calypso Monarch Competitions will come off on February 13, at the Couva car-park, starting at 7 pm.
Wilton ‘Flex’ Griffith, coordinator and MC for the show, said the competition in both categories should be very close with Francis and Duncan-Regis pulling out all stops to capture the hat-trick. “Interest is very high as people are already taking bets if they could pull it off. The auditions also indicate that we are in store for a really exciting night of provocative calypsoes for the finals,” Griffith said.
Finalists 2015 Couva Calypso Monarch Competitions
Senior Monarch
Helon Francis (Defending Monarch)
Mellisa Williams—We Have To Turn Things Round
Georgia McIntyre—The Voice
Tamico ‘Spicy’ Moore—D Advice
Vernon ‘Big Fisherman’ Bereaux—Leadership
Terry ‘D Masso’ Marcelle—Nobody Ent See
Amrika Mutroo—No Time For Dat
Alpha ‘Brother Alpha’ John—We Ent Hold Nobody
Sharlan Bailey—Land of Demons
Khadijah Jeremiah—D Ayes Have It
Leslie ‘D Master’ Skeete—Let Me Be Me
Rosemarie ‘Young Rose’ Mitchell—No
Khadijah Antoine—Water Confusion
Marion Pamponette—De Profession
Reserves: Helen Jones—Root Of The Route; Sherma Corr—Mama Don’t Cry.
Junior Monarch
N’Janella Duncan-Regis (Defending Monarch)
Desle Julien—D King
Aneka Collins—Fraid To Come
Reshawn Goodridge—The Orphan
Jerod Griffith—Childhood Mis-understood
Ferdinand Smith—Something About Sixteen
Jerrisha Duncan-Regis—Where Are The Statistics
Melina Smith—Free Yuh Mind
Josiah James—D Protector
Reserves: Jerimiah James—Reparation; Jason James—My Focus.
