MADAME ESTATE--One calypsonian said he had nothing to lose, so he came with “stupidness” and sang for the Boo’s, or was it the Booze? Another warned people to mind ya business. Another said the country is lost in terrible sauce. One declared the doctor had his fingers up in everything, and yet another made it clear that politicians have no clue what real pressure feels like. And that was only part of the story.
When all was said and done, it was an exciting night at the Nagico Senior Calypso Eliminations held on Saturday, March 21, at the Aleeze Convention Center. Nineteen calypsonians took the stage, and 10 advanced to the finals, where they will meet reigning Calypso Monarch Edsel “Yaadfowl” Eusebius in Carnival Village. Also making their mark once again were the female Calypsonians with five making the finals.
The ten finalists, half of them women, are:
Erno York, Young Dow, “I Wonder / Mind Ya Business”
Alberto Arrindell, Fish da Mega Boss, “Lost in the Sauce”
Rumini Rogers, The Protégé, “Pressure”
Isidore York, Mighty Dow, “Liars and Fakes”
Pedro Jones, Dr. Jones, “The Doctor’s Office”
Jasmine Richardson, Lady Baker, “Ubuntu”
Ashayna Nisbett, Ashayna, “Guard the Village”
Evelyne Walters, Ebony Empress, “Sharp Like a Razor”
Zahira Richardson, Empress Zee, “We Rise”
Eunia Richardson, Empress Eunia, “Charity Begins at Home”
The night was filled with the kind of social commentary calypso lovers come to hear. There were calls for people to protect and support Carnival Village, reminders not to let hardship keep people down because we still rise, sharp observations about politicians not understanding the real pressure ordinary people face, and commentary on fake behavior, bad leadership, and the way elected officials mix ingredients that leave the country in a bad sauce.
Still, one of the crowd favorites for the night was Clifton Wilson, better known as Modern Day Grillo, who used reverse psychology in a performance titled “Come to Sing for the Boo’s.” While helpers on stage held signs reading Boo’s and Booze, Wilson invited the audience to boo him, even urging them to “boo me again,” all while delivering pointed social commentary with humor and mischief. Though he did not make the finals, his performance stood out as pure calypso, clever, bold, funny, and full of message. Wilson, who is usually seen as a judge in the competition, stepped onto the stage this year to speak on issues he believes in, using humor to drive the point home.
The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation thanked all of the calypsonians for their hard work and dedication to the art form. The foundation also thanked master of ceremonies Peter “Peter J” Gittens for keeping the show moving smoothly and adding his extempo flair, the team at Aleeze, the senior citizens organizations and caregivers who came out, and title sponsor Nagico Insurances.
“Nagico has stuck with us and has been committed to Calypso ever since Mr. Imran McSood-Amjad pledged his support for the event years ago. He and his team have held true to that assurance through highs and lows and we are forever grateful for the partnership we still maintain and nurture with Nagico. It is a comfort to know that we have a dependable partner for one of our most important events of Carnival. So big, big thanks to Nagico. Now on to the finals,” SCDF President Edwardo Radjouki said.
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