Sisters vie for Calypso Monarch title tonight

Calypsonian Wendy Thomas-Garrick has never managed to win the Tobago Calypso Monarch title but tonight, she is determined that this title will be hers. Thomas-Garrick will be singing Legacy, a song which tells of the legacy adults should focusing on leaving for their children, at the competition which takes place at the carpark of the Shaw Park Cultural Complex.

“My song is encouraging them )adults) to work towards leaving a good legacy so their children and children’s children could follow,” she told Newsday Tobago.

Thomas-Garrick says the song also warns parents that “a legacy is what is left to see, so leave a legacy - one of dignity and prosperity.”

Thomas-Garrick, a bank employee, started singing calypso 19 years ago. She has qualified for the National Calypso Monarch competition, has won the Tobago Calypso Queen title eight times, has been a finalist in the National Women’s Action Committee (NWAC) national Calypso Queen competition and has been a Tobago Calypso Monarch finalist every year of her calypso career.

Thomas-Garrick, who will be competing with her sister, Nicole Thomas, said “it feels good to be competing against her and she need to know I’m coming for her this year so she must come very good.

“I’m coming for the title once and for all,” she said.

Thomas also has her eyes on the Tobago Calypso Monarch crown but said she was also saving some of her energy to capture the Windward Calypso Monarch title as well.

She said she plans to give her best and hopes her rendition of Cleansing Flame, composed by her brother Sheldon Reid, would be good enough to wow the judges.

Cleansing Flame, she said, speaks of a spiritual flame to engulf Trinidad and Tobago and destroy all evil, swaying citizens’ hearts from negativity and redirecting them onto a path of righteousness.

Thomas who is also a bank employee, is a four time Tobago Calypso Monarch, winning the titles in 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016.

Singing calypso for 16 years now, she has also won the Windward Calypso Monarch title some seven times.

Thomas said she never worried about her sister competing against her in past years, and in fact, enjoys the sisterly, friendly competition.

“She (Wendy) is really my best friend. We get to travel and spend more time together. It is just a love and we support each other in everything we do. We come from a family of ten, so we are very must accustomed to sharing, being together and supporting all the time.”

Putting all the sisterly love aside, though, Thomas made it clear that her intention was to capture the Tobago Calypso Monarch as well as the Windward Monarch titles this year.