Champ Reid slams poor calypsoes

ROSLYN Reid was crowned Tobago Calypso Monarch champion for the second straight year on Monday night with a powerful performance at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex.

Reid came prepared to defend her title against ten contestants with “Sparrow Tell Me, which got the judges approval.

Reid was at her brilliant best to beat Tobago's sole National Calypso Monarch finalist, Alex "Tobago Chalkie" Gift, who had to settle for second place. In third place was Henson Wright, also known as Calypso Prince.

Reid's winning composition compared the state of calypso current and past with sage fictional advice from the legendary Sparrow. Saying the art form was dying, Reid drew from the knowledge of the iconic Sparrow to revive calypso.

Speaking to Newsday Tobago after her victory, she said: “I feel like my hard work has paid off. It has been very tiring. I expected to come high, because I know I would do well, but I didn’t expect to regain my title.”

She said her focus will be to continue composing good calypsoes, particularly social commentaries on serious issues affecting TT.

Reid, although pleased with her victory, is concerned whether her message left a lasting impression with the audience.

“I think it was just heard. I know so many low-standard calypsoes will still be composed that can kill the art. I don’t know when it will change but I have hope,” she said.

But Reid said she is optimistic for the future after hearing the quality and content of the junior calypsoes.

“They have very good calypsoes and voices but there is always room for improvement. We need more composers that will encourage the younger ones to write."

She said she owed her achievement to her family and is now putting her support behind Gift, saying his win will be significant for Tobagonians.

“Hopefully his win will encourage Trinidad judges to choose more Tobagonians. It is good he was chosen – but one isn’t enough out of all of us.”

Despite the two-hour-late start to the show on Monday night and showers which caused the audience to run for cover, the show ran smoothly when it eventually got under way around 9.30pm.

Caston Cupid’s grand entrance on the back of a pick-up truck, clad in a yellow raincoat, with his rendition of Flood Nightmare, was clearly a crowd favourite.

Tobago Chalkie did not deliver a strong performance as he did in the Calypso Fiesta last Saturday, but Travel Advisory was enough to see him runner-up.

Wendy Thomas-Garrick, also a crowd favourite, changed the tone with Legacy, which went a little deeper.

Calypso Prince was most controversial in his My Right, which was well articulated and enjoyed by the audience.