Makeda Darius crowned NWAC National Calypso Queen

Makeda Darius’ response, in song, to Prof Selwyn Cudjoe’s claim that the late Sat Maharaj reminded him of US civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr, earned her the National Women Action Committee’s (NWAC) National Calypso Queen crown. Her piece was entitled, No Martin.

Darius was among 16 women who vied for the crown. The final was held on Sunday at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s Road, Port of Spain.

The show began at around 4.18 pm and ran smoothly through to its 8.03 pm end. A variety of topics were touched on in the finalists’ pieces.

Darius - who opened the second half of the show – received a rousing round of applause, even bringing some people to their feet after her performance. In No Martin she said “a most sensitive man oh yes was Sat; protector of things Indian, can’t vex with dat. But where Martin had a dream to raise our self esteem; every time Sat Maharaj talk was to make fight.”

She also recalled some of the controversial statements made by Maharaj, which gained her loud applause from the audience. Sonia “Singing Sonia” Francis’ Welcome to Chinatown earned her second place. She sang about the public’s reaction to the partial renaming and even asked, “since when Chinatown rule Trinbago?”

She even suggested that the street could have instead been partially renamed after the late founder of the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal Daaga.

Kerine “Tiny” Williams-Figaro’s reminder to males that “No Means No” earned her third place. The passionate song was dedicated to all victims of sexual abuse. Fourth place went to Catherine "Kassy" Chandler who sang, See Country, Think Country. Activist and daughter of calypsonian Kurt "The Last Badjohn of Calypso" Allen, Choc’late Allen was fifth with her song Siamese Twin which metaphorically examined the relationship between TT.