TUCO names Talk De Calypso finalists

The Talk De Calypso competition is one of the features of this year’s Calypso History Month being celebrated by the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO). The finalists in the competition were announced on October 23 shortly after the preliminaries were held.

Among the ten finalists are calypsonians Banjela, Short Pants, Lady Aeisha and Tiny. The winner will receive $8,000.

The organisation's PRO Sherma Orr-Watkins said 20 people registered to perform but only 19 participated in the preliminaries.

TUCO is hoping to have a hybrid event (a mix of physical as well as virtual) as TT relaxes some of its public health measures used in the fight against the covid19 pandemic.

Orr-Watkins said in a phone interview on Monday that it was now simply a matter of looking for a venue which TUCO hopes to announce by Tuesday morning. She added that the organisation was looking for a “safe-zone” venue.

Each participant will do the same songs listed below and each performance will be six minutes long.

The finals are scheduled to be held on November 5.

In an earlier interview with Newsday about the event, Orr-Watkins said the competition was taking calypso and talking it poetry style.

This year’s Calypso History Month is dedicated to the organisation's late president Lutalo “Brother Resistance” Masimba.

Talk De Calypso finalists:

Addelon “Banjela” Braveboy – T’is We Season, sung by Banjela

Carlton Louison – Cell Phone Addicts, sung by Carlton Louison

Damion Melville – No Money No Love, sung by Mighty Sparrow

Elizabeth “Lady Aeisha” George – Come Back Home, sung by Lady Aeisha

Errol “Llylo” Bailey – Cook Me Oh No, sung by Llylo

Kerine “Tiny” Williams-Figaro – Land of Missing Person, sung by Tiny

Kevan Calliste – In Time, sung by Black Stalin

Llewellyn “Shorts Pants” McIntosh – Ma Therese Deposit - sung by Heather McIntosh

Meguella Simon – Solomon, sung by Calypso Rose

Naheelah “Nefta Kojo” Kolo – Equal Rights and Justice, sung by Nefta Kojo