TUCO: Bring calypsoes back to parties

The Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) said it made “reasonable income” during the recently concluded Carnival 2023 period. Its president Ainsley King made the statement when asked about the organisation’s earnings during the recently concluded Carnival 2023 period.

He added, however, that it could have been better but was affected by ticket scalpers and TT’s complimentary culture.

He spoke shortly after the conclusion of the prizegiving ceremony for the Freestyle, Extempo and Calypso Monarchs held at the VIP Lounge at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain on Thursday.

Speaking to the issue of complimentary tickets, King said it was a culture that was difficult to break especially when its events were State-sponsored.

This was something the organisation intended to look at for Carnival 2024, he added.

Come next year, the organisation also plans to bring calypsoes back to parties.

King said, “For some reason, people believe calypsoes don’t belong in the parties, but before soca was even formed, calypsoes were carrying the parties. I think it is a mindset that needs to clear.

“Just as we put out in the universe and in the atmosphere: it is a revolution, we are now putting our calypsoes back into the party.”

During his welcome remarks at the ceremony, King said 20-year-old Duane Ta’zyah O’Connor being crowned Calypso Monarch signalled the ushering in of a new era in calypso.

He recalled a then young Slinger “Sparrow” Francisco completing a similar feat and went on to become the Calypso King of the world.

“When we started out and we decided we were going to have a theme and it was The Revolution, not realising that we would have actually witnessed a revolution.

“What we saw this year, is evidence of a new era starting.”

King said it was the first time this year’s competition had so many young people and people who made it to the finals for the first time.

He added he was excited about the new era because it was an opportunity to take calypso to new heights in an effective way.

“There is no doubt that this a period in the history of calypso that we are going to see calypso move back to where it was.

"Calypso is an art form where it was recognised the world over but some people, for some reason tended to confuse that.

“We are going to take calypso and put it right where it is supposed to be in the minds of the people.”

He called for the country, calypsonians and corporate TT to support this.

O’Connor, second- and third-place winners Kerine “Tiny” Williams and Karene Asche were present to collect their prizes. They received, respectively, $500,000 and a Suzuki Cross valued at $300,000, $500,000 and $350,000.

The National Extempo Monarch winners Brian London, Winston “Gypsy” Peters and Myron “Calypso Nite” Bruce received $200,000, $100,000 and $45,000 respectively.

The Freestyle Monarch winners Bruce, Akeem “Preedy” Chance and Rohan “Fireball” Richards received $50,000, $25,000 and $15,000 respectively.