St Mary's Anglican's calypso monarch says 'Live Yuh Life'

ANAYA ZOE loves singing, and everyone around her knows it.

The standard four student at the St Mary's Anglican Primary School in Tacarigua has been working her vocal chords overtime during the Christmas into Carnival season.

She is a member of her school's parang group, which placed eighth in last year's National Schools Parang competition, and she is the reigning St Mary's Anglican Calypso Monarch.

Anaya wrote her winning song, Live Yuh Life, with the assistance of her teacher, Kenwin Browne.

"I really wanted to write a calypso and enter the competition, but my mom couldn't help me," she told Newsday Kids.

"So I asked my teacher to help me. I used Chat GPT to get the first draft, and Mr Browne assisted me with the rewrite and the music."

When the theatrical Ayana took to the stage on February 27 to perform Live Yuh Life, the judges had no choice but to give their nod of approval.

"Carnival is a time to free up yourself and not take the opinion of others' seriously. Live Yuh Life encourages people to enjoy all that Carnival has to offer," she said.

But amid all the rehearsals for competitions, the 11-year-old keeps focused on the other important areas of her life, especially her education. In 12 months she, along with thousands of other students, will write the Secondary Entrance Assessment. And just as she makes sure she prepares for her singing events, Anaya puts in her academic work because she has a plan.

"I want to go to either Tunapuna Secondary, where my sister, Zoriah attends, or Lakshmi Girls High School because of the great science programme there."

For in as much as she loves singing and wants to pursue it on a professional level, she has other solid career plans. She wants to study medicine because she loves helping people.

The former Matelot, now Maloney resident is also an avid swimmer – a skill she picked up having spent countless hours in the Matelot river and at the beach, and one she is now formalising.

"I have completed the advanced course in the Learn to Swim programme at the Maloney public pool, and I am waiting to join the club there."