TUCO: No national final spot for Tobago monarch

THE winner of the Tobago Calypso Monarch competition on October 24 will not gain automatic entry into next year’s national final at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, as was the case in 2023.

The competition, part of the Tobago carnival celebrations, is being held in the ballroom of the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort, Lowlands, from 8pm.

Earlier this year, Dillon Thomas created history when he became the first Tobago monarch to automatically enter the finals of the national calypso competition in February. Thomas placed 12th in the national competition.

The move was agreed to in principle after Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) president Ainsley King said at a prize-giving ceremony in Tobago on December 1, 2022, that the body was examining the possibility of letting the winner of the Tobago October carnival calypso competition qualify automatically for the national final.

But in a Newsday interview on October 22, TUCO’s Tobago chairman Candace Robinson said there will be no repeat.

“I know last year there was a committed spot in the national final for Tobago. But there was a little backlash from TUCO Trinidad from the calypsonians on that end, and the general executive decided that, okay, it would be a one-off thing,” she said.

“So that would not be happening at this year’s competition. That is the membership and if the membership says no, well it is what it is.”

Robinson said she is still hopeful that TUCO could agree to make the Tobago monarch a fixture in the national competition.

“Let’s not lose sight at the end of the tunnel because it just might happen again – just probably not now. We still have to focus on our purpose and remember what our commitments are.”

Nevertheless, she said the winner of this year’s Tobago competition takes home $100,000.

Robinson said 32 calypsonians auditioned on October 6 and nine were selected to compete against Thomas, the reigning monarch.

She added patrons can expect “greatness” at the event, which coincides with calypso history month.

“I am in high anticipation of Thursday and I know most definitely, I will be at the edge of my seat because it will be like, ‘What’s next?’

“It is going to be an electrifying evening. I am trying to have something that people are going to have as a memory. This one will be an unforgettable one.”

Robinson, who was elected chair of the TUCO Tobago zone in September 2023, said the calypsonians were not asked to sing on any particular theme.

She said the guest entertainers for the evening are 2024 Road March winner Mical Teja; national junior monarch Nataki Thompson; veteran calypsonian Winston “Gypsy” Peters (National Carnival Commission chairman); and veteran Johnny King

On October 18, Dillon Thomas, aka Dilly Suede, told Newsday he was preparing for stiff competition.

He said the line-up includes his sisters Wendy Garrick and Nicole Thomas, a former October Calypso monarch, as well as several seasoned singers such as Caston Cupid, Kenneth Thomas and Sharon Phillips.

Thomas said he will be performing a social commentary about youths going astray, titled Hard Like Banga, which he feels will resonate with the audience.

Finalists:

Dillon Thomas (Defending champion)

Alex Gift (Tobago Chalkie)

Caston Cupid

Pleise Orr

Kenneth Thomas (Punchin)

Nicole Thomas

Roslyn Reid (Roslyn)

Sharon Phillips

Stephanie Joseph

Wendy Garrick