Twiggy heads to Skinner Park to prove her relevance; competes against son
THE stage is set for the biggest calypso picnic and after party at Skinner Park, on February 22, from 2 pm.
What is left to be seen, is who among the 40 contenders will be selected to do battle with reigning National Calypso Monarch Machel Montano for the title at Dimanche Gras, Queen's Park Savannah, on Carnival Sunday night, March 2.
In the mix are some young inexperienced, calypsonians who are making their debut and will face off with veterans, some of whom have already worn the crown and others who have competed before but never tasted victory.
History is also being created as the semifinals would serve as a platform for the first mother and son contenders – Ann Marie Parks Kojo, known as Twiggy, and her son Jelani Kojo, whose stage name is Lani K and who performs first. Twiggy will perform in tenth position.
Not only is Twiggy competing with her son, but with the writer of her 2025 offering, 65 and still relevant, the Last Bad John of Calypso Kurt Allen.
Allen, who is coming with his biting political commentary Your Turn Now, has also co-authored for another aspirant –Rikki Jai. Jai's song Kaiso Chutney was also co-written by himself and Kenny Phillip who also arranged the tune.
This is not Jai's first rodeo into the fiesta, having been selected in 2021 and actually making it to the Big Yard in that same year, placing seventh overall. If he makes it to the finals, this would be his second test with Montano, as they are both among the finalists in the Chutney/Soca Monarch competition on March 1 at Skinner Park.
The last time Twiggy made it to Skinner Park was in 2010. Her return one-and-a-half decades later, she said, “feels wonderful.”
In a candid interview on February 20, Twiggy told the Newsday that having been thrown out of the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) because of her age, she will be taking the Skinner Park stage, to prove that although she is 65, she is still relevant.
She explained that after serving for many years on the TUCO executive as trustee, property manager and in charge of hospitality, it was felt that at her age she no longer had the ability to perform such tasks.
“They asked me to leave, so I did. Hence the reason for my song.
“Now that I am free, I decided to get back into the ring. Kurt Allen who knows my history and my struggles wrote the song for me.
“Competing against Kurt is one thing, that is no problem, that is what calypso is all about, but I am competing against my own son.”
Third-time entrant in the fiesta, Lani K will be performing his own composition called Death Row- Lord I Repent.
He has never made it to the Big Yard, but his mother did, back in 2009 and 2010.
She would like to see one or both of them advance to the finals.
“I think we both have a good chance, once everything goes right, the voices are on cue.
“My song has been getting good reception because it relates to so many people,” she said.
In all her years in TUCO she said she cannot recall a mother and son ever competing against each other. Duanne O'Connor confirmed to the Newsday that he and his son Duane Ta'zyah O'Connor were competitors in 2023 when Ta'zyah won the Monarch title. This year the father is out, but the son is hoping to do a repeat with his popular selection Kaiso to the World.
Cousins Helon Francis and Devon Seales also competed against each other in 2018 when Francis was declared monarch. Francis, an Independent Senator, is back among the 40. His selection is Representing We a mix of political and social commentary.
For over five decades, Skinner Park has been the testing point for entertainers who have been put through the baptism of fire, not by the judges, but the audience who test their mettle with either cheers or jeers, toilet paper or banners, declaring, "that is kaiso."
The gathering at the park has also been described as being akin to a “PNM convention” and calypsonians who dare to sing against the ruling party have been subjected to the wrath of the "unofficial judges."
For 2025, breakout artiste and debutante Yung Bredda (Akhenaton Lewis) should have no problem fitting in with the fiesta crowd.
Clearly a favourite, he received overwhelming support for his entry into the calypso realm as he made a guest appearance at the Queens of Soca concert at the Southern Academy of the Performing Arts (SAPA) on February 19.
Pausing for a moment from his repertoire which included his popular The Greatest Bend Over to speak to the audience, he reminded them, “All yuh done know what is on Saturday. What is the code. We out there at Skinner Park for the Calypso Monarch. If all you believe Yung Bredda could bring it home, come and support me,” he said to a collective affirmative response from the dancing audience before breaking into his calypso We Rise.
The competition is expected to be fierce as Anthony La Fleur aka Squeezy Rankin is proving to be a formidable competitor, having already copped one title for 2025, that of Young King with another popular social commentary Good Son.
Calypso royalty in the person of Terri Lyons, the daughter of soca legend SuperBlue, the 2020 Calypso Monarch and three times Queen of Queens winner of the Caribbean Regional Female Calypso competition, is no pushover and will be executing full force with Ask Your Man.
An emotional Lyons who will sing at number 31, told the Newsday her aunt picked for her at the February 20 draw for position, as she was resting her voice.
She said she would have preferred to sing at number 20 because that number holds special significance for her.
“Today (February 20) is my mom's birthday. She died when I was 20 and when I won in 2020, the competition was held on February 20.”
This will be Lyons' fifth time at Skinner Park, and she said she never performed so late before, but will be doing her best with her Maria Bhola collaboration. She said they both co-wrote the song, but it was Bhola who presented the idea.
When she won the monarch with Obeah and Meghan My Dear, she relegated another monarch, Karen Asche, into second place. Asche is looking to redeem herself this year.
So too, two-time monarchs Roderick Gordon – Chuck Gordon and Morel Peters –King Luta.
Buoyed by the number of young people entering the calypso arena and getting selected for the semi-finals, TUCO's president Ainsley King said this was a testament that calypso is not a dying art form.
Gates for the calypso picnic will open at 12 pm. The competition begins at 2 pm and will be followed by an after party that is expected to end sometime on Sunday morning.
Order of appearance:
- Jelani "Lani K" Kojo – Death Row Lord I Repent
- Marq Pierre – A Father's Wealth
- Caston Cupid – Here Again
- Alex “Tobago Chalkie” Gift – Round About Turn
- Rivaldo London – Cyah Get A Borough
- Ife "Ife" Alleyne – To Whom it May Be
- Lystra "Lady Lystra" Nurse – I Have Hope
- Akhenaton "Yung Bredda" Lewis – We Rise
- Ann Marie Parks "Twiggy" Kojo – 65 and Still Relevant
- Darwren "Pharaoh" Greenidge – America Has Spoken
- Duane Ta'Zyah O'Connor – Kaiso to D World
- Nicole Thomas Clarke – Crown Jewels
- Carlos "Skatie" James – Old People
- Andre Nelson – Colours Calypso
- Garth St Clair – Kaiso Vagrant
- Marlon "Bitter Honey" Lee – Magical Mirror
- Anastacia Richardson – Watch Yuh Clock
- Anthony "Squeezy Rankin" La Fleur – Justice
- Victoria "Queen Victoria" Cooper-Rahim – Ah Fraid
- Sharon Phillips – Talk Bout Dat
- Kerice Pascall – Tears
- Phillip "Black Sage" Murray – TIT
- Mark Eastman – Worrier
- Shashie "St Nick" Nicklas Gosine – Politics in T&T
- Curlissa Charles-Mapp – The Original Superwoman
- Nicholas "Nikko Ash" Ashby – The Last Letter
- Roslyn "Roslyn" Reid Hayes – Sing it in Kaiso
- Samraj "Rikki Jai" Jaimungal – Kaiso Chutney
- Kurt "The Last Bad John of Calypso" Allen – Your Turn Now
- Terri Lyons – Ask Yuh Man
- Stacey "Stacey Sobers" Sobers-Abraham – Rhythm of a People
- Marsha "Lady Adanna" Clifton – I Apologise
- Karene "The Calypso Princess" Asche – A Leader
- Hammond "Slick" Bruce – Cashless Society
- Morel "King Luta" Peters – Comrade Roget
- Eunice Peters – Trini Yard Sale
- J'Leise Orr – Ostrich Society
- Roderick "Chuck Gordon" Gordon – Look Tuh Press
- Kadija Jeremiah – Oh Woman
Reserve: Joanne Gibson (Queen Voice)
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"Twiggy heads to Skinner Park to prove her relevance; competes against son"