This past Sunday July 28th, I attended Kaiso 365 Calypso
Monarch Finals presented by the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes
(OCPA). Held at the Chinese Cultural Centre, the event began promptly at 5pm. The
event commenced with a warm welcome given by Master of Ceremonies, Itah Sadu,
and the singing of the National Athem, by Ossie Gurely & The Truth. Opening
remarks by Itah provided the audience with a brief overview of the Kaiso 365
Calypso Monarch competition, judging categories, point allotment and rules. In
total, the nine finalists that were competing for the 2013 Calypso Monarch
Title included Dennis James, PanMan Pat, Structure, Spivey, King Cosmos,
Dynasty, Connector and Redman. Also among the finalist, was the reigning 2012
Calypso Monarch Macomere Fefe.
The calypso monarch competition encompassed each finalist
perform two original songs. Referencing the
historical roots of calypso, it is a genre of music that tells a story, conveys
social commentary, highlights local issues and communities and/or adds a
comedic twist to everyday situations. Many of the finalists’ song selections did
the aforementioned, with musical renditions that highlighted issues such as
violence, poverty, respect for elders, and scandal within government. On the
other side of the spectrum, some of the musical renditions told stories that
were humorous and celebratory in nature and reflected topics of relationships,
obeha and carnival.
Once the first half of the competition was complete, there
was a short intermission and the audience was encouraged to check out the
information booths of the event sponsors and partners. The audience was also
informed food and drink was available upstairs to be purchased from local
vendors such as Drupati’s Caribbean Restaurant.
Subsequent to the intermission, the second half of the show
followed with each of the finalists performing their second song selection.
Prior the last performances, an overview of the prizes the finalists were
competing for were announced. Prizes included, the winner of the 2013 Calypso
Monarch Competition would be awarded the grand prize of $5,000, followed by
$2,500 for the 1st runner up, $1,500 for the 2nd runner up and $1,000 for the
4th runner up. Additional sponsored prizes such as a trip to perform
internationally would were also announced and said to be awarded to the
recipient at a later date.
While waiting for the results of the evening competition to
be tabulated, the audience was treated to several live performances. Dance
Caribe showcased a superb performance with an Afro-Caribbean dance routine that
brought a fresh element the performances of the evening. In addition, the live band and background
accompaniment were exceptional when performing with the finalists as well as
during their performances with International Calypso artistes, Sheldon Skeete and Scotty . Complimentary giveaways and prizes were also
drawn for the audience members, with prizes including two roundtrip tickets to
any island of choice in the Caribbean courtesy of Caribbean Airline and also
gift baskets from sponsors such as Carib beer.
Apart from the wonderful entertainment, another aspect of
Kaiso 365 Calypso Monarch Competition that I really appreciated was the effort
that was put towards ensuring the audience was informed about Emancipation day
and its association with carnival. Historically, Emancipation Day is celebrated
in many former British colonies in the Caribbean and areas of the United States
on various dates in observance of the emancipation of slaves of African origin.
Being that the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 ended slavery in the British Empire
on August 1, 1834, Emancipation day is often recognized and celebrated during
carnival, in countries that hold their festival within August. This year, Itah
announced that to welcome in the
Emancipation Day and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the
Underground Railroad, on Wednesday July 31st they would be
meeting at Union Station at 11:15pm and taking the 11:35 train from Union to Downsview Station. All are welcome to
attend!
With the evening drawing to an end, the OCPA committee
stood on stage to announce the results and present the awards. Macomere Fifi, was
crowned the 2013 Calypso Monarch, as well as the recipient of several special awards
categories including: Best Lyrics, Best Melody, Best Presentation (for her song
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), Best Vocal Rendition, Most Original Calypso, Best
Composition on a Local Topic, Most Humorous Calypso, Best Arrangement and
People's Choice. The unofficial results of the competition included:
- Macomere Fifi
- Structure
- King Cosmos
- PanMan Pat
- Dennis James
- Connector
- Dynasty
- Spivey
- Redman
I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the Kaiso 365 Calypso Monarch
Competition, especially being that it was my first time attending. I would like
to extend congratulations to Macomere Fifi, all the finalists, the OCPA
committee and volunteers for their contributions to an exceptional event.
Stay tuned... An album of pictures from the Calypso Monarch Competition will be added to our facebook page soon!
