Former National Calypso Monarch and defending National Political Calypso Monarch Cro Cro who expelled in song all the frustrations he has bottled up for the last five years, placed first at last Saturday's mammoth National Political Monarch semi-finals held at Skinner Park, San Fernando.
Performing a song titled Poor Pious And A Very Proud PNMite, Cro Cro had the 8,000-strong crowd, mainly opposition party PNM supporters, decked in red, calling for more when he was finished.
Placing second was another former National Calypso Monarch Karene Ashe with her composition Every Knee Shall Bow. Devon Seale with My Humble Plea placed third, with fourth place filled by the most recent National Calypso Monarch in this competition, Pink Panther .
At the finals on August 22, at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain, each singer will be required to perform two songs back to back; on politics only. One song must be a 2015 composition and the other, a song of any year altered to deal with modern day political scenarios.
Over $625,000 in prize money is at stake with the winner receiving $150,000.
THE FINALISTS
The finalists and title of their songs performed at Saturday's semis are:
Bunny B - Multi Crisis
Brian London - Doh Complain Come Plain
Cro Cro - Poor Pious and A Proud PNMite
Devon Seales - My Humble Plea
Pink Panther - Kamla You Have Too Go
Karene Ashe - Every Knee Shall Bow
Delamo - PNM Coming
Peter C Lewis - We Must Believe In The PNM
Skatie - Jack Warner & Kamla
Myron B - Data Analysis
Kenneth Supersad - The Partnership Is Working For You
Edward Ramdass - Kamla Doing Good Every Day
Lady Gypsy - Ah Leaving D Partnership To Join PNM
Massive Gosine - Five More Years For Kamla
Impulse - Continue