Senior Reporter
sascha.wilson@guardian.co.tt
Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) vice president Steve “Ras Kommanda” Pascall has assured that everything is set for today’s Calypso Fiesta at Skinner Park.
Forty of the country’s top calypsonians will be competing for a place in the finals and the chance to be crowned the Calypso Monarch 2024.
Ras Kommanda said, “I want to ask people to come on out and enjoy one of the greatest shows for Carnival. That semi-finals is traditional, people come from all over the globe, they come back home. Semi-finals is a must event.”
He assured that there will be sufficient law enforcement officers at the event to maintain law and order.
“We have been liaising with the police to send their strength. We paid them so we expect the normal security that we are accustomed to at this event. We paid the fire so we expect that to be taken care of, plus we have added security. I think security is well taken care of.”
Among the first-time contestants is recently-crowned Young Kings champion Mical Teja, who won with his monster hit DNA. He will perform at position four. The spotlight will also be on ten-time Road March king Machel Montano who is performing Soul of Calypso, as well as Guardian Media’s very own Caston Cupid with his song Straight from the Heart. The show kicks off at 2 pm. Last year, Duane Ta’zyah O’Connor was judged the Calypso Monarch.
Tuco Calypso Monarch Semi-finalists:
1. Karen Asche (The Calypso Princess) - No Excuse
2. Hammond Bruce (Slick) - Trinidad Is Not a Real Place
3. Richard Raj-Kumar (Chromatics) - 2 Party
4. Mical Williams (Mical Teja) - DNA
5. Terri Lyons - Play Panman
6. Roderick Gordon (Chuck Gordon) - Charlsie
7. Myron Bruce (Calypso Nite) - Gunsmoke in the Dancehall
8. Romel Lezama (Papamel) - Real Talk
9. Caston Cupid - Straight From The Heart
10. Phillip Murray (Black Sage) - Stone
11. Garth St Clair - The Anthem
12. Giselle Fraser Washington (GG) - We Going Fighting
13. Ezekiel Yorke - No Greater Gift
14. Stephen Marcelle - Country of Survival
15. Alana Sinnette-Khan - Lady Watchman - Shopping In Miami
16. Mark Eastman Generation
17. Crystal Charles - The Legal Diva - Standing My Ground
18. Kurt Alleyne - Last Bardjohn of Calypso - The First Investigation
19. Eric James - Is D People
20. Nakasa Thatcher-Roberts - Find Ah Station
21, Rivaldo London - Here In T&T
22. Nicole Thomas - The Truth Is
23. Aaron Duncan - Characters
24. Aaron Sinnette - Tick Tock
25. Sean Singh - (Ifa) - Jack and Jill
26. Winston Gypsy Peters (Gypsy) - Ungrateful
27. Machel Montano - Soul of Calypso
28. Shamika Denoon - All We Saltfish
29. Stacey Sobers-Abraham (Stacey Sobers) -Respect the Tribe
30. Victoria Cooper-Rahim (Queen Victoria) - The Enemy
31. Keith Wason (Def Prince) - Identity Crisis
32. Wendy Garrick - Keep Yuh Head Up
33. Heaven Charles (Snakey) - Wake Up Calypso
34. Brian London - Hell
35. Michelle Henry - When The Fighting STart
36. Naomi Sinnette - Dem Advisors
37. Kerine Williams-Figaro (Tiny) - Through These Eyes
38. Alex Gift (Tobago Chalkie) - The Feud
39. Helon Francis - Representing We
40. Selvon Noel (Mistah Shak) - De Return
