Despite the national debate about his participation in competitions, Winston “Gypsy” Peters emerged as the winner of the National Extempo Monarch on Wednesday night at the Kaiso House tent, Queen’s Park Savannah.
Gypsy beat Myron Bruce “Calypso Nite” (formerly ‘The Incredible Myron B’) in the final, while Anthony “Squeezy Rankin” La Fleur got the better of Heaven
“Snakey” Charles to capture his first Freestyle title at the same venue.
The extempo winner walked away with $200,000.
The action began early as Black Sage picked the million-dollar topic out of the hat. Black Sage was privileged to sing on ‘Why Gypsy is still competing?’ Sage pulled no punches as he told the audience Gypsy, who is the chairman of the National Carnival Commission, pays the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation to host the calypso competitions and now wants to compete for the same money. He quipped that ‘Gypsy is taking food from Lingo and Myron B’s mouth.”
Gypsy chose a hot topic that piqued the audience’s interest merely by the theme. He used it to bat in Cro Cro’s corner in “Inshan Ishmael and Cro Cro”, where he reminded Ishmael that calypsonians have the freedom to sing on anything. Gypsy reiterated that no one can close a calypsonian’s mouth and drove the point home in the fourth verse “I want to say go and sing, go and sing Cro Cro, and tell Inshan Ishmael ‘long live Kaiso’.”
Reigning champion Brian London entertained the audience with ‘How Trinis Give Directions’. His delivery was skilful as well as comical, “You would see a green house on a hill, pass the green house, then you will see another green house, it’s not after that one, it’s not the next one still.” The other contestants in the first round were Hezekiah Joseph, Nyol Manswell, Dion Diaz and Lingo.
The second round of the extempo competition saw Nyol Manswell pairing with Gypsy and Black Sage partnering Calypso Nite. As if by coincidence, Manswell and Gypsy chose as their topic ‘Who yuh backing in the Calypso Final’, in which Gypsy is a contestant. Gypsy said he would ‘back himself’ while Manswell referenced David Rudder’s 1986 hat-trick winning the Calypso Monarch, Young Kings and Road March, before saying he is supporting Mical Teja, who captured the Young Kings title.
Calypso Nite and Black Sage did their song on the “Art of Double Entendre.” The two former champions did not waste time to pelt lyrical jabs at each other as Calypso Nite told Black Sage that “Kenny J sang about the brush, but Black Sage don’t get much” prompting Black Sage to clap back “When Scrunter sang he wanted a piece of pork is true, Myron B he was singing about you.”
But it was Calypso Note and Gypsy to duke it out in the finals where Gypsy showed his class, versatility and intellect with a superior performance that earned him his first title since 2017. He reminded the younger Calypso Nite that he is the best in extempo and Calypso Nite has “to settle for second place.”
Rankin reigns supreme
The freestyle competition brought a different vibe to the Kaisorama as Squeezy Rankin carried his momentum from the preliminaries into the final. The Rainy Weather singer hit the ground running with his topic ‘Vibes with Voices.’ Squeezy Rankin admitted he never went to a Voice concert but he “will go tomorrow.” He further quipped, “He is in the Road March race, but he song kind of ‘iffy’. But yes we still going and jump and wine with the man Vibes with Voicey.”
The other freestyle competitors were Kerry John, Hezekiah Joseph, Jaw’D, Nyol Manswell and Juby.
The final of the freestyle paired Squeezy Rankin and Snakey. Charles responded well to Squeezy’s jabs, but Squeezy in his effort, called on Bunji Garlin, Fireball and Orlando Octave to enter the competition next year to get some real competition. Squeezy admitted to Snakey that “Last year he was cool. But this year Squeezy Rankin come on this stage to take you to school.”
Snakey zoned in on his “shoes with no shoelace and no belt on his waist.” But Squeezy responded saying all Snakey’s clothes are bootleg and “came from China.”
At the end of the entertaining final, Squeezy Rankin dethroned Calypso Nite. He will reign for one year and if he gets his wish, he should be defending against the likes of “Fireball, Orlando Octave and Bunji Garlin.”
