WITH TWO TENTS and a semi-final appearance already under their belts, the finalists in this year’s Scotiabank Junior Calypso Monarch Finals have already performed more times than many of the participants in the Pic-O-De-Crop competition will in their respective tents this season.
The juniors will get another chance to hone their skills next Wednesday at a lunchtime concert at the Frank Collymore Hall, which will be followed by the final showdown at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex on July 20 at 7 p.m.
That important fact was brought out by Scotiabank’s senior marketing manager for the Caribbean East, Lisa Cole, during a Press conference at the bank’s Haggatt Hall, St Michael branch yesterday morning, where the 16 finalists drew for positions.
In congratulating the 14 who have joined defending champs Jazz Jazz-Z Gittens and Aisha Mandisa Butcher in the finals, Cole said it had “always been a joy for us to be involved with nurturing the future of Barbadian calypso”.
Chief executive officer of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), Cranston Browne, referred to the junior segment as a programme, rather than a competition, because of the developmental aspects. He said the ultimate success of the programme was the transition of the juniors into the Pic-O-De-Crop competition.
In terms of sponsor Scotiabank, Browne said that over the years the bank had been more like a partner, standing with the NCF like proud parents in the development of calypso at the junior level.
Both Jazz-Z and Mandisa, the defending eight to 12 and 13 to 18 champs, respectively, are in their final years at those levels.
Jazz-Z will appear at No.7 in his title defence, while Mandisa has drawn last place among the seniors.
The order of appearance in both categories is as follows:
Eight to 12: Raanan Raanan Hackett (Learn To Swim), Trevon Mighty King Callender (Rise Up Young People), Princess Mighty Makeda Thomas (True Royalty), Kymorhi Mighty KT Trotman (Poverty), Daryan DJ Jordan (Stand), Quinn Quinn P Prescott (Living With HIV), Jazz Jazz-Z Gittens (My Granny), Asher Dynamo Murrell (My X).
13 to 18: Chad (De MC) Montplaisir (Uplift The Youth Of Society), Aziza Aziza Clarke (The Guardians Of Calypso), Gregerson Young G Abraham (Positive Thinking), Rabiah Small One Clarke (Pull We Back), Samantha Sammy G Greaves (Successful Sammy), Teri Sparkle T Williams-Niles (Know Ya Place), Charice Honesty Walrond (Respect De Disable), Aisha Mandisa Butcher (Care). (YB)
