LOCAL CALYPSONIAN Chrystal Cummins-Beckles can testify that calypso is still a vibrant arena for women.
Actually being a consistent participant in Barbados’ Pic-O-De-Crop competition, she was always a believer of that.
But it really sank in when she entered and was crowned queen of the 2nd Euphony Vibes Regional Calypso Queen Competitionin Montserrat last year.
On December 21, 2012, the 28-year-old competed against six experienced calypsonians who were all winners of national calypso competitions in their countries.
However, this was not the case for Cummins-Beckles, who was chosen by the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) to represent Barbados due to the fact that she was the only female in the finals of last year’s Pic-O-D-Crop competition.
“The competition was run like clockwork and everything to me was an even playing field. I pulled number six, which was last, and I was most scared because between the five other ladies in the competition . . . had won, like, a little over 25 crowns between them, and I was the only person who had never won a crown.
“That in itself was scary because when I found that out in the radio station on the morning of the finals I was wondering why I was there and I kept asking myself, ‘Why NCF send me here?
These women are going to dust me out tonight’,” she told the MIDWEEK NATION during a recent interview.
The night of the competition Cummins-Beckles performed two of her self-penned songs Forgive The Caribbean and Fly On De Wall, which she had sung in Pic-O-De-Crop in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The talented musician said they were both well received by the audience.
“Most Montserratians knew the song Forgive The Caribbean because it was giving really good rotation on the radio stations over there.
I was on stage and as scared as I was I could see people singing along with me and that made me feel a lot more comfortable than I was at the rehearsal,” she recalled.
Five minutes after performing, Cummins-Beckles said she was crowned. She described it as a moment of happiness she shared with her fellow competitors, who expressed their excitement for her because it was her first crown.
“This makes me feel great to actually win a regional crown. I am always saying a national crown would be really good to get but to win a regional crown is fantastic.
“To go out of Barbados and compete with people who won competition eight and six times in their country and people who would have been participating and winning junior monarch in their country and then come up and win national titles made me feel great,” she said excitedly.
She added: “I am writing and arranging for a couple of the ladies for their carnival seasons this year. So the competition allowed me to explore what the Caribbean has to offer in terms of people now knowing who Chrystal Cummins-Beckles is.”
And while she will be defending her crown this year, the calypsonian confessed that there was nothing sweeter than winning a crown at home – a mission she is still to accomplish.
