French government to honour Calypso Rose

To honour her and celebrate with the Queen of Calypso, Riddums Productions and Maturity Music have come together to produce a series of events in Trinidad, Tobago, London, France, New York and Canada.

Rose is a living legend in her own right and as such the French government has seen it fit to honour her, while it is hoped that Trinidad and Tobago will do so also and really give her a tribute worthy of the Calypso Queen of the World.

In preparation of this momentous occasion, the first full length feature documentary on Calypso Rose is being produced, a Franco – Trinidadian production with a Paris-based African director Pascale Obolo.

The film, entitled Rose, Calypso Diva, was shot in several locations: in Tobago, her birth place, in Trinidad, where her career started, in New York, where she now lives, in Paris, where she recorded her latest album with a young trendy crossover producer, and in Benin, Africa a return to her roots. The film will be screened at her anniversary concert celebration in Trinidad in December 2010.

A few months later in May 2011, a premiere of the movie will be shown in Cannes Festival with a concert of Calypso Rose in partnership with Cultures France, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ACP Secretariat (European Community), Radio France International, and Trace TV.

Her new album simply entitled Calypso Rose, her new record label Harmonia Mundi and her consistent touring in Europe with Azimuth Productions †and in the US with Mundo Mondo, her new website http://www.calypsorosediva.com/ is engaging un-precedented international recognition for an artist born in Trinidad and Tobago.

Rose will be touring in Europe in July/August 2010 (Touring in UK and France) with Womad (UK) and London.

Negotiations are in full swing for a screening of the movie to be held in Tobago in collaboration with the TTFF with a unique free concert of Rose, showing her versatility. The concert is scheduled for Saturday December 4, 2010 and will feature other guest artists such as Fay Ann Lyons, Shadow, Black Stalin and some Tobago artists.

Also the screening of the movie, Rose – Calypso Diva followed by a full length concert in Trinidad at the National Academy of Performing Arts with guest artists on Friday December 10, 2010.

Short History of Calypso Rose:

Mc Cartha Lewis, sobriquet Calypso Rose “the mother of all flowers” has been the undisputed Calypso queen of the world for the last 40 years. She was born in Tobago. She began singing at the age of 15. In a world where Calypsonians were mainly men, she was able to succeed through her strong personality and her charisma on stage.

In 1966 she wrote “Fire In Meh Wire” which became an international calypso anthem translated in eight languages. She was the first woman in 1977 to win the crown of Calypso Monarch (the yearly competition originally called Calypso King re-baptised Calypso Monarch after the triumph of Calypso Rose) and the Road March title (the song most played in the street during Carnival). From there her career carried her all around the world, where she became the Ambassador par excellence of Calypso. She shared international stages with the most popular stars of the music world such as Miriam Makeba, Tito Puente, Mahalia Jackson, Michael Jackson, Roberta Flack, Bob Marley and many others.

Her musical catalogue includes various styles of music from social and political commentary to fete songs, jump up, soca, gospel and now reggae, ska and soul. Calypso Rose has received more awards and medals than any other Calypsonian alive from governments or city mayors from Trinidad, New York, Washington, London and Africa.

In 2005 , she was the main character for the project Calypso@Dirty Jim’s, in the documentary (broadcasted on France 2, BET, etc) and she set the stage on fire for the European audiences (Cirque d’Hiver in Paris, Barbican in London, WOMEX in Seville). More recently, Calypso Rose enjoyed international recognition with the release of her new album “Rose, Calypso Diva” produced and mixed by Gordon Cyrus, co-produced by Desmond Foster, executive produced by Maturity Music and distributed in Europe by Harmonia Mundi (World Village). The hit single and the video “Israel by Bus” went right up the world music charts on iTunes France. Since then, she has toured regularly Europe and USA and her last summer festival touring 2009 in France was an outstanding success.

She has survived two bouts of cancer and when she is not touring in Europe she continues to perform every weekend all over the United States and the Caribbean spreading her Calypso.