Queen Victoria tops Couva calypso prelims

Cooper-Rahim, who took a break from the Couva calypso arena over the past few years, has thrown down the gauntlet this year with a well-crafted and timely social commentary, titled The Call To Prayer, which urges citizens to turn to prayer to rescue the country from its afflictions She leads a line-up of 14 calypsonians who will come up against defending monarch, Georgia McIntyre, at the grand finals which take place on Friday, February 24, at Carnival Centre (Couva Car Park).

Caryn Mc Carthy, with her offering of Just Ah Name, placed first in the preliminary round of the Junior Calypso Monarch Competition.

She will join seven other contenders who will try to wrest the crown from the seemingly unshakeable hold of history-making N’Janela Duncan-Regis, who goes for her fifth successive title.

“We are in store for a truly spectacular show when the grand finals come around. In the senior category, we have former monarch Queen Victoria who will be making a return to Couva after concentrating her energies on the national stage. We welcome her back since she started with Couva calypso from the junior ranks.

Another drawing card, of course, is whether any of the juniors can stop N’Janela in her tracks. We’ll just have to wait and see,” said Wilton ‘Flex’ Griffith, member of the Couva Carnival Committee (CCC) and coordinator of the calypso competitions.

Finalists for Couva Senior Calypso Monarch Competition: Victoria ‘Queen Victoria’ Cooper-Rahim - The Call To Prayer Natasha Edmund - Youth Power Malaike Ballantyne - Calypso and Country Trevor ‘Tulu’ Burnett - Kitch Welcomes Jit Jelanie Wells - Who Ban Dat? Vernon ‘Big Fisherman’ Bereaux - Only One Piece Tamico ‘Spicy’ Moore - Missing You Rosemary “Young Rose’ Mitchell - Real Freedom Cindy ‘Nspire’ Chandband - Chances Nicholas ‘Nikko’ Ashby - Ancestors Freedom Pray Miguella Simon - Still Colonial Francesca ‘Sweet Merle’ Lewis-Francois - Can We Rise Kenson ‘Ninja’ Neptune - Take Yuh Place Terry ‘D Masso’ Marcelle - Big Seven Nations Feed The World Defending Monarch: Georgia Mc Intyre

Reserves: Carlton Louison - God Eh No Trini At All Patricia ‘Dynamic Viva’ Smith - Mister Murderer.

Finalists for Couva Junior Calypso Monarch Competition: Caryn Mc Carthy - Just Ah Name Jeremiah James - Oh Mama Faith Haywood - Faith Jason James - Martin Luther King Takiyah Nurse - Why? Jahia Assoon - Short Fuh Spite Jewel A. Mitchell - All On My Own Monique Mitchell - Trinbago is Mine Defending Monarch: N’Janela Duncan- Regis.