Karen the messenger

Seeing her on stage and seeing her up close are two different experiences. She looks like a woman with a mission on stage but up-close she’s relaxed and ready to laugh with you, beaming that beautiful smile, complete with dimples. Karen Eccles has made her mark as one of the women who believes in singing calypsoes with a message. She has maintained a high standard of performances through her 20 years in the business and is a tent favourite during the Carnival season. She gave us strong calypsoes such as: “I Rock The Cradle”, “Will You Be There”, “One Life”, “Pan Hall of Fame” (a tribute to Tony Williams), “What’s Wrong”, “Taking Utmost Care Ah Meh Own”, “Tell Carlene I Love Her” and “Mind Yuh Child”. Through the years she has composed most of the calypsoes herself.

Karen  is now heading for the Diva Calypso Carabet, a new tent that is opening at the Trinidad Hilton and Conference Centre on January 26. Her offering for this year are “I Love Genie”, “Father Come Down” and “We Still Have Time”. Describing herself as a country girl who grew up in Marabella and got attached to the south calypso tent since her teenage days, she was still attending the Holy Faith Convent, Couva, when she did back-up singing for the south tent. Back then Karen nurtured the dream of one day becoming a frontline singer. However, her mother Christina Eccles did not approve of her young daughter going into the calypso arena. “My mother was a religious person and she told me I had a gift to sing and I should only use this gift to sing the praises of the Lord,” she remembered her mother’s words. However, with the help of her brother Solomon she was able to convince her mother that her “gifted” voice should be used to reach the people who listen to calypso as well. For Karen’s first performance at Skinner Park, San Fernando, she sang “We Are in The Last Days”. A song she composed about the children of the nation and what the future holds for them. Although she did not make it to the semi final that year,  she gained a lot of experience from that one performance.

She spent extra time preparing for the 1985 competition and surprised everyone that year with her performance “What’s Wrong”. She was one of a brave few to use the words “nigger” and “coolie” in her calypso. In that song she told the crowds that each person was created in the image and likeness of God and it will serve us well to remember this. She created quite an impact back then. Although the big names such as Lady B, Singing Francine and Calypso Rose were in the Queen of Calypso competition, Karen placed third. “I felt happy that finally I had my dream come true. I felt a certain connection with the people and I realised that they will be looking out for me in the future,” she said. Karen also got involved in the Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy competition and sang, danced and acted with the Marabella, Visatabella and Gasparillo village groups. Although she was into calypso, her spiritual side shows up  in her renditions. People would often tell her that they heard a lot of gospel in her renditions. “Once you are exposed to the church in your childhood days it always stays with you. You tend to operate within a certain boundary. You want to reach people and talk to them about life. You want to lift their spirits and give them some advice that can change their way of thinking into something more positive,” she said.

She said women who are singing soca also have a role to play in Carnival and although she herself would not attempt the “high voltage” performance like that of Faye Ann Lyons, Sanell Dempster and Destra, she believes that their music really put people in a mood to join together to have fun. “Carnival is termed the greatest show on earth and this is what it is. And we can choose to enjoy all the different aspects of this event,” she said. Karen is disappointed that local promoters do not push shows that include the calypsonians who do social commentary, after Carnival. “Carnival season is short and before you know, it gone with the wind. And the artistes who spend a lot of money to do musical arrangements must now put away that song. The sad thing too, is the fact that the singer now has to come up with a new tune for the next Carnival season. More money to spend and again short-lived,” she said,  voicing her frustration. Karen has dedicated her new songs to her daughters Tanyesha and Kadhija who are also very active in the Best Village programmes.  She thanked the Mighty Bomber for contributing to her life as a calypsonian. The song “I Love Genie” was given to her as a gift from the Mighty Bomber.