Karen Eccles new National Calypso Queen

“When I heard the results all I could do was cry.”  Newly crowned 2004 NWAC National Calypso Queen Karen Eccles could not hold back the tears, as she spoke with Newsday yesterday. Eccles, who was proud to reveal that she penned her calypsoes, was announced winner of the 20th annual NWAC National Calypso Queen Competition yesterday morning, which took place on Monday evening at the St John’s Ambulance headquarters in Woodbrook. Eccles, who offered two powerful renditions “We Still Have Time” and “My Humble Plea,” claims they were from a vision and message she received from the late Beulah Bobb “Lady B.”

Eccles revealed that it was the defending queen Marva McKenzie who gave her the great news, claiming that she wanted to be the first to congratulate her. McKenzie gave a noteworthy performance to place second. Young Heather MacIntosh came in third with her selections “Weapons” and “To Hazel from Heather” respectively. MacIntosh gained the first and only encore for the evening  with her latter composition which was a call to bring back corporal punishment in schools causing patrons to join in her very catchy chorus “Cut They Tail.” A few women in the performing arts were presented with awards for their contribution to the art form including Denyse Plummer, Yakima Myrtle Massicot of Dominica and Gemma Noel of US Virgin Islands. Honouree for the evening, Merle Albino DeCoteau, was honoured for her contribution to the development of music in Trinidad and Tobago. She was, however, unable to attend and her granddaughter accepted the award on her behalf. The competition ran for a gruelling six and a half hours with quite a number of patrons leaving before the show’s end. Minister of Community Development Joan Yuille-Williams delivered the feature address to a restless crowd who complained of “too much preamble” to the actual start of competition. Many of the contestants ran over their seven-minute time-limit which added to the eventual marathon programme.

Here are the final results:
1. Karen Eccles
2. Marva McKenzie
3. Heather MacIntosh
4. Abbi Blackman
5. Twiggy
6. Shereen Caesar
7. Natasha Nurse
8. Kizzie Ruiz
9. Monique Hector
10. Jinelle Schulere
11. Alicia Massy
12. Karene Asche