Her Majesty returns

Clutching her Victoires de la Musique award, Rose declared at Piarco International Airport, “Calypso is alive and will never die!” She revealed that copies of her album have been distributed on all Air France flights and songs contained in the album are receiving heavy rotation in France.

Rose, who will give her only full concert in Trinidad for Carnival 2017 on February 24, said young calypso artistes, “need to keep their audience awake at all times.” And she would know, since she had her audience at the Victoires de la Musique show in Paris last week jumping, dancing and wining when she performed her hit song “Leave me Alone”.

She is the first and so far only artiste to ever receive an encore at the Victoires de la Musique awards ceremony which is broadcast ‘live’.

Rose said that her victory in France was one that was not only for her and Trinidad and Tobago but all of the Caribbean as it opened a door for Caribbean artistes to market themselves in Europe. “In life you must work hard for your success.

Do not let the naysayers get to you,” Rose advised.

Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, who was on hand to greet Rose, conveyed government’s heartfelt thanks to her for flying TT’s flag far from home. “You are a true role model and have touched the hearts of many especially women across the globe, Gadsby- Dolly said.

Rose’s manager Jean Michel Gibert told Newsday that Far From Home has sold over 85,000 copies so far and 150,000 copies sold is a realistic target. He added that Rose has received invitations to perform in concerts in Tahiti and Japan but her management team will work out schedules and logistics taking into consideration the fact that she will turn 77 in April.

In a statement last Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley hailed Rose’s achievement.

Rowley said Calypso Rose’s winning album Far From Home was released last year and continues to enjoy phenomenal success both in Trinidad and Tobago and abroad. The Prime Minister acknowledged Calypso Rose’s remarkable achievement of being the first soca artiste to attain the prestigious award. “Calypso Rose has consistently delivered high quality music and entertaining performances to a wide variety of audiences during her long career,” Rowley said.

Indicating that TT is justifiably proud of her latest accomplishment, Rowley said Rose’s single, Leave Me Alone, from the winning album is one of the most popular songs circulating on the airwaves and played at Carnival fetes this year.