Tigress reigns among divas

She has travelled a difficult road to success but calypsonian Tigress, Joanne Rowley, has triumphed over every obstacle in her way through the years. 

Back on the calypso stage after a seven-year hiatus to pursue her  bachelor of arts degree, Tigress showed that she has lost none of her fire and giving a spirited performance on the opening night of the Divas Calypso Cabaret at the Hilton poolside. The “village girl” from the deep south district of Moruga, remains down to earth and friendly. Her upbringing gives her an edge in that she approaches the stage with less style but more dedication. Not one to try the fashions of the day. Tigress prefers traditional African garb. Her jewelry and clothes define her as a woman prepared to make sacrifices for what she believes in.

During her absence from the stage she studied and worked in New York. She is undoubtedly one of the top acts at the Divas Calypso Cabaret with her songs for this season, “Literacy” and “Crossroad” (written by Christopher Grant). In “Literacy”, Tigress talks about the world that is now becoming illiterate due to the invention of computers.  “You know, long ago the children would take their spelling books and learn to spell each word before getting their exams. Today a child will do an essay on the computer and hit the spell check button and everything gets corrected. The child doesn’t take notice of the word and he or she moves on. Now while there are some advantages to having the computer, there are many disadvantages,” she pointed out. “Today’s kids are allowed to into the exam rooms with calculators, so there is less work for the brain.” “Crossroad” deals with the present political and social climate in the country. “Every day I pull up the newspaper to read about Trinidad there is some report of murder, crime and political problems. I believe we are at a crossroad. And we have to decide where we want to go and where exactly we want to take the future generation of TT,” she said.

The powerful songstress has made the Calypso Monarch finals on three occasions. In 1988 she went from the church choir in Moruga straight into the calypso arena. That very year she made it to the Savannah with “What Is” and “Pound for Pound” and created history by being the only woman from Moruga to hit the calypso “Big Yard.” “I am so proud that I could represent my village people. They are a humble bunch who cared only for survival. Wealth and riches did not matter. It was matter of being content and happy. And I got into calypso, not looking for big prizes or the money but really to reach my people with this art,” she said. In 1996 she was back in the Savannah with two powerful songs, “Ent Yuh Love Yuh Kaiso” and “Beat Yuh Drums.” She placed fourth in a field of 12 singers. Back again in the Savannah in 1997 she delivered “Doh Doubt Meh” and “Kneal.” This signalled her exit from the local scene as she sought to pursue her BA in Liberal Arts. It took her seven years to accomplish that goal  and at present she works in the field of communications in New York. “I had to find a way to educate my three sons and to earn a living for myself. This is why I had no choice but to place my utmost concentration in my studies and my job,” she said.

Having accomplished her mission, Tigress is back and looking great. She still wears her African headwrap with pride all over the world and wears a silver bracelet on her right wrist. “When you wear the metal on both hands, it reminds us of slavery. But even today we are still very much ensl-aved. Enslaved by styles and fashions and the American way. While we are free to express ourselves we resort to the modern culture because we are so enslaved. But as time goes along people are trying to be themselves and to be original.” she commented. She recalled that while in New York she would often call her United Sisters’  Singing Sandra to get the scores on the happenings for Carnival. She admitted that although she was tempted to leave everything behind and come to TT, she thought about the success of her sons and this kept her back. She missed the sight of the well-dressed Baptist women standing on the street corner preaching from the Bible. “When the bell tolls, it sends a shiver up my spine. It is the same bell that would wake up the slaves to get to work in the early days. Only now when the bell tolls, it is a signal of freedom from the chains that held their hands and feet,” she said. The little girl who once sang “Amazing Grace” in the Moruga Open Bible Church is now the Tigress who beams with pride and dedicates her success to the village folks of Moruga.