James ‘skates’ to PNM calypso crown

Minister Gadsby-Dolly saluted longtime supporters, the party’s executive council and especially Deputy Political Leader Joan Yuille Williams – who served in a previous administration as the Minister of Culture, Community and Gender Affairs and was instrumental in organising the event.

The first round of competition began around 8 pm with all 11 singers delivering sterling contributions.

Lady Wonder began with “Nation Building”, followed by Michelle Henry (“Our National Watchwords”), Skatie (“Portrait of Trinidad”), Karen Eccles Thomas (“What’s Wrong”), Cro Cro (“Ban Yuh Belly”), Sekon Alves (“God Bless Our Nation”), Gary Cordner (“Put Country First”), Duane O’Connor (“Citizens Pride”), Karene Asche (“Every Knee Shall Bow”), Twiggy (“Me and You”) and Tigress ending off the round with “Crossroads”.

“Cro Cro” and “Karene Asche” were clear crowd favorites throughout the contest, while Gary Cordner and Duane O’Connor received some PNM-ite angst for their second round selections, “No Doctor No” and “Pay As You Earn”, respectively. The very vocal and clearly biased audience derived no entertainment from and gave little tolerance to any politically-tinged contribution that was not in high praise of the host party, so it seemed as if “Cro Cro” had the title sewn up long before his second song, “Man Family” elicited peals of laughter and excitement from the masses.

Somehow, “the Mighty Midget” was left out of the winnings and Karene Asche adjudged in fifth place, with Karen Eccles- Thomas, Duane O’Connor and Sekon Alves taking fourth, third and second places respectively.

Chants of “Cro Cro” were silenced as Carlos “Skatie” James was declared the winner.

Prime Minister Keith Rowley made a brief appearance onstage and thanked TUCO, the organisers and the party faithful. “Let’s hear it for Mrs Joan Yuille-Williams and the organisers, the calypsonians, Len Cummings and the band and of course…Balisier! Balisier! You can’t wait… November 28th,” Rowley said.