Mr Shak, Malaika tie

Noel sang Twilight Zone, the same political commentary he performed at last Saturday’s Calypso Fiesta semi-final, at the same venue, but did not qualify for tonight’s National Calypso Monarch final at Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain.

Noel, commenting after Friday’s tie, said his goal was not to satisfy any judging criteria but to entertain the audience with his “best performance.” “I was defending so I came there to do what I have to do, execute it to the best of my ability and first and foremost, entertain the people who were there,” Noel said, adding, “the judges have their job to do and I understand that but I try less and less to be concerned about that and just put my best foot forward.” Asked if he was surprised, Noel said, “I wouldn’t say I wasn’t surprised that I won because as long as judges are involved, the thing could go any way but as I say when I step on stage, competition or not, I just try to put my best foot forward and give my best performance.” “My primary focus was really to come out and give a good representation of myself and my song and entertain the people,” he said.

Noel previously won the competition in 2012.

Asked if his victory made up for being left out of the national final he said, “Well, I always hold a high standard for myself and what judges do and what judges don’t do, the only thing I hope is that the judging is fair and transparent.” “But as I say I know it could go any way so it is just about doing my best, Fiesta, South Monarch whatever, and let people, at the end of the day, people going to judge, people going to have their views so I just go and do my best,” he said. Noel however declined to be drawn into the legal battle faced by calypso’s governing body, the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation, saying: “I have a personal view but would really rather not share that right now.” Ballantyne, who also won the Couva calypso monarch competition on Friday night, said she felt “good” and “accomplished”.

“I wanted to put my best foot forward and end off the season with a win because I entered other competitions and I don’t think I got the results I wanted,” she said.

Ballantyne sang a social commentary, Calypso and Country, a song about “trying to get calypso and country on the same level in terms of development and growth and not denying one or the other.” Ballantyne, a former Digicel Rising Star winner, who sings with IMIJ and Co, plans to return to the studio “as fast as can be” to start working on new material.