Dimanche Gras tribute to Soca Warriors

CALYPSO AND mas will take turns in the Carnival spotlight tonight when the final three pre-Carnival competitions come off during Dimanche Gras at the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port-of-Spain. By the end of tonight’s show, a Calypso Monarch as well as the King and Queen of Carnival for 2006 will be crowned in what is regarded as one of the premiere events of the season. Tonight’s event will be historic since it will be the last Dimanche Gras staged at the venue before a new facility is constructed.

As has been the tradition over the years, it will be an elaborately produced affair, with guest performances between the three competition segments. Culture and Gender Affairs Minister Joan Yuille-Williams announced a few days ago that there will be a guest performance by the Soca Monarch. That title has since been taken by singer Shurwayne Winchester, who was also crowned Groovy Soca Monarch early yesterday morning. He will be part of a gala production which is planned as a tribute to the Soca Warriors, Trinidad and Tobago’s national football team which will be heading into the World Cup Finals in Germany next June. Pans, African drums and tassa will feature prominently in the tribute. Another highlight of the show will be “Memory Lane”, a production which will recall the Carnival celebrations of 1919, complete with a parade of decorated cars and masquerade bands.

However, the main focus of the evening will be the three competition segments. In the King and Queen of Carnival competitions, organised by the National Carnival Bands Association (NCBA), there will be a total of 20 entrants vying for the coveted title. In the Calypso Monarch finals, 11 challengers will come up against defending champion Chalkdust (Dr Hollis Liverpool). Although the competition is overshadowed by threatened legal action from calypsonian Bally (Errol Ballantyne), the show is expected to go on with the competitors singing their two best offerings for the season. The reigning Monarch is singing in fifth position tonight. First on stage will be Brian London. Here is the order of appearance for the calypsonians:

1. Brian London - Who Am I/No Vacancy
2. Crazy (Edwin Ayoung) - Oh Land of Mine/Justice
3. Luta (Morel Peters) - Check The Foundation/Kaiso Kaiso
4. De Original De Fosto Himself (Winston Scarborough) - Bradley/Soca Warriors
5. Chalkdust (Dr Hollis Liverpool) - The Bandit Factory/Chalkie the Mailman
6. Sugar Aloes (Michael Osouna) - Man/Pump It Up
7. Karene Asche - Brother/Fear
8. Roderick Gordon - Doing Time/Not In Trinbago
9. Stinger (Dexter Parsons) - Is Only When/He Not Big
10. Skatie (Carlos James) - Ode to T&T/Picture, Picture
11. Singing Sandra (Sandra Des Vignes-Millington) - Equal Justice To Much/Ashes In The Urn
12. Brother Mudada (Allan Fortune) - Dem Judges/A Message to New Orleans. Showtime tonight is 7 pm.