The band from Carib Street, San Fernando served thousands of pan music lovers and the judges a sumptuous meal of Roti and Talkarie, a song composed and sung by Sugar Aloes (Michael Osuna) in a performance beyond comparison at Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain.

Playing in position number eight, it was just on 9 pm when the players arrived on stage dressed in traditional Indian wear and took the count. Arranger Duvonne Stewart then stepped forward and commanded the players in seven minutes and fifty-one seconds of musical magic.

After the introduction and first verse, it was clear that Pan Elders was the band to beat. The front line pans were haunting, begging listeners to have a taste of the meal while the bass pans laid it out clearly. This was a well balanced performance with tassa drums also rolling from within the band.

When the band’s performance was over there was a loud roar or approval from the audience.

Pan Elders went into the final with a lead of nine points ahead of its nearest rival Curepe Scherzando.

When they were finished on Saturday they were still seven points clear.

Curepe Scherzando improved their performance by five points from the semi-finals with their rendition of (Winston Bailey) Shadow’s Stranger as arranged by Yohan Popwell. Playing in position six, they too held the audience captive for seven minutes and thirty one seconds with their riveting rendition.

Except for two men, their front line consisted of female players and they executed the arrangement on point. This was well complimented by the bass lines and the command “wave it” was heard throughout the performance.

Coming in third was NLCB Buccooneers with a performance of Seion Gomez’s arrangement of Rhythm Run Things, a song composed by Mark Loquan and Gomez. This too was a good arrangement with the instrument producing a very clear and balanced sound.

Playing in position nine, Petrotrin Katzenjammers produced a performance of Good Morning arranged by BJ Marcelle which took them to fourth place alongside two rivals.

They tied with Melodians which performed (Dennis Franklyn Williams) Merchant’s Um Ba Yao arranged by two young arrangers from the east, Amrit Samaroo and Marlon White. This performance produced a marriage of African drums and pan which compliment each other smoothly. The melody was heard throughout the song never leaving one to guess what they were playing. These two bands also tied for the fifth position in the semi-final round.

Joining them in the three-way tie was NLCB Valley Harps with their performance of Michelle Huggins Watts’ arrangement of (Kelvin Pope) Mighty Duke’s Total Disorder.

Rounding off the evening in the medium final was NGC Couva Joylanders with Kareem Brown’s arrangement of Band of the Year placing them seventh, NGC Steel Xplosion in eighth position with their performance of Wet Meh Down as arranged by Arddin Herbert. Johnny King, the singer and composer of the song, appeared on stage with the band.

Pan-Demonium and Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille tied for ninth place with their rendition of Cheers to Life arranged by Akua Leith and Dangerous arranged by Rudo Forteau respectively.

Congratulations must go to the stage crew as they worked very hard against the clock to run off the first half of the finals.

Conventional Medium Bands Results
1. Pan Elders……………………… Roti & Talkarie………. Duvonne Stewart…………282
2. Curepe Scherzando………………….Stranger…………..Yohan Popwell…………275
3. NCLB Buccooneers…….Rhythm Run Tings…………….Seion Gomez…………272
4 Petrotrin Katzenjammers…….Good Morning…Terrence “BJ”Marcelle…………270
4. Melodians …………….Um Ba Yao………Amrit Samaroo/Marlon White………….270
4. NLCB Valley Harps…………… Total Disorder.Michelle Huggins Watts…………270
7. NGC Couva Joylanders…Band of the Year…………..Kareem Brown…………268
8. NGC Steel Xplosion………..Wet Meh Down………….. Arddin Herbert…………267
9. Pan-Demonium……………….. Cheers to Life…………………Akua Leith…………264
9. Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille.Dangerous……Rudo Forteau…………264

Interviewed at the band’s Carib Street, San Fernando pan yard yesterday, Smith said Saturday’s win had been “fully expected” by the band.

“We were working hard on doing a beaver trick to bring some more pride in the pan fraternity for San Fernando and it worked out for us as we had planned,” Smith said.

“From since 2014, we realised that we could dominate this category because of the arranger’s ability. He, Duvon Stewart, is one of the best in the country, if not the best. From the day we kicked off the preliminaries in the pan yard, we were wondering what kind of sound we would get from our yard.” Pan Elders yard is located on the southern side of the San Fernando Hill.

“But it worked out where we were in front again by about four points and then the semi-final we went to nine points and then for the final, the victory was by about seven points.” Asked what made the difference on Saturday, he said “The performance of the band, the band is a show band, because Panorama is not just the music alone, its how you interpret and how you perform on stage.” However, Smith said the absence of a full sponsor is proving to be a hindrance to the band’s development should it decide to move into the Large Band category.

“People are saying why don’t we go Large, but going Large is more money. We’re surviving in the Medium category but even the prize money is not sufficient to carry you through because when you pay everybody, the band comes back down to zero again.” Smith said the band is assisted by Petrotrin, TECU Credit Union and some smaller businesses and they are grateful for the help they have received.

Asked his feelings about the band remaining unsponsored considering its successes over the past few years, he said, “Well sometimes I really wonder what we could do.

All we could really do is just keep creating this history and hope that one day somebody would come on board as a full sponsor because we need it. If you watch the pan yard, people getting sick from the dust and we need to restructure the band even better than how it is now.”

Bajan batsman Chadwick Walton gave the selectors another reminder of his class with a whirlwind century in the Chancellor XI’s failed chase of 380 for victory. Earlier, Jason Roy (79), Joe Root (71), Eoin Moragn (95) and Ben Stokes (61) all notched half-centuries to propel the visitors to a commanding 379 for eight in their 50 overs.

Pacer Jermaine Levy took four wickets but each scalp came at quite a price. The 23-year-old Jamaican conceded 100 runs in his 10 overs as England racked up a formidable total.

In reply, the UWI Chancellor’s XI lost wickets continuously with opener Amir Jangoo and number three batsman Anthony Alleyne both out for duck. But Walton took the attack to England with 12 fours and seven sixes in 109 balls.

However, his effort could only see the hosts to a total of 262 all out

SCOREBOARD
Vice Chancellor XI vs England
England Innings
J Roy c and b Pierre……………………………… 79
S Billings c Pierre b Levy……………………… 14
J Root c Hetmyer b Levy……………………… 71
E Morgan lbw b Pierre…………………………. 95
B Stokes c Pierre b Harding…………………. 61
J Buttler b Levy……………………………………… 1
L Dawson c Harding b Levy………………… 30
A Rashid not out…………………………………… 4
L Plunkett run out…………………………………. 2
EXTRAS: (LB4, W14, NB4)…………………. 22
TOTAL: (8 wkts, 50 overs)…………………. 379
Did not bat: J Ball, S Finn.
Fall of wickets: 42; 114; 240; 297; 302; 370;
375; 379.
BOWLING: Harding 10-0-68-1 (W7), Levy
10-0-100-4 (W2, NB2), Pierre 10-0-53-2,
McCoy 10-0-76-0 (W1, NB2), Burton 8-1-
54-0 (W2), Pennyfeather 2-0-24-0 (W2).
Vice Chancellor’s XI
C Walton lbw b Root………………………….. 121
A Jangoo lbw b Finn……………………………… 0
A Alleyne c Stokes b Finn……………………… 0
S Hetmyer c (sub) Moeen Ali b Plunkett.40
C Burton run out…………………………………. 25
T Chanderpaul c and b Rashid…………….. 13
C Pennyfeather c Buttler b Dawson……….. 1
K Pierre run out…………………………………….. 0
K Harding not out……………………………….. 18
O McCoy run out………………………………… 14
J Levy c Buttler b Stokes……………………… 15
EXTRAS: (LB6, W8, NB1)…………………… 15
TOTAL: (all out, 39.5 overs)………………. 262
Fall of wickets: 10; 10; 80; 161; 184; 193; 194;
216; 230; 262.
BOWLING: Ball 4-0-29-0, Finn 4-0-22-2
(W3), Plunkett 6-0-49-1 (W2), Stokes 1.5-
0-27-1 (W2, NB1), Rashid 10-0-55-1 (W1),
Dawson 10-0-52-1, Root 4-0-22-1.
Result: England won by 117 runs.

Her joy was made complete when her son, Lionel Jagessar Jr won the San Fernando King of Carnival title over eight contestants at the San Fernando Pre-Dimanche Gras at Skinner Park, San Fernando on Friday night.

Kuru-Jagessar’s portrayal of Queen Chirapaq – A Tribute to Esther Theodore was a tribute to legendary mas player, Esther Theodore, the first person from San Fernando to win a national Dimanche Gras title.

Kuru-Jagessar said her victory was even sweeter as she did not compete for the past three years.

“I have been playing mas for the past 34 years, and I won the south Queen of Carnival tonight and as the young people say it feels awesome to know that I was away for three years and come back and get that south queen, feels great,” she said.

On her decision to return to the competition, she said, “Well I really didn’t decide, I was forced to because my daughter-in-law’s grandmother passed away and she didn’t want to play, to pay respects to her, and I was forced to go back in and I say being a queen always a queen.” “Who else they will put there and besides, is my band,” Kuru-Jagessar said with a smile.

“This is my fifth queen of Carnival in south and national I have won, in 2010 I won, out of the 34 years, I made the finals 18 times and I have a record I don’t think anybody going to break, I won the masquerader of the year in south 12 times,” she said.

She said the costume designed by her husband, Lionel Jagessar, for the Fancy Indian category, was “not named after Indian mas” but was a tribute to mas pioneers such as Esther Theodore who “was the first woman from south who won a national title.” And what’s next for this Queen of Carnival, she said, “Well, I can’t say that right now, but you know God’s will, next year making 40 years. I will be going on the stage again, 40 years bringing the band.” Lionel Jagessar Jr, who portrayed Monia Haka-Out of the Ashes, said the Carnival season was “especially enjoyable’ as it was the “very first time that me and my mom won at the same time, so we are very happy for us. It’s a good victory for the band and for the family name and for both of us as well.” Both costumes were from Lionel Jagessar’s presentation San Fernando Heart Beat.

The San Fernando Pre-Dimanche Gras show, usually held on the Wednesday preceding the Carnival weekend, was shifted to Fantastic Friday night due to the stick fighting competition last Wednesday and the Single Pan final on Thursday night at Skinner Park.

And, as in previous years, the show was witnessed by a small crowd who barely filled the wooden bleachers and plastic chairs placed in front of the main stage while the Skinner Park pavilions were empty.

This Carnival, Zidelle makes up one-third of the design team for “Carnival Medea: a bacchanal”, running at the Little Carib Theatre from March 2 to 5. Completing the trio of costume designers for the production are Shannon Alonzo and local designer Meiling. “I’ve always had a dream to work on traditional Carnival characters,” divulges Zidelle, “[and] through ‘Medea’ I am more knowledgeable on the origins of such and with this understanding, I am inspired to continue to develop my own artistic impressions of them.”

Having already debuted overseas, “Medea’s” run at the Little Carib Theatre marks the play’s Caribbean premiere. The show’s tagline, “When a horn turns into a tabanca, the Orishas will intercede” is homage to the local vitality that peppers its writing and production. “Medea” is a local retelling of the Greek myth of Medea of Euripedes. “Playwrights, Dr. Shirlene Holmes and Rhoma Spencer fill the play with the nuance of the Trinidad Carnival and the subtle humour of its people; packing an age old story of the woman scorned into an ‘aural and visual spectacle’,” reads a description on the show’s website (carnivalmedea. wordpress.com). The cast boasts local heavy hitters and stage main stays such as Penelope Spencer and Cecilia Salazar, as well as newcomer Tishanna Williams of “Bitter Cassava” fame in the lead role.

While the cast and script are irreplaceable aspects of any production, Zidelle highlights that a show’s costumes are just as integral a part of the storytelling. “I always believe if costumes are truly well-done, they go unnoticed as their role is to have the audience believe the story presented. The costumes contribute to the character and if we are seeing costumes then we are not fully believing the story or character,” she says of the subtlety employed in her design process. She notes the anticipation was high for the Caribbean premiere of “Medea”, which can sometimes make an audience overly aware and unable to immerse fully in the story.

“As costume designer and part of the design team, it’s our job to interpret the characters in the script from a written description into a visual understanding which reflects the director’s mood and theme,” she says of the beginning of the design process. Through sketches, colour palettes, and samples, the design team creates a base for each character’s development. “Once these have been approved, the physical costumes are made and fitted to the actors.” She says the key to “Medea” was to stay within traditional styles and constructs while simultaneously offering a “refreshing and cohesive theme”.

Being moved and motivated by the script, Zidelle describes the production as beautiful and says, “From very early I knew that I would learn a lot just by being a part of it.” She admits the amount of preparation time always surprises her and describes her feelings of awe at how much dedication and discipline she witnessed in other participants of the production team. “It is from them I learn the value of dedication and commitment to excellence.”

She also feels a sense of responsibility through the production of “Medea”, a production that seeks to highlight our rich cultural Carnival offerings. Given her indigenous roots, she describes the “deep reverence” she has for our heritage. “It is extremely important to me, not only to understand the characters’ roles in this production but the origins of the characters and their importance to our culture,” she says of the deeper hold the play has taken on her artistic efforts. She feels honoured to have been given the opportunity to explore her own national history and to offer a personal viewpoint on such, through costuming.

As for the motivation and drive behind her artistic creativity and expression, Zidelle says it is her Trinbagonian roots that water her garden. “I am always in awe of our unique juxtaposition of country and city life. I am a descendant of the first and the new people of Trinidad and I feel duty-bound to continue to add beauty and value to a place of such rich heritage,” she describes how our nuanced and sometimes-forgotten histories influence her and her work. Art and design are great releases for both her personal self-expression as well as expressions of our pasts and futures to come.

“I fully embrace being ‘different’ as I believe we all are, and only in the acceptance of this can we share our experiences with the collective reality.”

I was lucky because coming from a background of Social Work, and having a number of educators in my family, the developmental delays in my son were quickly noticed and steps taken to get him the help he needed. That meant lots of doctors visits, testing and treatments. It’s very difficult and lonely going through it as a single parent and frustrating when the other parent intentionally does whatever he can to undermine your efforts. Somewhere along the way I forgot I had a little boy who also had childish needs, who wanted to play and be silly and have his mummy do that along with him too. Life has been so regimented for us for the last few years, it is strict schedules, times for this time for that, medications in the morning, medications in the evening, academic work: Math, Science, reading, Art and Craft, sleep, school and the monotony can really start to make you crazy.

The costs of caring for a special needs child, wondering what is going to go wrong and next and how you’re going to pay for it all, is really burdensome. It’s easy to forget the little things that make raising children fun, so it just can begin to feel like a Sisyphean task. Thankfully my son is con_ dent enough to insist that I do fun things with him. Even if I am tired, he will downright pester me until I get up and do whatever activity with him. The other day he wanted to ride his bike, one of those motorised ATVs for children, he bugged me for days until I eventually gave in and took him for a ride. I’d forgotten just how much fun we have when we do that. It was even more fun when I realised he had connected the turbo and was speeding, going up the road with me running pell mell trying to catch up.

A simple thing like going to the zoo, for years he could not do, as he was not allowed near anything with feathers or fur. It had gotten to the point where I’d threatened to put him in a bubble since almost everything made him ill. It was a nerve wracking number of years. Recently he was cleared to be around animals within reason and to celebrate we went to the zoo. It was still a challenge since he has behavioural issues that make it difficult to control him in public places, but we went anyway and he had a blast.

I’ve come to the realisation that each child is different, not every child is demure and wellbehaved, but it’s not that easy to accept when the rowdy and boisterous child is your own. I’ve made my peace with having a rambunctious little boy. I don’t expect him to be calm and well-behaved, ever.

That way when he is good, I get a lovely surprise. I know what my little boy has been through because I was there with him every step of the way. So now that things have begun to creep toward improving, I understand his need to explode. Now that he has a little more freedom to do the things other children have always been doing, why shouldn’t he be silly and loud and have fun? After all the work I’ve seen him put in and all he has endured, I think he’s earned the right to be a little silly and rowdy. He is not autism and allergies, but a child who has them.

First and foremost he is a child and he should do what children do. I’m a parent and I forgot. Luckily I had someone to remind me.

As parents in general and especially for parents of special needs children we should never forget children need to be children. Regardless of if you are tired, don’t feel like it or don’t have the time or money there is always something fun and silly you can do with your child. I can assure you when your child is all grown up the memories they will look back on fondly is not the therapy sessions and doctors visits but the fun and silly times you had together. Having special needs should not deprive a child of hisher childhood, should it? It also shouldn’t deprive parents of the chance to enjoy their children just like everyone else. As for me and my little one I’m going to spend more time playing and being silly with him, doing fun things and enjoying this time. You might come across us some day, we’ll be the loudest mother and son in the place.

Additionally, being out for so long in heat can lead to your skin becoming dehydrated, which will cause your makeup to cake up. So today, we’ll discuss some of the things you can do the night before you hit the road, and while you’re on the road, to ensure your skin looks its best.

Firstly, it goes without being said, but be sure you’ve been drinking enough water prior to Carnival Monday and Tuesday. You need to be well hydrated leading up to the big days, and you need to remain hydrated while you’re out there, so drink up. If you don’t usually drink enough water, find creative ways to do it, be it by simply chugging it several times a day, or adding fruit to create flavor infused water, making it easier to stomach.

Secondly, there are certain products and treatments that can increase your sensitivity to the sun, even when used a few days before sun exposure. To lessen your chance of burning, stay away from AHA’s (alpha-hydroxyacids), BHA’s (beta-hydroxy-acids), Retin-A or Retinol, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid, kojic acid, hydrocortisone and citrus products, particularly lime, because these can greatly increase your sensitivity to the sun. I know there are a lot of at-home treatments now, so it’s worth mentioning: avoid excessively abrasive exfoliation or microdermabrasion, chemical peels, any laser skin treatments like tattoo removal, hair removal, skin rejuvenation or skin resurfacing. When it comes to preparation, if you have oily skin, you can do a clay mask the day before, to draw excess sebum out of your skin.

Exfoliate with a gentle scrub to remove any dry,flaky skin on the surface, and follow with a replenishing, night time moisturiser to reduce the appearance of fine lines.

You definitely don’t want try anything new the day before, in the event that you have an adverse reaction. Stick to your tried and true products.

On both Carnival mornings, if you have dry skin, you can prep your skin with a sheet mask and hydrating under eye patches. This will help your makeup to go on smoother, and your concealer will be less likely to settle into in any fine lines under your eyes. For any skin type, color, age or gender: SPF is a must. Do not skip it. If your skin is oily, ensure that your moisturiser and sunscreen is oil-free, and apply a good mattifying primer. I recommend getting a spray sunscreen to reapply throughout the day, especially since you will be sweating a lot. Products like Coola’s Makeup Setting Spray SPf 30 will be wonderful, because they won’t only refresh your makeup and cool you down, but also offer added sun protection.

Don’t forget to apply lip balm with SPF as well. I recommend opting for a moisturising lipstick with SPF, as opposed to to super matte liquid lipstick. Like your face and body, your lip SPF will need to be reapplied, and matte lipsticks can flake and clump when you apply moisture to them, which will be both unsightly and uncomfortable, so unless you want burnt, discolored, chapped lips, opt for moisturising lip products with SPF, and reapply every few hours.

The last thing to note is the coverage of your foundation.

Ensure your foundation isn’t full coverage. You skin will more than likely tan throughout the day, and full coverage will leave you looking unnatural and two-toned. Lighter coverage will be far more forgiving if your skin color changes.

Makeup photo courtesy makeup.adapstar.com

Perhaps you’re not about this ‘wining season’ at all and for you it’s retreat time, or a long weekend with the family. Whichever way you swing, the highlighted and heightened sensuality and sexuality of TT Carnival is very hard to miss. It is certainly a good time to think about the bodily pleasures and where you stand on sexual-decision-making. What influences your choices to engage, or not, in sexual activity? Do you ever compromise your standards and boundaries? Have you ever even clearly defined what your standards and boundaries are? If not, better late than never. Let me suggest how you can do that.

Before I do that, however, let me slip in some quick Carnival Ed for you. Although the etymology (origin and historical development of meaning) of the word is contested, “carnival” is apparently derived from the Italian, “carne levare” meaning the removal of meat (Crichlow and Armstrong, 2009) – hence the term “Farewell to the Flesh.” (Many of you may recall a song by calypsonian David Rudder with this title). Carnival was originally a Roman Catholic festival, lasting for three to five days, just prior to the 40 days of Lent which precede Easter. Lent was a time of penance and discipline, and in contrast, the preceding days were marked by a liberation from the usual social and moral constraints. Many of us enact this ritual with fair accuracy, participating in the drinking, eating, feteing and sexual expression in ways we would not normally do for the rest of the year, and then enter a period of rest or fasting for a while.

Often, it is the consequences of our sexual adventures and trysts, that can leave us with regrets and harm to our health. So just as you would take precautions to secure property and person during the festivities, so too should you safe guard and protect your sexual health. In an atmosphere that swamps and surrounds you with various messages about sex and sexuality – some may be positive and empowering, others are derogatory, shaming or misleading – how are you making sexual decisions that are right for you? Here is what I would suggest, and these are applicable in or out of the Carnival season: Arm yourself with information – Find out all the options available to you for safer sex to protect you from infections and to prevent unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. If you are allergic to latex, get non-latex or polyurethane male condoms, or use female condoms instead. NOTE that condoms do not protect you from all STIs, so you still need to be discriminating. For women, there is the ‘morning after pill’ which works well to prevent pregnancy if you have had unprotected sex, once you have not already ovulated, which leads to another issue – your awareness of how your menstrual cycle works. Be informed! Connect your brain with your body – You know very well that sexual arousal and desire can make you do things you didn’t really intend on doing (and with someone you really wouldn’t under normal circumstances). So recognise and understand how your desires and fantasies can get triggered and avoid or reduce those triggers. Make concrete and real plans to keep you from falling into temptation. We all know sex can get in the way of thinking smart.

Talk to your partner – In the sexually charged environment of ‘wining season’ how you do and your partner deal with sexual situations or challenges? Is there trust and freedom of movement? Do you know what each other expects and wants? Talk to each other and then try to establish some guidelines together.

Consent – This is a big one. “It is not consent, if you make someone afraid, ashamed or feel guilty for saying no.” When you hear “no”, do you think “maybe”? Think about your own assumptions about sexual activity and availability. How do you know if your partner/date is interested in engaging in sexual activity? ASK and BE CLEAR about the responses. And everyone, involved, has the right to change their minds.

Stay sober – You’ve heard this over and over. And it will never change. Various drugs impair decision making skills as well as physical control over one’s body. Do not make yourself vulnerable if you are unsure of your partner/ date. You cannot follow through with your plans for sexual health and safety if you are intoxicated or high.

Explore your sexual feelings fully.

– Who are you attracted to and why? Is it lust, or deeper and more complex? How strong are your desires? Do you want to take a risk with this person? Get Creative – Go beyond penetrative sex and explore other ways to be intimate and sensual with someone.

While there are no guarantees in life, these tips can help to reduce the chance of making unhealthy and unwise decisions. Once you decide #yuhjammingstill be safe and Happy Carnival! Onika Henry is a Tobago-based, trained Sex Educator (M.Ed. Human Sexuality) and a Certified Sex Coach.

She designs and implements workshops, training, and psycho-educational counselling, to address sexual health concerns.

Contact: Tobago: 381-3049.

Trinidad – Wholeness and Wellness Counselling Office: 347-1042

She made the comments during her full length concert SoCalypso held on Friday night at the Grand Stand, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain.

The topic of domestic was introduced while Rose was performing her song Abatina from her album Far From Home which copped a Victoires de la Musique award World Album of the Year, the French version of the Grammy Awards. Abatina is about a woman who is beaten and eventually killed by her husband.

During her performance Rose simulated being beaten with fake punches and kicks. She also spoke as the abuser to the victim and said “put the phone down”, “shut up” and “go to your room”. At one point she just said the word “brutality”.

She then spoke directly to the audience which included Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley who had received praise from some quarters and criticism from others for his comment about domestic violence at a public meeting in Maloney where he said he was not in women’s bedrooms and they needed to be careful about choosing their partners.

Rose said: “Guys never put your hands on your wife or girlfriend.

Respect them. Because (of) your mother. You came from a woman.

Brutality is never the answer.” She then had a nugget of advice for women and told them “never marry a man for money like Donald Trump”.

Rose’s hit for 2017, Leave Me Alone has become the rallying cry of the eponymous LeaveMeAlone/ LeaveSheAlone anti-gender based violence campaign. During her performance of the song the members of the campaign joined her on stage wearing T-shirts with the slogan “leave me alone”, or “leave her alone” for men. One of the founding members is former Miss TT Universe, fashion designer and entrepreneur Anya Ayoung-Chee and she led the group on stage as they danced, pumped their fists and chanted the slogan.

In a release yesterday, the group said the presentation, a collaboration between artist collective TogetherWI and anti-gender discrimination and gender-based violence group Say Something, was meant to bring attention to gender-based violence within the Carnival space.

“During the performance on Carnival Friday night, the group celebrated the ownership of a woman’s space, within the Carnival space as well as beyond that.

The song and campaign symbolise that claiming of a woman’s space without inciting violence against men. Calypso Rose has given the group the blessing to use this song as the mantra of this awareness of this campaign, and to close the show with her on stage,” the release stated.

“As far back as Camboulay, the celebration of Carnival is about freedom from oppression and the message of both the song and campaign are to to leave others to be as they choose. It is particularly relevant within the context of Carnival because the festival symbolises freedom of expression, but also pays homage to Calypso Rose who exemplifies the artform of calypso as a woman staking claim within that musical space.” TogetherWI, the “WI” standing for West Indies, is a collective of artists and creatives “who have dedicated themselves to re-imaging and re-imagining our region and by extension our world through the power of their work”.

The LeaveMeAlone/LeaveSheAlone campaign is the group’s first, in partnership with CariMan and Say Something.

“Ultimately the music exemplifies the spirit of carnival and so the message expressed here becomes even more poignant at this time of year. The song became popular during the formation of TogetherWI, and so the collective and its first project took shape at the same time,” the release explained.

The group began on February 1 and the LeaveMeAlone campaign was launched on February 14.

The group, the release explained, is a collective of creatives “initiating change in our society, one poster, T-shirt, video, photo, song, conversation at a time” and added that TogetherWI believe “art is a crucial part of creating social change”.

On February 5, Jamilia DeReveneaux, 27, reportedly received a phone call and left her place of work at the Mandiero’s Peri Peri Grill at MovieTowne at about 8.15 pm. Minutes later, after loud screams were heard, she was discovered dead with her throat slit. A 30 year-old man, Matthew King, is currently before the court for her murder and DeRevenaux is one of a number of women who have been killed in the past few months.

During his performance, problems arose with his music and Voice was forced to start over. Performing in the 21st position, Voice came out strong but the music sounded off key and realising this he asked, “Where the music?” but continued singing. Shortly after, Voice and his dancers walked off the stage. Host Jason Williams returned on stage, apologised and said it was only right that the young artiste gets another chance.

The crowd began chanting Voice’s name until he returned to the stage.

When he did, Voice said, “They can’t stop me”, to the crowd’s delight. He sang every note perfectly and engaged the crowd. Adding a new verse, he sang, “I don’t mind if they beat me, it’s not about the money, it’s not about winning, if I could change the life of a younger one then I know for sure that my battle is already won.” The crowd erupted in cheers. Voice ended with the crowd chanting his name.

But Voice left for home and was not at the stadium when he was announced the winner. His mother Jane St Louis told reporters he was felt down and left.

“He realised it wasn’t normal but God is good. He always reigns and this is a lesson for Aaron, so he would know as long as you believe and have faith He would take you through,” she said.

She shared that when he came off stage she offered words of encouragement, letting him know that he was her winner.

Stephen St Louis, Voice’s father, said he was elated disclosing that when his son came off stage he hugged him and told God was the boss.

In an interview with Looptt.com, Voice thanked God for his success.

He said when he took the stage the first time, he realised he wasn’t hearing himself and thought it was due to an issue with the microphone.

“Then I realised the beat wasn’t coming in so I thought they missed the timing and it would have come in on the chorus and I reach the chorus, the beat still didn’t come so I looked to my left and I saw one of the guys from Roy Cape telling me to come off the stage like something was wrong with the board.

After 20 contestants, the 21st one and something was wrong with the board,” he said.

Asked if he felt it was sabotage, Voice said he couldn’t say and “God alone knows”.

He said he didn’t feel good after his performance and broke down.

“You work so hard and you want to achieve something and just things come in the way and you can’t control it. I felt I disappointed a lot of people because the expectations were very high and at that point in time, there as nothing else I could have done but cry,” he told the online news outlet.

Placing second was Orlando Octave with his song, Single. This was Octave’s first time in the finals and he impressed the judges with his strong vocals and entertaining performance.

The crowd loved Octave’s freestyle when he threw jabs at his fellow finalists but he also used his skills to address crime, singing, “they don’t fear God no more, they killing our children, raping our women, no murder not solving, can you see Christ is coming,” Octave told Sunday Newsday, he felt good but his main concern was about spreading the message about domestic violence.

“I get to express how I felt about that on two big stages, Machel Monday and Soca Monarch that was the winning part for me,” he said.

In third place was Devon Matthews, featuring Ella Andall, with the song, D Journey (Make It). Speaking to Sunday Newsday, Matthews said he felt really good. This year is a year of threes for Devon as this was his third time in Soca Monarch finals and he also placed third in this year’s Young Kings. He dedicated his success to his father, who died last year. He said he believed his father was watching over him on Friday night.

“I believe he was right there with me, I actually believe in angels now,” he said.

One crowd favourite whose fourth place surprised many was Neil “Iwer” George.

Iwer ensured everyone had a chance to jump in the water while singing his song, Take a Bathe with sprinklers shooting water everywhere.

Other memorable performances include Terri Lyons with her song I am Lion. With a jungle theme, Terri asked the crowd if they wanted to meet the real regal lion and as she chanted “Lion”, a man dressed as a lion crawled out and when he stood up and removed the mask the crowd screamed as they saw soca icon, Austin “Super Blue” Lyons, Terri’s father.

He hugged and kissed his daughter and jumped with her as she continued her performance.

Terri also brought out her son and told the crowd, he was the reason she pushes so hard.

Another surprise was Kees Dieffenthaller who performed twice. First he appeared with Nailah Blackman to sing their song, Workout and then right after he appeared on stage with Kernal Roberts to sing Shake.

The competition was expected to begin at 10 but the first competitor took the stage at about 11.26 pm. The show ended at about 4.15 am yesterday.