- (This is the fourth Carnival column for 2025 with help and considerable support from the maestro of calypso, Zeno Obi Constance, the best of all.)
By Tony Deyal
For a long time in calypso, the women were few and far between. Several years ago, we heard from the great Calypsonian, Scrunter, about the “Woman on the Bass”. But it still took a long time to see the women in the race and, even more importantly, getting their fair pay and place. More important, regardless of which country they came from, and whether they were black, white or “khaki”, they deserved their righteous state and recognition. That was, and still is, easier said than done. Our first prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), Dr Eric Williams, promised, “Every creed and race find an equal place.”
However, that never happened under him or any other prime minister or major politician in Trinidad and Tobago or, as far as I know from my many years working in the region, any of the other Caribbean countries.
This year, in the 2025 Calypso Monarch competition, an “Independent Senator”, Helon Francis, won the crown with his song “To Whom It May Concern.” While many people were upset because they felt he did not deserve the crown, I was more concerned about the Women in Calypso. After all, while there are now only a few men making lots of money from the male calypsonians, there are women doing both- they are writers and singers and, some have won the crown when the judging is fair and not political. According to the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago, “the arrival of women like Lady Trinidad, Lady Iere and Lady Baldwin” made a difference and the “turning point was when Calypso Rose won both the Road March and the Calypso Monarch competitions in 1978, becoming the first woman to win the Calypso Monarch title.”
There were others like Singing Francine with two of her great calypsos, “A Call to Women” and “Runaway”, and Singing Sandra with her “Die With My Dignity.” This was a turning point for women calypsonians and the present group of women include Nadia Batson, a Trini singer, songwriter, producer and model who in 2007 sang “My Land”; Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez Soca recording artist and songwriter; Maria Bhola a performing artiste (who added “well so dey tell meh.”; Tammico “Spicey” Moore; Lady Adanna; and Amrika Mutroo, who holds over 100 titles within her musical career including “Spoil D Woman.”
Even last week, in the 2025 competition, while for whatever reason women were not considered and were left out of the top three, Karene Ashe showed that even at fourth, she was better than the great Machel Montano (who came fifth). In other words, she was like her own song, “Ah Leader.” Among the other women were Terry Lyons at 8 with “Ask Your Man”; at 11 was Roslyn Reid with her “Sing in Kaiso”; and at 12 was Twiggy (Ann Marie Parks -Kojo ) with, “65 and still relevant.” What was clear to me then, and even more so now as I head into my 80th birthday in a few months, the female calypsonians should be treated fairly. Give them what they work for and deserve. This is why I’m reaching out to all of my readers to understand the kind of women who were, or are, calypsonians of worth. I will let us look at some of the best calypsonians who have shown their worth and ability.
In 1954-68, there were “West Indian” female singers including Maya Angelou, Calypso Mama, Louise Bennett, Calypso Mama, and the one who took it to a higher level, Calypso Rose with “You must get a man” and “The bicycle.” Then we had Lady Trinidad. She definitely knew why the young ladies should stay far from Trinidad “Young” men:
I am advising every young woman, / Be careful of the young men of this island, / First they will pretend that they love you true, / Then fill up your brains with tactics and screw.” This was, in many ways the start and it led us to the best or what is known as an “opera-tunity.” There were Sugar Alice, Cariso Jane and Lady Iere, But the best who set the stage was Calypso Rose (Linda McCartha Monica Sandy-Lewis) born on April 27, 1940). She started writing at 13 and so far has 1000 songs and 20 albums. She was undoubtedly the “mother of calypso”. She was the first female calypso star and her lyrics frequently address social issues like racism and sexism. Most of all, her influence over the calypso music genre forced the renaming of the Calypso King competition to the ”Calypso Monarch.” This is why she made it clear:
Chorus:
They say that I reign too long
Forgetting that me constitution is strong
Instead of respecting me long, long reign
They making plot to take down me name
Verse:
Everywhere I reign supreme
The one and only Calypso Queen
No man alive or dead
Could come and take the crown of me head
Them foolish and petty men
I don’t worry ′bout them
They’ve been trying to take me down
But to the end I retain me crown
It is impossible to show how great Calypso Rose still is. One thing though, Rose more than any of our local and regional politicians helps us to appreciate that every creed and race, every country regardless of where and who, whether Africa or the US, Calypso or Steelband, Party Song or Music Awards, find an equal place with her. What was interesting was that her work and who she was, allowed others to find a place in Calypso. Denyse Plummer was the child of a white father and a black mother but in 2001 she won the Calypso Monarch title with “Heroes” and “Nah Leaving”. This is a very short sample:
You see ah just eat ah curry-cue, peas, rice and cascadou
Blue crab and callaloo, mih neighbor just gimme
Nah leaving (nah leaving)
Meh navel string so deep and freedom doh come cheap.
Where else in de world you know sweet pan and calypso
People just overflow two days in the street
Nah leaving (nah leaving)
Is here wey conceive me, is here ah go dead.
What Calypso Roses also did is to show even the people of Indian descent that there is room for them and this is where Drupatee Ramgoonai took her “chutney” and in 1987 took it into Chutney Soca. This is the mix between Machel Montano and Drupatee:
Well this one is about uniting a nation!
Why can’t we all get along?
Why we fuss and fight?
Tonight we got to unite
Mister Machel and Drupatee
Wah yuh say?
*Tony Deyal was last heard singing, “Everybody hug up together as one together, And love yuh sister and love yuh brother/ We go unite the nation, unite the nation!”
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