by KATRINA BEND IF ALL GOES well for the unattached calypsonians, six of them may make it to the Party Monarch Finals. Out of the 12 calypsonians who performed at Tim's On De Hiway Sunday, Christine Crystal Eli, the trio of Rameses Browne, Malcolm Malcolm X Small and David Stylz P Jones, along with Andr & eacute; Holder and Kevin Coxy Cox stood out and may get a shot at the Calypso Bowl on July 30. One of the most familiar songs of the evening, Wine Down Low, came from Rameses, Malcolm X and Stylz P. The up-tempo piece, a sample of Li'l Kim's Whoa, had the small audience, including some of the judges, moving. One could also relate to Andr & eacute;'s Hott Dogg which has been rocking the airwaves. He is no stranger to the calypso arena, having performed No Violence in one of MADD's compilations a few years back. His new song was one of the liveliest, and he added to his performance with dancers doing the "Hott Dogg" dance. He was the only one who got an encore, but MC Carl Alff Padmore said it could not be given when judging. Crystal interacted with the audience and showed them that big women could wine in Come Leh We Party. Her song had a sample of a familiar fun game, similar to the Cooly Man House On Fire, in the beginning. Coxy is new to the competition but appeared confident in his medium-tempo song, Crop-Over Time Again. He danced and utilised the stage well, but drifted off-key at times. Other performers were Curtis Winta Winter with Jump If Ya Jumping, Basil Big Food Cumberbatch with Loading, Dave De Original Duck Evelyn with Nuhbody Trouble Muh, Nicholas Nick Man Greenidge with Festival Wave, Malcolm Don Kobe Watkins with Los Barbados, and Arlon Griffith with Bajan Wine. They were all backed by the Junior Monarch band comprising band leader Anthony Sargeant (guitar), musical director Mark Husbands (trombone), Chrystal Cummins-Beckles (keyboards), Justin Worrell (bass), Shawn Yarde (alto saxophone), Jerome Clarke (tenor sax), Andr & eacute; Blackett (trumpet), Cameron Quintyne (trumpet), Tito Ellis (drums) and vocalists Stephanie Chase and Ria Borman. The sound system was not the best. At times, it overpowered the background vocalists, the calypsonians and the band. It was especially loud for the Wine Down Low trio.
|
