For the second consecutive year, 20-year-old T’shanna Cort of Onderneeming, Essequibo was crowned the junior calypso queen after she captivated the crowd and the judges on Saturday night with her sensational ‘Where the Innocence Gone’ piece at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
The competition started minutes after 8pm and to take the small audience through the paces was Mondale Smith. While Abel Stokes entertained the crowd for a period,
Romichelle Brumell of Linden was the first contestant on stage with ‘Respect the Teachers’. However, the acoustics were not good and the lyrics of the song could hardly be heard. It was a problem that persisted.
Next was Ryan ‘The Advisor’ Jagnarine with his song ‘You’re Simply the Best’ which talked of ‘Guyana’s Pope’ in reference to the now infamous Pope London and the sex tapes. The singer was dressed in a white and purple, floor-length robe and was escorted onstage by two young ladies. This had the crowd going from the start and had a few almost falling off their seats but again not much of his lyrics could be understood. However, he did manage to win the third spot.
Eighteen-year-old Akeem Adams of Victoria took to the stage next to vent his frustration through his song, ‘Piracy in the Music Industry’. In his song he declared that enough was enough and expressed hope that government would pass the copyright law so that artistes like him could make an income from their music. “We in the music business can’t mek de money….this country too slack. They continue to rob we. You need to value our effort in the society,” he sang.
First-timer Jada Harry of Linden performed ‘Lowe Me Leh Mi Bubble’ while she bubbled onstage and had fans shaking to the rhythm and singing ‘Lowe Me Leh Mi Bubble’ in what was probably the most audible part of her song.
Paul ‘Chris P’ Clarke in his song ‘2017 Budget’ sang, “When I look at the budget all I see is tax and when I look again all I see is vat. The other wan seh, I think you got cataract…..if all you see is tax and vat than I got to tell you that, you only listening to Bharrat”. Chris P, a first-timer also made no joke in performing and placed second in addition to winning the ‘Best Newcomer/ Most Promising Artiste Award’.
Sixth contestant, Donwin Stoart of Annandale penned his own song ‘Delinquency’ and shared what he witnessed every day of youths choosing to go down the wrong path and living a life of regret.
Jennile Cumberbatch out of Timehri did her piece ‘Guyana is so special’ and she sang about Guyanese living in unity.
Then it was T’shanna’s turn. Decked out in her white Neilson Nurse design, she sang ‘Where the Innocence Gone’. The song was written by her manager Birchmore Simon of Kross Kolor Records. Her song portrayed what a large part of Guyana has come to: minibuses playing vulgar music, 17-year-olds getting infected with HIV or getting pregnant “…mother and daughter side by side in the dance, that’s where it’s gone.” Her song, so touching, left goose bumps although many in the audience were straining to make out what she sang about. While she sang, young women stood onstage depicting what she sang about: a pregnant teenager, another working on the street as a sex worker and during this, children dressed in white appeared onstage carrying lit lamps and going down on their knees lamenting the loss of innocence.
Finally, Niomi Alsopp participating for the second time, came onstage to perform ‘Gun Crime’. In her song she sang about the gun amnesty and that “gun crime is plaguing our society like a bad habit”. As she sang, persons dressed in black portrayed bandits walking around with guns shooting at the crowd. Niomi shared third place with Ryan.
Third place winners Niomi and Ryan with 227 points each will be awarded $125,000 while second place winner Chris P with 245 points will be receiving $200,000 plus an additional $75,000 for winning the Best Newcomer Award and the monarch T’shanna with 272 points will receive $350,000 and a trophy.
The judges were Tyrone Arjune (Winner of the 3rd GT&T 10/10 Song Competition), Rosemary Henry (a member of the Guyana Music Teachers Association), Loraine Barker-King (Drama Coordinator at the Allied Arts Unit), Sean Bhola (Creative Director at the Dream Team Productions) and Jermaine Sobers (Musician). The contestants were judged based on their lyrics (30 points), melody (30 points), rendition (30 points) and presentation (30 points).
The monarch in an interview after the competition, though she was still shocked at the outcome, said she was overwhelmed and sent a warning to the seniors that she’s coming big this year and plans on taking no licks like last year.
Cort is expected to go up against the seniors at the calypso monarch semi-finals next Saturday at the Mackenzie Sports Club in Linden and if she places she will be moving on to the finals set for the Banks DIH Ground on February 19th..
T’shanna after winning, signed with the Director and Legal Advisor of CJMC (Caribbean Junior Monarch Competition) Chad Blackman of Barbados.
Now that Cort has won she can now breathe easily again but only for a short while before she starts preparing for the CJMC slated to be held at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on August 19th. Airfare and accommodation will be catered for by the CJMC.
