song that didn ’ t officially have a name until the night of prelimary competition when Senator , as the MC , decided to give it that name . That song , together with an adjusted version of my independence song ,“ Anything ” brought me for the second time to the calypso final . By all accounts , the second round with “ Use Yuh Voice ” was the people ’ s choice . I subsequently place 4th in that competition behind the likes of Scholar who won , Rootsman Kelly second , and Sour Serpant third - they were are all kings . That was a major break through for me . In 2023 , after not being sure about the independence competition , I eventually did take part and won .
Walk us through your creative process While I have never actually composed a song by itself , a few of my calypsos started as a general idea or concept which I would share with a composer and we would discuss the best approach to the subject matter at which time the specific composer would normally work that idea to generate the storyline and the overall lyrics and melody that is the final product .
Describe the experience of winning the Independence Calypso competition . How does it feel to be the champion ? There was some apprehension registering for the competition . A demo was sent in on the last minute , so there wasn ’ t much thought of winning to be honest . It was more about sharing good calypso music . That in itself adds to the wonderful experience when I hear the Great Senator ( The MC for the finals ) called my name as one of the top 3 to appear on stage and subsequently to be announced as the winner . The reception from the patrons had me feeling overwhelmed . The word from everyone was always “ well deserved ” and I appreciate them for saying that . The fact that they were paying attention , hanging on to my every word . Leaving the venue or running into people everyday most I don ’ t even know , and they would approach me singing lines from my songs - this is certainly humbling .
What was the name of your winning song and the inspiration behind it ? The title of the winning song is “ H473 ” written Finley Jeffery , arranged by myself , Samson Sylvester and Andy Lewis . The song likened Grenada to a bus baring the license plate H473 ( country code ) and speaks about the drivers and adventures / adversities that this bus has been through since it started its journey . It speaks of how this bus has overcame so many hills ( Disasters , Revolution etc ) and while lots of parts deteriorates , it keeps moving forward .
How did you prepare for the competition and what was your strategy for delivering a standout performance ? Juggling life , studies , work in a small business and preparing for calypso is no easy feat . It takes a lot of commitment and sleepless nights . In addition to regular practice sessions , I would rehearse the song every single day first thing in the morning , during the day , and before bed just to make sure that everything is committed to memory . Admittedly , I had an under whelming performance in the semifinal leg of the competition . The idea , as a result , was to make sure I brought everything on the night of the finals . So I would practice moving on the stage , gestures , a few adlibs , try to include a bit of picong work among other things . Before taking the stage , a bit of isolation is necessary to clear the mind and to get psyched up for the performance while uttering silent prayers throughout all of this .
110
To Table of Contents