Finley Jeffrey
Scholar 2024 Independence Calypso Monarch
View his winning performance on
Scholar was born into a family of composers and singers , his father being one of the most celebrated chantuelles of the Short Knee mass and his elder brother being no slouch either . In fact , Scholar ’ s composing career began just as his father ’ s . At the age of nine , he was the Chantuelle of his own Short Knee band and together with his brother , wrote all the chants . At the age of ten he began writing calypsos for Junior artists but never mustered the courage to brace the stage himself . At the age of sixteen , a failed attempt to join the Black Roots Calypso Tent left him believing that he was simply no good and as a show of exasperation mingled with disappointment , he burnt his notebook which contained every song that he had composed to that point .
His lucky break would come in February 1993 , when he registered for the Independence Calypso Competition . He would go on to win the Independence Calypso Monarch in his first stage appearance that year . From then on there was no turning back . Though not exhaustive , the list of his achievements is as follows : CALYPSO MONARCH : 1996 , 1997 , 2005 , 2006 , 2007 , 2009 , 2012 SOCA MONARCH : 1998
GROOVY MONARCH : 2007 INDEPENDENCE MONARCH : 1993 LYRICAL MONARCH : 1996
PLACED SECOND in all competitions an unprecedented eleven times and is the only calypsonian to lose a title by one point on three separate occasions .
FOURTH in Carifesta Calypso Competition 2006
NOMINATED for a Caribbean music award in the lyrical category in 1997 In 2000 , his song Permission was named in the top ten Caribbean party tunes for the decade of the nineties .
HAS PERFORMED extensively in the Caribbean , London and North America
WON the Calypsonian of the Year title in the Caribbean Music Awards 2013
WAS APPOINTED Cultural Ambassador of Grenada in 2012
HAS CO-WRITTEN AND DEVELOPED a five year curriculum for the training of Junior calypsonians .
HAS FACILITATED calypso and soca writing and performing classes for Junior artists for the past five years Has written for and coached his son who is a two times Junior Calypso Monarch and one time School Soca Monarch of Grenada
HAS ALSO WRITTEN EXTENSIVELY for many artists including Two times calypso Monarchs of Grenada , Biko and Beast , Lady Fearless , Akima Paul , Roach and Eagle of Carriacou and Leston Paul ’ s Band .
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