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Lunar Eclipse while Kings Go Forth
Winston 'Mighty Shadow' Bailey
TriniSoca.com Reporters
Event Date: March 03, 2007
Posted: March 12, 2007
While for many, the Carnival season had already begun to fade into pleasant memories of music, mas and euphoria, for the crowd that attended the NACC's Kings Go Forth Concert, the celebrations continued for just a little longer with a double treat. The sizeable crowd that gathered on Saturday 3rd March, 2007 at the St. James Amphitheatre were not only treated to all the winners of NACC's Calypso competitions for the 2007 season, but were also witnesses to the first lunar eclipse in three years, visible from all parts of the UK, Europe, Africa and the Americas. This momentous event certainly gave an added shine to a star-studded evening that also honoured one of the pioneers of the industry, bandleader and guitarist Joe 'Chet' Sampson. With a combination of new, seasoned and veteran artistes, and such a momentous lunar event, the evening promised to be entertaining and rewarding.
The evening opened with welcome remarks by Mr. Annum Bankole, a prayer by Cindy Alleyne, Cultural Officer of NYAC and welcome address by Enyioma Obika. Mr. Obika informed the audience that Kings Go Forth goes as far back as 1985, where it began in the Mecca of Calypso competitions, Skinner Park San Fernando and has since then paved the way for many young and veteran Calypsonians to get exposure and be celebrated for their achievements. The NACC, over the years, developed and expanded competitions such as the Pioneers Calypso Competition, Junior Pathfinders, Young Kings and Queens, Veterans Calypso Competition and Stars of Tomorrow, among others. He also revealed that the organization is working on plans to expand these competitions to other Caribbean islands so the entire region can benefit from programmes that target the development of the Calypso artform.
Continuing their run with the NACC competitions for 2007, the band Earl Knight and the Services Brass provided musical accompaniment of its usual high standard and MC Kwesi Jeffers entertained the audience with his usual brand of humour and engaging personality. Young winners for the season Aneka Audain "Save Something", Victoria Copper "Disunity in Paradise", Junior Monarch Tenesha Weekes "School Bag Dilemma", Allan Clelland Goddard "Street Children" and Dinessa Nelson "Back Ah De Bus" kicked off the evening with stellar performances that did credit to the work being done by the NACC in developing these young Calypsonians.
The more seasoned Calypsonians followed with Young Kings, Stars of Tomorrow, Calypso Queens and Veterans finalists, Sheldon Nugget "Life of the Homeless", Monique Hector "Why We Lost", Mudadah "Ever Living Calypso, Roderick Gordon "Street Justice", Jagdeo Phagoo " One Love, One Nation" and Jervae Caesar "Carry Me". All gave greatly entertaining performances and thrilled the crowd.
Veteran Calypsonians, Contender, with forty years experience in the Calypso arena and Shadow, former Calypso Monarch, Road March Winner and 2007 TUCO Humourous Calypso Monarch winner, took the show up a notch, thrilling the crowd with their humourous renditions. Contender's "Let The War Continue" took an amusing look at the seeming benefits people have received through companies Bmobile and Digicel courting the local telecommunications market, while Shadow's "Ah Coulda", in his unique style, looked at the excuses people make for their actions. Shadow was indeed in fine form that night, receiving encores from the excited audience.
At this time the programme diverted from the performances to honour Joe 'Chet' Sampson for his years of work in the Calypso arena, as a bandleader and guitarist. Mr. Sampson performed with likes of the legendary Fitzroy Coleman and went on to form his own band that was very popular on the local dance circuit. Mr. Sampson was presented with awards by Dela Obika of the National Women's Action Committee and was presented with a $5,000 cash award by Liseli Daaga, Director of the Butler Institute.
Performances by the Northwest Laventille Cultural Movement, All Rounder and Body Guard continued the show, and Funny's "No Means No" and Chalkdust's "Soca Warrior" were well-received by the audience. Reggae-Soca performer Mr. King performed his hit "Borderline" and was followed by Sean Daniel's popular song "No Ring, No Ting". Terri Lyons gave an emotional performance of "Ah Feel It" that continued to have a great impact on her audience as it did throughout the season.
The evening came to a resounding close with performances by second and first place winners of the National Calypso Monarch Competition respectively, De Fosto's "Pan Lamentation" and Cro Cro's "Nobody eh Go Know". Both performers thrilled the crowd and saw some audience members dancing near to the stage and in the aisles. Cro Cro's performance was particularly well-received by the audience and his performance was truly charismatic. Missing from the evening's line up was Maria Bhola, whose 2007 Calypso "I Love You", was one of the favoured performances this season. If there was one disappointment for the evening, her absence was it, as audience members could be heard commenting on their desire to hear her performance.
Overall, the evening was quite entertaining and appreciated by the audience; a fitting way to showcase the winners of the season and give Calypso fans one last taste of Carnival 2007.
Kings Go Forth 2007 in pictures:
www.trinisoca.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=67875
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