Reigning Virgin Gorda Easter Festival Monarch Roland O. Veira aka ‘Chico B’ (left) and the Virgin Islands Calypso Monarch Joyce “Sistah Joyce” Searles (right) will be going head to head on Sunday April 17, 2017 at the Bernice Sprauve Festiville in Virgin Gorda. Photo: VINO/File

King Paido (left) and King Henry (right) will also be vying for the title of Virgin Gorda Easter Festival Calypso Monarch. Photo: VINO/File

Calypso rhythms trace back to the arrival of the first African slaves who were brought to work in the sugar plantations of Trinidad where they were forbidden to talk to each other, and robbed of all links to family and home. They began to sing songs.

The lyrics were said to have been hard hitting of their masters and circumstances they faced. That has transcended to the Calypso styles of today.

When some eight singers take to the stages on Sunday April 16, 2017 the anticipated packed Bernice Sprauve Festiville Ground in Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda is likely to be mixed with a number of politicians who are likely to be reminded of Calypso Monarch Sistah Joyce’s lyrics sung about two years back, “Who he hut he hut”. That’s a conclusion that can be drawn just looking at the list of songs in the line-up.

Hard hitting calypso

Seven performers will be coming up against the reigning Virgin Gorda Easter Festival Monarch Roland O. Veira, who goes by the stage name ‘Chico B’. His two songs for this year are ‘Outsider’ and ‘Licks’.

Chico B’s competition are Gaverson Frett aka “Falco” who will be doing ‘I feel your pain’ and ‘Caribbean Unity’; Michelle “Lady Liberty” Harrigan  will be performing ‘How the thing used to be’ and ‘education’; Rueben “King Henry” Henry will be coming with ‘Exploitation’ and ‘Fiftieth Celebration’; and Reynold “King Paido” with ‘Who!!!!! Paying attention’ and ‘Happy Fifty Years’.

Joyce “Sistah Joyce” Searles will be performing ‘Raise it up’ and ‘Too late shall be the cry’ while Stephen “Ranking Ijah” will do ‘Power in the Soca’ and ‘Poundering Melee’ and new comer Shevone A. ‘Queen Akua’ Findlay will hit the stage with ‘Virgin Islands is a beauty’ and ‘Reap wha yur soo’.

They all will be contesting for prizes in the categories of Best musical arrangement, Best Lyrics, Best Stage performance, Best Humourous Song, and Best Social Commentary/Writer of Best Social Commentary.

All competitors not placing will get a cash incentive of $ 400.00 while the 4th Runner up gets $700.00, 3rd Runner up $1000.00, 2nd Runner up $2000.00, 1st Runner up $3,500.00 and the Monarch 2017 $5,000.00.