Big Up St Joseph’s Convent, Kingstown

It was “Team St Joseph’s Convent, Kingstown” (SJCK) all de way in de Calypso section of dis year’s Junior Calypso & Soca Competition. And dey did not fail to celebrate motorcade style around de streets of Kingstown on Thursday. St Joseph’s Convent, Kingstown has been on ah winning streak these last few years, in particular, de Secondary Schools Calypso Section. Dis year incidentally dey was ah tie foh first place between Divine Walters of “SJCK”, who hails from Sandy Bay, and Princess Alexcia “Lexi” De Shong representing Sandy Bay Secondary School; “Lexi” also hails from Sandy Bay. So Big Up de Sandy Bay Youths. Divine’s calypso was” Mr AI (Arificial Intelligence), dat controversial character of social media. And in third position was Form 2 student, Ameerah Glasgow of “SJCK”. She’s from Shatto-Bell-Air on de other extremity of SVG . Ameerah sang “Blessed are The Peace Makers”. Defending monarch, Zion Lewis, last year’s winner, also of SJCK was unsuccessful in defending her title.

And de budding Maestra, who has been pushing her students at “SJCK” in de field of de Cultural Arts, is none other dam Pennola “Tanny” Ross. Tanny is ah past student of SJCK, ah former Nah-shun-all netballer, as well as ah leading member of de former Venezuela/SVG Folk Group “El Grupo Amistad”. She has ah Dip’ in Music Performance from Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCPVA). She attended Berklee College school of Music in Boston, where she completed two years training in Voice (she has ah beautiful voice)- and principal instruments. Tanny’s final training was ah four year stint in music education at de College of Schalastica [BA1] Minnesota. While dey she completed basic training in multissimo instruments: “strings, woodwind, brass instruments, percussion, drums, and our very own- de Steel Pan.

Lie-Za say she want to go back ah school, and he first choice would be St Joseph’s Convent, Kingstown, whose Motto is: “ With God We Can”.
P.S. Ah special welcome to de many many Die-as-peronians. Your home country needs de Best you have to offer, and de best you all can do (simple but effective) on dis short vacation, is to attend at least one Carnival Show. We are all One Vincy. Happy Carnival!
And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

• Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.