Joy-C plays her master card to recapture calypso crown

When she was diagnosed with cancer four years ago, Bridgette “Joy C” Creese vowed to her two children that she would beat the odds and bounce back!

Four years on, and several major operations later, Joy C was being crowned calypso monarch, and fittingly, one of her two songs, “Master Card”, acknowledged her health battles as one the cards of life she has been dealt.{{more}}

There was hardly any dispute when the top three places were announced following the performances of the eleven calypsonians who vied for the crown on Sunday, July 5th, Dimanche Gras night.

However, some in the crowd may have made a case to switch things around and put second place finisher Alvin “Zion I” Dennie on the throne.

His witty number “Bad John calypso” where he “threatened” the judges to give him the crown or else…had the audience in stitches through every line, and his “jailbird” costume accompanied with a dangling handcuff was the icing on the cake.

He had already stirred much anticipation and controversy in the preliminaries with his other song, “Sing leh we hear.”

But there was no stopping Joy C, whose second song touched on a topic that has engaged the world for years, Cuba’s Communist regime.

She hailed that country’s great strides in education and healthcare among other things, but challenged the regime to change their system of governance.

Creese, a veteran calypsonian, was the first woman to win the national monarchy, having done so in 2001. She is also a three-time Queen of Calypso here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Meanwhile, third place went to former monarch Carlos “Rejector” Providence who called on Vincentians’ spirit of patriotism with first song “When you roam”.l Continued from Front Page.

He spoke of the attitudes of people who leave St Vincent and the Grenadines for presumed greener pastures, who are forced to realize and appreciate the blessings and privileges they have back home.

His second song aimed to identify the positive and influential people who have come from Paul’s Avenue and urged this, and not the negatives, to be allowed to characterize the neighbourhood.

Former Monarch Kenneth “Vibrating Skakes” Alleyne had to settle for fourth place with his renditions “This King” and “My response”.

Former monarch Glenroy “Sulle” Caesar, Michael “Black Messenger” John, and Robert “Patches” Knights were in a three way tie for fifth. Former Soca Monarch Dennis Bowman came in eight and Gosnel “GC” Cupid finished ninth. Fitzroy “Bro Ebony” Joseph finished tenth and former monarch Errol “The Man Age” Rose brought up the rear.

Last year’s winner, Monique “Princess Monique” Hector did not defend her crown.(KJ)