Junior artistes liven up FLOW promenade

Telecommunications company FLOW has embarked on an initiative that will allow a number of the country’s calypsonians, both junior and senior, to showcase their art to the general public in a festive atmosphere.

The move by FLOW, which took form on Friday, June 10, will allow calypsonians to perform on the company’s Halifax Street promenade at chosen times.

On June 10, a number of the country’s junior calypsonians took to the promenade, where they entertained persons with their 2016 releases.{{more}}

On show were 11-year-old Omrie Davy of the New Prospect Primary School, 10-year-old Ziel Caine, also of the New Prospect Primary School, Kristian ‘Lil Kris’ Christopher of the Layou Government School, Deantai Davis of the West St George Secondary School and Kristiana ‘Singing Kristie’ Christopher of the Thomas Saunders Secondary School.

Davy, who will take part in this year’s Junior Calypso Monarch competition, did a song on Friday, entitled ‘Oh I love my Soca,’ while Caine, who will also compete, did ‘Our Culture’. Lil Kris, last year’s Junior Calypso Monarch (primary school category), performed ‘Break the Silence’. Davis did for the gathering ‘Our Culture,’ while Singing Kristie, who placed second in last year’s Junior Calypso Competition (secondary school category), did ‘We have come far’.

Senior marketing and corporate communications manager at FLOW Nikala Williams said that the shows on the promenade are being held to bring recognition and awareness to calypso.

“What we did is that we started off with the junior calypsonians today (Friday, 10th) and week after next (Friday, June 24th), we are going to do the senior calypsonians, because we find that a lot of attention is being given to soca, but not enough to calypso”, said Williams, who added, “we want to provide a stage so when they get in the park more persons would want to go out and support calypso”.

She said that the juniors performed their songs, probably for the first time in public and it allowed persons present the opportunity to hear the renditions.

“Some people don’t get a chance to make it to the tents or the junior shows because they are busy…persons here were grooving. Some persons don’t normally listen to the music, so providing this stage and platform is really a plus and we are really looking to get it bigger for next year”.

The event had as MC, eight-time Soca Monarch champion and FLOW ambassador Delroy ‘Fireman’ Hooper. Entertainment was also provided by a number of up-and-coming artistes, namely singers from the ‘No Definition’ group, ‘Young Tal’, ‘Suma Drew’, ‘Small Circle’, ‘Verjal’ and ‘London Ice’.

Also entertaining the promenade gathering was Nickolos ‘Vision’ Hector, with his song ‘Mad Intention’. Vision, who is from Fairbairn Pasture, released his first song this year.

Fireman also entertained with freestyle calypso, while each junior calypsonian received a FLOW goodie bag with an EC$50 shopping voucher.