Seven women in Calypso Semi-finals

Seven women and seven former monarchs are among the 22 calypsonians selected from the Calypso Preliminaries to compete in the Calypso Semi-finals on Friday, June 30.

The women – Joanna Christopher, Lornette ‘Fya Empress’ Nedd, Shaunelle Mc Kenzie, Cleopatra ‘Cleopatra’ Hendrickson, Shena Collins, Cecile ‘Lil Bit’ King, and Kristianna ‘Singing Kristy’ Christopher, along with Vivian ‘I Come’ Miller, all emerge from the Upstage Calypso Tent and sufficiently impressed judges Marla Nanton, Earl Paynter, Roddy Dowers, Kemuel Beache and Daniel Hall, who sent them through to the next round.

The other members of Upstage to go through are Fitzroy ‘Bro Ebony’ Joseph, Brian ‘Sprinter’ John and Shernelle ‘Skarpyan’ Williams.

Dennis Bowman is the lone pick from the Brooklyn, New York based Dynamites Calypso Tent, while Chewalee ‘Chewalee’ Johnson, Glenroy ‘Sulle’ Caesar and Maxwell “Tajoe” Francis come from the Graduates Calypso Tent.

From the On Tour Tent, Kenneth ‘Vibrating Scakes’ Alleyne, John ‘I’ Oliver, Grantley ‘Ipa’ Constance, Elvis ‘Abby Jah’ Abby, Robert ‘Patches’ King, Wendell ‘Speeshie’ Goodrich and Glenford ‘Azarah’ Charles will go through to the next round.

Gosnel ‘GC’ Cupid and Joel ‘Navel String’ Bartholomew are the two reserves.

Of the 22, Lornette ‘Fya Empress’ Nedd, Maxwell ‘Tajoe’ Francis, Shernelle ‘Skarpyan’ Williams, Glenroy ‘Sulle’ Caesar, Kenneth ‘Vibrating Scakes’ Alleyne, Elvis ‘Abby Jah’ Abby and Grantley ‘Ipa’ Constance are former calypso monarchs.

The semi-finals will take place on June 30 at the Victoria Park, commencing at 8 p.m. From that show, the finalists will be chosen to come up against reigning monarch Zamfir ‘Man Zangie’ Adams at Dimarche Gras on July 9. Adams will be going after his fourth successive crown.