Monarch Finals for Calypso Finals

MEDIA ALERT

KAISO 365: REIGNING CALYPSONIAN STRUCTURE TO DEFEND TITLE AT

2012 CALYPSO MONARCH FINALS

Saturday, July 28^th, 2012

Start time 7 p.m.

OCPA FINALS TO TAKE PLACE AT P.C. HO THEATRE

5183 Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough

What:        The 8 finalists from the July 7^th and 8^th preliminaries along with the 2011 Calypso Monarch Winner Structure shall perform two original songs in hope of clinching the prestigious 2012 Calypso Monarch award and Canada’s top Calypso prize.

Why:         Calypso is a unique part of the rich multicultural soundscape that is Canada’s World music scene.  It is an oral music tradition that has special meaning to the Caribbean people in Canada because it is a form of poetry of the people. Calypso is a powerful source of music and word play coupled together to tell us about ourselves as a people - where we came from and where we are going. Calypso is the heartbeat of life in the Caribbean and its sounds, rhythms and cadences evoke our past

and our sense of hope for the future. 
                  

Who:         In order of performance:

1. Pan Man Pat – Pat McNeilly

2. Beginner – Michael Moore

3. Connector - Joel Davis

4. Macomere Fifi – Eulith Tara Woods

5. The Crooner – Bill Newman

6. Dennis James – Dennis James

7. Calypso Web – Hamilton Alexander

8. Redman – Michael Thomas

9. Structure – Bryan Thornhill

 A tenth reserve singer, De Carra – Leslie Carrabon, will also be on hand.   Award-winning arranger Ossie Gurley will lead a 9-piece band.  Itah Sadu will host the evening’s  4-hour program and Special Guest is Britain’s 2011 Calypso Monarch Alexander D Great.

When:         Show starts at 7 p.m.  Tickets for this exciting annual event are $38. adv. / $42. door. Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketgateway.com or at select outlets.

Where:     Chinese Cultural Centre’s P.C. Ho Theatre, 5183 Sheppard Avenue East. (Markham and Progress), Toronto.

How:          All registered Media with a Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival Media Pass are welcome to cover the event.  www.torontocaribbeancarnival.com.

About The Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA)

The Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) was founded in 1981 by community-oriented individuals who saw the need for an umbrella group to guide the growth and development of the Calypso art form in Toronto and Canada. The founding members recognized the power of Calypso to educate and entertain, to help people learn about their history, their present, their country and the world.

Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes

Email: ocpacalypsoca@gmail.com

www.ocpacalypsoca.com

215 Spadina Ave. Suite 120, Toronto ON M5T 2C7

PH: 416-795-2722

For more information about the programmes and events, please visit the festival’s official website at www.torontocaribbeancarnival.com. The Festival Office is NOW located at 19 Waterman Avenue. Contact info: Tel: 416-391-5608; Fax: 416-391-5693; Email: info@ torontocaribbeancarnival.com.

Stephen Weir, Festival Publicist | Phone 416-489-5868 | Cell: 416-801-3101 | Email: Stephen@stephenweir.com

Darling Nicky, Cultural Liaison | Cell: 905-399-5322 | Email: darlingnicky.ca@gmail.com          

The man in the Red Bra is our new Caylpso Monarch!

Structure Wins It All

The 2011 Calypso Monarch competition was held this evening at the Chinese Cultural Centre’s P.C. Ho Theatre in Scarborough. Structure beat out 8 other competitors in a 4-hour showdown amongst Canada's best Caylpso singers.

Structure (Bryan Thornhill) won the crown, besting last year's Queen, Macomere FeFe (Eulith Tara Woods) and long-time performer Panman Pat (McNeil). Woods and McNeil tied for second place.

Structure won the contest in part because of a song that he wrote and performed about a series of murders that occurred around Canadian Air Force Base Trenton. Structure wore a woman's pair of red underwear underneath a Canadian Forces' green jump suit, much as Russell Williams, the convicted Trenton murderer and fetish burgler, is known to have worn.

THE RESULTS

Calypso prize goes to Structure

Canada’s top calypso music prize – Kaiso 365 – was captured by Bryan Structure Thornhill before a capacity crowd in the P.C. Ho Theatre of the Chinese Cultural Centre. In a hotly contested battle between nine singers performing two songs each, Barbadian-born Structure also won the coveted People’s Choice Award and several other Special Awards for Lyrics, Melody, Presentation, Originality, Rendition and Humour.

2011 “KAISO 365” CALYPSO MONARCH RESULTS

Winner Structure – Bryan Thornhill
2nd (tie) Macomere Fifi – Eulith Tara Woods
Pan Man Pat – Pat McNeilly
4th Beginner – Michael Moore
5th Spice – Denise Quammie Alexander
6th Mr. Wonderful – Steve Clarke
7th (tie) Newton P – Newton Phillips
Redman – Michael Thomas
8th King Smokey – Clieve Henry

2011 “KAISO 365” CALYPSO MONARCH – SPECIAL AWARDS

BEST LYRICS: Structure – Trenton Monster

BEST MELODY: Structure – Trenton Monster

BEST PRESENTATION:
(tie) Structure – Trenton Monster
Newton P – Old Age Pension

MOST ORIGINAL CALYPSO:
Structure – Trenton Monster

BEST RENDITION:
Structure – Trenton Monster

BEST COMPOSITION ON A LOCAL TOPIC:
Panman Pat – Stop The Gravy Train

MOST HUMOUROUS CALYPSO:
Structure – Trenton Monster

BEST ARRANGEMENT:
Michael “Skel” Redhead – Tackling The Issues(sung by Macomere Fifi)

PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Structure
Structure has won the Calypso Monarch title in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
Structure will take home a cash prize of over $6,000.00 and will be sent to represent Canada in London, U.K in next year’s Notting Hill Carnival, as part of an exchange programme with the Association of British Calypsonians (ABC) that saw their 2010 Calypso Monarch Alexander D Great perform here as a Special Guest.
For more information contact OCPA at (416) 795-2722 or visit our website at
www.ocpacalypsoca.com


Cutline: some of the 8 other contestants stand behind the throne as Structure is crowned the 2011 Calypso Monarch.
Middle: Singer King Cosmos (Henry Gomez) strips Structure on stage revealing a set of red women's underwear.
Bottom: Structure sings his winning song to the media.

2010 CALYPSO COMPETITION RESULTS

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Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA)
“KAISO 365” Calypso Monarch Finals

Toronto, ON, Canada: The Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) hosted its 2010 “KAISO 365” Calypso Monarch Finals at The Imperial Oil Auditorium, Ontario Science Centre on Saturday, July 24th, 2010. This sold out event saw nine calypsonians compete for the title of OCPA’s 2010 Calypso Monarch.

A panel of qualified, volunteer judges awarded points based on the following criteria: Lyrics (max. 35 points); Melody (20); Rendition (25); Presentation (10); and Originality (10) for a total of 100 points. The order of merit was determined by discarding the highest and the lowest score per contestant. 2010 OCPA Head Judge: Lennox Borel.

The above judging criteria was used for OCPA’s Preliminary, and Final competition(s). The judges’ decision is final, and the Monarch results were announced at the end of the July 24th show. They are as follows:

2010 OPCA Kaiso 365 - Calypso Monarch Results

RANK - NAME (STAGE NAME - SOBRIQUET) - HERITAGE
1st Eulith Tara Woods (MACOMERE FIFI) - Tobagonian-Canadian
2nd Michael Thomas (REDMAN) - Grenadian-Canadian (2009 defending champ)
3rd Bryan Thornhill (STRUCTURE) - Barbadian-Canadian
4th Hamilton Alexander (The WEB) - Trinidadian-Canadian
5th Smokey Burke (SMOKEY) - Barbadian-Canadian
6th Guney Cedeno (GUNEY) - Trinidadian-Canadian
7th Zunaki Tuitt (NAKI) - Trinidadian-Canadian
8th Leslie Carrabon (DeCARRA) - Trinidadian-Canadian
9th Trevor Quammie (PENSHIONER) - Trinidadian-Canadian

In addition to a cash prize of over $5000, Eulith Tara Woods (Macomere Fifi) will receive a trip to London , England for its Notting Hill Carnival, and a trip to Atlanta for its 2011 Georgia Caribbean Carnival.

The 2010 OCPA Kaiso 365 Canadian Calypso Monarch Finals was carried live-to-air on Saturday, July 24th, 2010 on radio locally and worldwide via CHRY 105.5FM (www.chry.fm). Special guest performances were had from Young Rashida, and Akima Paul – 2009 London Calypso Monarch.

Nine other annual, special awards were also announced on Saturday, July 24th, 2010. They included:

BEST LYRICS
“Your Turn to Die” – Winston Maingot and Carlyle Bailey

BEST MELODY
“Your Turn to Die” – Winston Maingot

BEST PRESENTATION
Eulith Tara Woods (Macomere Fifi) for the song “Haiti Will Rise Again”

BEST VOCAL RENDITION
Eulith Tara Woods (Macomere Fifi) for the song “Your Turn to Die”

MOST ORIGINAL CALYPSO
“ Haiti Will Rise Again” – Lyrics by Winston Maingot and Carlyle Bailey; Melody by Winston
Maingot; Sung by Eulith Tara Woods (Macomere Fifi)

BEST COMPOSITION ON A LOCAL TOPIC
“We Watching You” – Lyrics by Bryan Thornhill

MOST HUMOUROUS CALYPSO
“It Ain’t Right” – Lyrics by Kenny Quammie; Melody by Mathew John; Arranged by Kenny
Quammie & Mathew John; Sung by Trevor Quammie (Penshioner)

BEST ARRANGEMENT
“ Haiti Will Rise Again” – Winston Maingot

PEOPLE’S CHOICE
Eulith Tara Woods (Macomere Fifi)

The "Kaiso 365" Calypso Monarch competition is presented by the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA), a non-profit arts organization (www.ocpacalypsoca.com). OCPA is a cultural presenting partner in the annual Scotiabank Caribana Festival (www.caribanafestival.com).

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Media Contacts:

Stephen Weir
Stephen Weir & Associates
Tel: 416-801-3101
Email: stephen@stephenweir.com