With a petition for “One More” term for President David Granger and his administration, Region Ten’s Lester Charles, who goes by the stage name ‘De Professor’, has won the 2020 Calypso competition.
The event was held at Durban Park on Friday night.
‘De Professor’ previously won the competition in 2009 and 2013 and three other times.
The Junior Calypso Monarch Omaiah Hall, who won a place to take part in the senior competition, placed third with her song “Tell me how come.”
Young Bill Rodgers placed second.
“I knew this year would be challenging, the preparation was fairly easy, however, I knew that the competition was stiffer, I plan on continuing to guide younger calypsonians,” said De Professor after winning the Banks DIH sponsored competition.
The competition’s 11 finalists performed to a packed crowd consisting of seasoned calypso enthusiasts.
Meanwhile, the third-place winner, Omaiah Hall was a first-timer to calypso this year but it was hard to tell. The young woman, with commanding stage presence, showcased her strong but technically sound vocal ability.
“I thank everyone who kept calling to encourage me, this is my first year doing this. My family and friends kept encouraging me to compete, I have a passion for the arts and in 2020 expect to see a lot of me.
“I plan on recording a lot and even hosting my own concerts, not necessarily calypso but you will see me do this when the opportunities are available,” Hall told the News Room.
Two-time calypso monarch Young Bill Rodgers took the stage with his son by his side.
He too threw his support behind President David Granger with the calypso ‘We seeing progress in this country.’
“Calypso is used to talk about what you see; I draw inspiration and write based on my views and conversations I have with the man in the streets as I have always done,” Rogers told the News Room.
The Republic Jubilee action at Durban Park continues tonight with the highly anticipated 592 Soca Monarch finals.
