Staff Writer
National Calypso Monarch Terri Lyons has added another feather to her cap by winning the Queen of Queens Regional Calypso title on Sunday night. The competition, which took place at the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain, featured 12 female calypsonians from across the Caribbean, competing for the prestigious crown and a cash prize of $50,000.
Terri Lyons has been performing for over two decades. She started singing calypso at primary school, but branched out into soca at the age of 19. She is the daughter of legendary calypsonian Superblue, who has won ten Road March titles and seven Soca Monarch titles. She has also collaborated with her sister, Fay-Ann Lyons, another successful soca artist and three-time Road March winner. Terri Lyons has won several awards for her music, including the National Calypso Monarch title in 2020.
Lyons, who performed under the sobriquet “Queen Terri”, delivered a powerful rendition of her song “Woman’s World”, which addressed the issues of gender inequality, violence against women, and female empowerment. She received a standing ovation from the audience and high praise from the judges, who awarded her 284 points out of a possible 300.
The runner-up was Karen Eccles-Thomas of Guyana, who scored 276 points with her song “No Means No”, a poignant plea for respect and consent. The third place was shared by Jamaica’s Nekiesha Bailey and Trinidad and Tobago’s Alana Sinnette-Khan, who both scored 274 points. Bailey sang “Rise Up”, a call for social justice and unity, while Sinnette-Khan sang “Calypso Rising”, a tribute to the legacy and resilience of calypso music.
The other finalists were Joanne Foster of Barbados, Shereen Caesar of Antigua and Barbuda, Shirlane Hendrickson of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Keturah George of Grenada, Tammico Moore of St. Lucia, Lesley Ann Ellis of Dominica, Kizzie Ruiz of St. Kitts and Nevis, and Roxanne Singh of Suriname.
The Queen of Queens Regional Calypso competition was launched in 2019 as part of the Carifesta XIV celebrations, with the aim of showcasing and promoting female calypsonians in the region. The event is organized by the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Arts.
Some other famous female calypsonians are Calypso Rose, Singing Francine, Denyse Plummer, Singing Sandra, and Ella Andall. They have contributed to the development and recognition of calypso music as a form of social commentary, cultural expression, and female empowerment.
Terri Lyons remains a force to be reckoned with.
