Monique retains Queen of Calypso title

Saturday, June 8, will for a long time be remembered by Monique ‘Princess Monique’ Hector-Weeks. That was the day she created history in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, copping the Queen of Calypso title on a third occasion at the Victoria Park.

Princess Monique’s dream has become a reality; she has done the hattrick.{{more}}

The diminutive singer placed her stakes on the crown at the Big Yard with the competitive, excellent and dynamic renditions, “SVG is Tops” and “Home Grown Terrorist”.

‘SVG is Tops,’ a song pundits have declared is destined to become one of the calypso classics of the decade, showcased the many successes of Vincentians in various spheres in life, such as the arts, culture and academics. ‘Home Grown Terrorist’ on the other hand brought to light the sad reality of domestic violence inflicted on wives by their mates. For her efforts, Monique received prize money of EC$3, 000.

“It was my dream,” Princess Monique said of her feat, shortly after winning the competition.

“I did not have any doubts. I had confidence all the way, all the way,” she emphasized.

Pat Ralph clinched the second position with the songs ‘Global Village’ and ‘Celebrating Life’; Cecil “Little Bit” King placed third with “Destiny” and “Budget” while Aloma “Fatty Dan” Cadogan placed fourth, with ‘I experience Life’ and ‘Harvest In Me’.

The other contestants vying for the crown were Andrine “Ranking Bash” Baptiste with ‘Don’t Break Yo Promise’ and ‘Vincy Mas’; Keritha “Laylee” Westfield, ‘Cool Out’ and ‘We Carnival’; Corneisha “Neisha” Cooke, ‘CSME & Me’ and ‘Do You Know Why’; Jamille “Singing Jamie” Wilson -’Hollow Tress’ and ‘Ah dis yo want’, and Denise “Lady D” Stephens with Female Prime’ and ‘Vincy Colours’.

It is now clear that support for the the reigning Queen of Calypso is growing each day. The big guns who come up against her in another two weeks will definitely have to come good if they desire to stop her from doing the hattrick in the Calypso Monarch competition also.

Since 2003 Princess Monique has been dominating both forms of Calypso competition in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and is threatening to continue.

Princess Monique entered the calypso arena in 1996 while residing in Trinidad and Tobago. While there she made it to the semi-finals and performed with the greats, the likes of Lord Kitchener, Mighty Bomber, Cro Cro, and Singing Sandra.

Larry Harewood, Princess Monique’s Trinidadian composer said there was an initial idea about composing a song about the banana industry but that was switched to big up St.Vincent and the Grenadines “because lots of things are happening here. We wanted to lift Vincentian spirits”.

Harewood said lots of research was done in the newspapers for the hit “SVG is Tops”.

Besides Princess Monique’s accomplishments in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, the composer of 20 years now has under his belt the Young Kings Trinidad and Tobago, 2005 Junior Monarch and seven artists in the 2005 Calypso Monarch semi-finals competition.

Harewood used the opportunity to praise the ailing Joy-C, former Queen of Calypso who is undergoing chemotherapy in Trinidad and Tobago for inviting Princess Monique to return to St.Vincent and the Grenadines.