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Fight among calypsonians spoiled it this year- Patron

- said calypsonians took it too far in their locals vs outsider battle
Shereen Flax-Charles aka Queen Shereen appeared as a guest artist at the Virgin Gorda Easter Festival Calypso Competition on April 16, 2017. Photo: VINO
Roland O. Veira aka Chico B was First Runner Up at the 2017 Calypso Competition in Virgin Gorda on April 16, 2017. Photo: VINO
Roland O. Veira aka Chico B was First Runner Up at the 2017 Calypso Competition in Virgin Gorda on April 16, 2017. Photo: VINO
Second Runner Up, Jocelyn Searles aka Sistah Joyce. Photo: VINO
Second Runner Up, Jocelyn Searles aka Sistah Joyce. Photo: VINO
VALLEY, Virgin Gorda, VI – Several patrons to the Virgin Gorda Easter Festival Calypso Competition thought it was an immature and uncalled battle between local and expatriate Calypsonians in the lead up to the Virgin Gorda Easter Festival Calypson Competition, which took place on Sunday April 16, 2017 at the Bernice Sprauve Festiville.

“Just take a look around and you can see what I am talking about,” said a patron who claimed to be a fan of the music form. She was drawing attention to the scant turnout of person at the competition this year.

“Calypso is a thing that people come out to a lot here but persons are upset with the nasty battle going on between Chico B, Shereen and Sistah Joyce. That make sense?” asked the patron.

War of words

The war of words expressed in this year’s calypsos sang by 2016-2017 Monarch Roland “Chico B” Veira “Outsider” and “Licks” saw him responding to claims that two “Born Here” Virgin Islanders, Shereen “Queen Shereen” Flax-Charles and Joyce “Sistah Joyce” Searles attacked him because he is not a “Born here”.

It was in 2016 that Flax-Charles and others raised questions about what was said to be a breach of the rules for having Chico B enter the competition. This surfaced after the fact that the former monarch was crowned. The issue was that he was not living in the territory for at least two years before entering the competition. That’s the rules of the competition.

Searles, who came in as the 2nd runner up in this year’s competition, added a verse to her song which challenged Chico B, who she claimed in her song to have sent threats to her. She responded with “lyrics cannot hold me and I want him to know that I am the Vybz Kartel of Calypso…”

While Flax-Charles was not in the competition this year, citing that she had to first be a mother and set her priorities right by taking care of medical issues with one of her children, she did take to the stage as a guest artist on the very night. She made comments like, “You have to stand for something or you will fall for nothing”, “Right is right and wrong is wrong”, “I am not afraid to speak my truth”, “Yall think I afraid to come on this stage” as he pelted her stones back at Chico B.

They spoiled the competition

But it was fans of the music that seemed to have felt the brunt of it. “They spoiled the competition this year,” said Melroy Boyce. “Kaiso is Kaiso, yes, but they took it too far. It was clearly not fun for them but a war in Calypso and we need to see them done it or Calypso will no longer make money out here.”

Speaking with this news site, Chico B said he kept with the spirit of Calypso. “I have no hard feelings towards anyone, I just do Calypso because I love it and my lyrics did what Calypso does, that’s all about it.”

“They born here and I live here, they or rather the country needs me and I need the country so we as a people all have to live together in one love and not fight and that’s the message I sent and that’s done right there. One love to my sisters, not hate, only love.”

Others expressed that the war on stage had an effect on the judging. “In this case I think the judging would have been different if we had judges who were not familiar with the issues and could have isolated themselves and judged fairly. Yes the King (King Paido) did extremely well but I know Joyce and Chico were extremely good and the judging by a more neutral group would have seen a different outcome,” said Boyce, while adding that King Paido might have still won but other prizes would have been differently distributed.

21 Responses to “Fight among calypsonians spoiled it this year- Patron”

  • Fed Up (19/04/2017, 08:41) Like (22) Dislike (3) Reply
    dem womon like too much darm confusion
  • flax & joyce (19/04/2017, 08:43) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    Mi ro ro....look confusion
  • ask adam and sampson (19/04/2017, 09:10) Like (8) Dislike (9) Reply
    Where there is woman there is always worries and problems
    • @asl Adam and Sampson (19/04/2017, 13:34) Like (17) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ask Adam and Sampson.. I couldn't agree with you More .. Women is confusion, confusion confusion.. RTW marketing department... Festival committee perfect examples.. But when you find a confusion greedy man in power that love confusion he is 10 times worst than a woman...

  • Outsider (19/04/2017, 09:33) Like (24) Dislike (3) Reply
    Sista Joyce I expected better from you. You trying sell you CDs to me an outsider after what you displayed. That mean the songs on you CDs are not genuine. I for one will not be supporting you nor be listening to your music again. Your behavior contradicts the message of your songs.
  • Danny (19/04/2017, 10:02) Like (16) Dislike (0) Reply
    but their parents must be so up set with them and turning in them graves . ha ha because of the mother is from Antigua and the other one mother is from st.kitts
  • l (19/04/2017, 11:55) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    Sistah Joyce aint from here either.
  • OMG... look @ she (19/04/2017, 13:35) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    HUGE DRAMA-QUEEN, NOT CALYPSO-QUEEN, that's Sistah Joyce... SMH that's just how she live the rest of her life, REAL MESSY!
    want to be on stage TRYING to sound ALL royal and conscious with that double-edged tongue ...
    Have several Seats
  • Jack B Nimble. (19/04/2017, 13:35) Like (16) Dislike (0) Reply
    Power hungry confusion women vs Greedy and selfish men. Who is worst?
  • lord o. (19/04/2017, 13:39) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    The bla bla and throwing talk is good marketing. Created a hype where we see the most people turn out for a calypso show than previous years. . Let the talks and words continue until August. We may see the village fill for calypso show...
  • Danny (19/04/2017, 14:45) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    sista joyce father is from grenada
  • VG Resident (20/04/2017, 17:42) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Shereen is a big coward. She could find time to sing five songs on stage but can't sing two in a competition. Lets see if she don't back out of Tortola Calypso show also. Chico B have these ladies acting silly. They both would pretend to be his friend while they are in the Tortola competition. That's the way they are. They are dangerous ladies. They would do anything to win.


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