Despite the inclement weather and a poor turnout of spectators, the Semi Finals segment of the National Mashramani 2013 Calypso Competition was successfully completed at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground on Saturday night.Ten out of the 21 Calypsonians who sought to gain the judges nod, will move forward to the finals, which will be held at Demerara Park (Thirst Park), Georgetown on Friday.Young Fyah failed to make it with his rendition of “Local Foreigner”.The lucky 10 are Donna Jones(Princess Patricia), Karen Bennette (Queen Makeba), Lester Ricardo Charles(De Professor), Rudolph Kendall (Sweet Kendingo ), Lindon Thomas(Sniper), Malcolm Corrica (Lord Canary),Estella Simpson(Calypso Stella), Dawn Edwards(Lady D), Daria Elisha Barrow(Queen Davey),and Martin Byrne(Mighty Voter).Princess Patricia was first to grace the stage with her piece “De Police’, which highlighted many of the misdemeanors perpetrated by the police, and was a huge crowd pleaser.She was followed by Abigail James (AJ) with “Save Calypso” and Karen Bennett (Queen Makeba) with “Is Man”.Lester Ricardo Charles (De Professor) warned that “God nah Sleep’ in his rendition that hit out at corruption, including the misuse of taxpayers’ money.“Let the country move On” was ‘Sweet Kendingo’s’ admonition, which the crowd agreed with unanimously.Lord Canary belted out “Now that I’m alive” pleading, “give me what ah deserve now that I’m alive, I don’t want a posthumous award!” Calypso Stella proclaimed, “The System is Wrong”, referring to the current system of automatic promotion in schools. Queen Davey belted out, “Hammie said don’t blame me!” as she highlighted the garbage problem in Georgetown, calling the city “Garbageville’ on a placard, which she used as part of her props.“Wrong Place, wrong time” was lady D’s rendition in which she pointed out that “anywhere yah go, yah go at yah own risk, while the Mighty Voter advised “Let God be the judge!”Many persons expressed disappointment that reigning Junior calypso Monarch Niossi Alsopp did not make the final Ten, as this teen really worked her song “Drama school”.Most of the artistes’ renditions were well received, but Lester Charles’s, “God nah Sleep”, Sweet Kendingo’s “Let the Country Move on”, Niossi Alsopp’s “Drama school” and newcomer Queen Davey’s “Hammie said, “don’t blame Me”,Cheap Jerseys Supply, topped the list in terms of popularity with patrons.Contestants were judged on Lyrics, Topic, Melody, Originality, Diction, Presentation and Intonation.
