National Joint Action Committee, NJAC

National Action Cultural Committee

& First Citizens


News Release


IMMEDIATE RELEASE
25th August, 2008

THE NACC AND FIRST CITIZENS HOST THE 13TH ANNUAL EMANCIPATION CALYPSO & EXTEMPO COMPETITION

The National Action Cultural Committee (NACC) in association with First Citizens is pleased to announce that the 13th Annual Emancipation Calypso & Extempo Competition takes place on Saturday 22nd August 2009 at the SWWTU Auditorium, Wrightson Road.

The Emancipation Calypso Competition serves to empower youth for the future, through knowing their past. This competition emerged in August of 1997 and is hosted annually by the National Action Cultural Committee. At that time, the lack of material written on Emancipation had become quite clear. And so, the NACC took on the challenge to host the first competition of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago.

This programme has encouraged the continuous production of calypso compositions that highlight the wide range of issues related to Emancipation and the historical experiences of our people in their search for lasting freedom. Significantly, the first winning calypso “One Billion Shall Rise,” sung by Sheldon Reid, in fact, went on to become the theme song for the “Internationalization of Emancipation Day” movement. The research undertaken by contestants in each competition has successfully increased the national repertoire of Calypsoes with Emancipation as their theme.

The Emancipation Calypso Competition annually features artistes between the ages of 5 and 30 singing calypsoes on the theme of Emancipation.

For further information or tickets, contact NACC Offices at 40 Duke St. P.O.S.; Tel: 623-5470; email: NACCcommunications@gmail.com.

The finalists of the 2009 Emancipation Calypso Competition, in alphabetical order, are:

5-16 age group



Aaron Duncan

Dayanah Emoriza

Ferdinand Smith

Jerrisha Regis

Marc Pierre

Melina Smith

Necoda Francis

Shaina Harewood

Timel Rivas

Tonya Small



16-30 age group



Arnold Jordan

Cindy Alleyne

Crystal Charles

Kwesi Jeffers

Marion Paponette

Natifah Phillips

Sekon Alves

Wendell Goodridge

Whitney Moore



Please see below, the winners of the Emancipation Calypso Competition from 1997-2008.



The Emancipation Calypso Competition-(1997-2008)

Winners

* Junior



1997 Michelle Henry Mr. Democracy

1998 Jinelle Schulere We are Free

1999 Kurt Ross Free Me

2000 Kimlyn Harrington Question

2001 Ezekiel Yorke Massa Oh

2002 Kirt Ross Name

2003 Calvie Ann Williams Emancipated Woman

2004 Shinesse Simmons Come

2005 Shinesse Simmons The Homecoming

2006 Megan Walrond Rise up Children

2007 Karesse Marie Rawlins Emancipation

2008 Megan Walrond Oni Lagi Ko Eko (We need to learn)



* Senior



1997 Sheldon Reid One Billion Shall Rise

1998 Erica Reid The Spirit of Emancipation

1999 Maria Bhola Contradiction

2000 Dwayne O’Connor Emancipate Yourself

2001 Brian London Black

2002 Andrew Prescod Historical Links

2003 Corey Burke You must be mad

2004 Shereen Caesar Visions

2005 Jervae Caesar Never Again Slavery

2006 Shereen Caesar Forgive Me Africa

2007 Kirt Ross Slaves of the System

2008 Cindy Alleyne Is Not So It Used to Be