With the foundation laid by Calypso Rose and Singing Francine, the women of Calypso began to assert themselves in the eighties. Abbi Blackman, eldest daughter of the late great Ras Shorty I (Garfield Blackman) had a dream debut when she won the Calypso Queen Title at Queen’s Hall in 1979 singing Young and Moving On. Just fifteen, she epitomised her song’s theme and upstaged the more experienced competitors. Led by her father, she supported the family Love Circle while nurturing her own solo career, always making a strong impression on stage with her powerful vocals, trendy fashions of her own design and energetic dancing.
Twiggy (Anne Marie Parks), is a fitting example of the struggle women must endure in the calypso world. Although she began singing in 1974 and sometimes shared the stage with Rose and Francine, most of the time she had to settle for meagre wages, chorus work and disrespect from male calypsonians. Perhaps that is what prompted her to sing It hard to be a lady in Trinidad. Her career peaked in 1985 when she won the Calypso Queen title singing Life & The Outside Woman. Her biggest hit to date is the 1996 crowd favourite Up under me which has put her on foreign charts and provided her with much needed gigs.
When it comes to endurance in Calypso the daughters of calypsonian Allrounder (Anthony Hendrickson) stand out. Lady Wonder (Dianne Hendrickson-Jones) and Shirlane have a special place in the history of women in calypso for their invaluable contribution. From backing up their father and other calypsonians they both graduated to front line performers, both earning the distinction of winning the National Calypso Queen titles. Lady Wonder was the 1st runner up in the first Young King competition in 1985 and won the Queen titles in 1996 and 1997. Shirlane, the family’s main composer, (she composed the classic Innocent Jimmy), is a true international performer having campaigned throughout North America and Africa. She won the Queen title four consecutive years from 1998 to 2001.
The common thread that links these four women and many others like them is that continue to aim for higher heights and with the determination they have displayed to date it is just a matter of time before they attain their individual goals.
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