Ten (10) female calypsonians will battle for the 2016 Dominica Calypso Queen title on January 29, 2016

​At least ten female calypsonians will battle for the 2016 Dominica Calypso Queen title, on January 29, according to Alex Bruno, Chairman of the Dominica ‘Kaiso’ Calypso Hall of Fame Committee. The competitors include reigning Calypso Queen, Janae Jackson, Charis D, Sugar S, Alisha, Sting Ray, Delah and Leandra. The show will take place at the Harlem Plaza in Newtown, and the entrance fee is $40.00.
 
Speaking at the launch of the Dominica ‘Kaiso’ Calypso Hall of Fame at the UWI Auditorium on Thursday, Bruno said the event forms part of the highlights of three major events for Carnival 2016, to be hosted on the same date.
 
“They will sing one original song and they have an option to choose another song from another female calypsonian’s archives,” Bruno stated. “Based on what we have had, the girls are singing from Sing Sandy’s ‘Black Woman’, Tarina’s ‘Life Line’, and ‘Standing with the Bishop’, among others.” He promised the songs will be a ‘mash-up’. The winner will walk away with a cash prize of $5,000.
 
Meanwhile, the Dominica ‘Kaiso’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Fort Young Hotel from 6:00pm-8:00pm on January 29, where four local giants of the calypso art-form namely; Slinger “The Might Sparrow” Francisco, Patrick “Pembo” Pemberton, Osborne “Ossie” Lewis, Kelly “Ras Kelly” Williams and Roosevelt “Mico” Williams, will he honourably inducted. The induction will be followed by a ‘Classic Kaiso Concert’ to be held at the Harlem Plaza from 8:00 pm, where the Mighty Sparrow will perform for 45 minutes.
 
Other performances will come from Calypsonians Swinging Janice, Mystic Rose, Jalee and Cauliflower, who participated in the first Calypso Queen Show organized by the DCA some 30 years ago, and who will be coming back together for the first time since then.