LEFT: Finalist Ezekiel Yorke, right, and president Eric Taylor have an exchange during the presentation.
CENTRE: Reigning National Junior Calypso Monarch Megan Waldrond, right, receives a prize. Tuco president Eric Taylor made the presentation.
RIGHT: Nine-year-old Timel Rivas, right, proudly receives his laptop from Tuco president Eric Taylor. Photos: SEAN NERO

Eric Taylor, president of the Trinbago Unified Calypsonian Organisation (Tuco), is today assuring young calypsonians that years of neglect by his organisation are now at an end. At last Wednesday’s distribution of HP laptops to 18 finalists in this year’s National Junior Calypso Monarch competition at Tuco’s Jerningham Avenue, Belmont office, Taylor announced the new respect future bards can expect.

Tuco stepped in to provide the laptops when a sponsor in this year’s Junior Monarch contest reneged on a promise to supply computers as prizes. He said: “For too long we have ignored our emerging generation of calypsonians. The youths have dispelled the notion that calypso is dead. That belief has been slain.” For that reason, he said, the calypso outfit has introduced a series of workshops, now in progress in its four regions, designed to nurture young calypsonians in the art of composing, singing and musicianship.

The three-month programme now in progress is conducted every Saturday, for three hours, from 9 am. Facilitators include reigning and former National Calypso Monarchs Dr Hollis Liverpool (Chalkdust), Morel Peters (Luta), as well as music educator Roland Gordon. Taylor said Tuco would provide incentives to keep young calypsonians motivated, saying that they already have the innate drive to keep the art form alive.