Aziza wins Barbados Calypso Monarch Competition!

Aziza makes history by being the youngest person and the second woman to win the calypso crown at the annual Crop Over Festival in Barbados. Around 1:40 a.m. today she bursted into tears as her name was announced after Ian Webster came second, Mr. Blood placed third and Crystal Cummins-Beckles and Donella tied for fourth position. She won a Mazda car from MQI worth over 70,000 Barbados dollars. Her winning songs were "Bring Back Respect" and "One People, One Nation". MQI and Mount Gay Rum were the title sponsors of this keenly contested PIC-O-DE-CROP COMPETITION.

Edwin and Lil Rick are tops at Soca Royale at Bushy Park, St. Philip, Barbados!

Edwin Yearwood came first in the MQI/ 98.1FM Sweet Soca Monarch competition with "Home Sweet Home". In second place was Marvay with "Know De Face", while in third position was Peter Ram with "Good Morning", and in fourth spot was Mr. Dale with "Nuttin Sweetuh"!
In the Party Monarch competition Lil Rick with "I's A Bajan" was the winner. In second place was Mr. Blood with "Get On Bad", while Peter Ram placed third with "The Tribe", and Mikey was in fourth position with "Live Fuh This". The winners of the competitions were awarded a KIA car worth about BBD$80,000, $10,000, a flight to New York compliments of Jet Blue,and a vacation package at Divi Southwinds Hotel, among other prizes. If my memory serves me correctly Edwin's "Home Sweet Home" is one of only two songs that he did not write and record in his over 25 year career! His beautiful song "Happy Birthday" was written by Ian Wiltshire and released in 1998, and this 2016 winner was written by Jason "Shaft" Bishop. So far this year's Crop Over Festival has been most enjoyable. If you have not checked out the beautiful art displayed in the Grande Salle of the Central Bank and at Pelican Village, Bridgetown please do it this week because you won't be disappointed! Next Saturday we look forward to another keen song contest as the National Cultural Foundation of Barbados presents the Calypso Monarch competition at Kensington Oval at 8 p.m.

Four Women Going to Calypso Finals on July 30th at Kensington Oval, Barbados!

Aziza, Donella, TC and Crystal Cummins-Beckles are the four women among nine persons who will be competing against reigning king Classic for the Calypso crown of Barbados! Joining them will be two time Calypso Monarchs Adrian Clarke and Ian Webster a.k.a. iWeb, Adonijah, Mr. Blood, and Colin Spencer. Smokey Burke is the reserve.
It was a most enjoyable Friday evening as the 18 semi-finalists performed two songs to an audience of about 1,500 at the National Stadium. From 7 p.m. with the opening classic song Cat Attack by Observer, it was a night of quality music and performances until about 12:30 a.m. This included a thirty minute intermission. My partnuh, who likes attending the Calypso competitions yearly, and I particularly enjoyed the first timers for Semis Jamal Slocombe and Aziza, Apache, as well as the Finalists! The Finals will be a keen contest, and we anticipate another enjoyable night come Saturday July 30th!

Tonight, July 15th, it is the Barbados Calypso Monarch Semi-finals at the National Stadium!

It's that time again during the Crop-Over Festival when many of us who like good music focus our attention on a keen competition to see who will be judged worthy of moving on to the Pic-O-De-Crop Calypso Monarch Finals taking place on Saturday July 30th at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown by a panel of ten judges selected by the National Cultural Foundation of Barbados! Here is a list of the calypsonians performing for the eight spots available to compete against reigning Monarch Classic:

2016 MQI/Mount Gay PIC-O-DE-CROP COMPETITION
tabulated by Price Waterhouse Coopers SRL
TENT	ARTIST
Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent	Adela
Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent	Aziza
Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent	Colin Spencer
Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent	Donella
De Big Show	Adonijah
De Big Show	Adrian Clarke
De Big Show	Chrystal Cummins-Beckles
De Big Show	iWeb
De Big Show	Jamal Slocombe (JSlo)
De Big Show	T.C
Headliners Tent	Mr. Blood
Headliners Tent	Smokey Burke
House of Soca	Amazing Dre
House of Soca	Sammy G
House of Soca	Sir Ruel
Super Gladiators	Julie
The Experience Calypso Tent	Apache
The Experience Calypso Tent	Billboard
RESERVE
Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent	Hee Haw

Songs are as follows:

JSlo:                 Be A Politician & The New Normal

Billboard:          State of te Art & Lick Dem

MrBlood:           Female Monarchy & How To Get Away With Murder

Ah-Dee-Lah:      I Now Land & Barbados Your Mother

 Adonijah:         Bashment Commentary & That Is a Bajan

Donella:            The Criteria & The Vision

Julie:                 Barbados Happy 50th & You Can Do Better

T.C.:                  Tek What Yuh  Get & Golden Age

Apache:             Mr. Forgetful & For De People

Sir Ruel:            Save the Environment & Paper View

Chrystal Cummings-Beckles: That's What Barbados Means to Me & Hall of Fame

Aziza:                  One People One Nation & Bring Back Respect

iWeb [Ian Webster]:      Rights & Big Up

Amazing Dre:        Meterological Terms & Granny

AC [Adrian Clarke]:     49 Not Out & What Is A Politician

Smokey Burke:      King Kaiso & All The Way to the Bank

Colin Spencer:      No Trussing & Toilet Paper

Sammy G:            Colour Blind & Optimistic 

Athletics Canada Team Nominated for Rio 2016

Posted on 11 July 2016 by Athletics Canada

TORONTO (July 11, 2016) – On Monday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Athletics Canada named the 65 athletes nominated to represent Team Canada in athletics at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games from August 5 to 21.

Some of the athletes selected include: Shawn Barber (pole vault, 2015 World Champion) and Derek Drouin (high jump, 2015 World Champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist) as well as 2015 IAAF World Championship individual medallists Andre De Grasse (sprints), Brianne Theisen-Eaton (heptathlon), Benjamin Thorne (race walk) and Damian Warner (decathlon). The team is led by Head Coach and Chief Technical Officer, Peter Eriksson.

The athletes earned their spots at the Canadian Championships and Selection Trials which took place July 7-10 at Foote Field in Edmonton, Alberta.

All athletics competitions will be held at the Olympic Stadium (Engenhão), except for the marathons which will take place in the area of Sambódromo and race walking events in Pontal.

At Rio 2016, Canada expects to field a team of approximately 315 athletes.


QUOTES

“This is the strongest and most well-rounded team I have ever been a part of. The team counts multiple world medallists and a talented roster who will challenge for the podium on the track, and in the field. My teammates and I are ready to compete for Canada in Rio.”

Brianne Theisen-Eaton, Rio 2016 athlete

“Following a very competitive Trials in Edmonton, we have nominated a versatile and focused group of athletes who will be ready to perform on-demand in Rio. The team is comprised of veterans who have already experienced international success, and up-and-coming athletes who are ready to take the next step.” 

Peter Eriksson, Head Coach, Athletics Canada

“The recent results of these nominees is very good reason for Canada to be excited about track and field. This group continues to grow and I’m excited to see what they will bring to Rio. I wish all of you the absolute best in your final preparations as you set your sights for success.”

Curt Harnett, Rio 2016 Team Canada Chef de Mission

“As excitement grows for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, I know our track and field athletes are ready to make an extra effort to push for the podium against the world’s best. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I commend the work done by Athletics Canada to prepare our athletes named today to Team Canada. We’re all behind you.”

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

Prior to being named to the final Canadian Rio 2016 Team, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Federations.

- See more at: http://athletics.ca/athletics-canada-team-nominated-rio-2016/#sthash.oNkE9rb0.dpuf

Canadians compete in Edmonton on the road to Rio!

Canada’s deepest, most talented

pool of track and field athletes

ever set to compete in Edmonton

Posted on: 05 July 2016

Canada’s deepest, most talented pool of track and field athletes ever set

 to compete in Edmonton for Olympic and Paralympic berths

 to the Games in Rio de Janeiro 

EDMONTON – The Road to Rio is crowded with talented Canadians who

 will all be at the Canadian Track and Field Championships and Selection Trials

 this weekend to punch their tickets to the 2016 Summer Olympics and

 Paralympics in Brazil.

Led by the likes of sprinters Andre De Grasse and Aaron Brown, and 2015

world champions Shawn Barber (pole vault) and Derek Drouin (high jump),

 the lineup of athletes from July 7-10 at Foote Field may be the deepest

 and most talented ever at a Canadian Trials.

“The 2016 Trials are shaping up to be the best in our history, with more than

 70 athletes entering with the Olympic standard, and 15 with the Paralympic standard,”

 said Peter Eriksson, Athletics Canada Head Coach and Chief Technical Officer.

 “The depth and level of competition will serve the athletes well as they enter 

their Rio final preparation phase.”

The high points that Edmonton track and field fans can look forward to this weekend include:

• De Grasse, Canada’s 2015 breakout sprint star, going head-to-head with Brown in
•  the men’s 100 and 200-metre dashes. Brown had his own breakthrough at a Florida meet
•  in June, posting a best time of 9.96 seconds to serve notice Canada has two sub-10-second
•  sprinters heading to Rio.
• A high jump duel between Drouin, the 2015 world champion, and Mike Mason, who pushed
•  his Canadian rival at last year’s Canadian Track and Field Championships, also held at 
• Foote Field.
• Melissa Bishop, the 800-metre runner who won silver at the 2015 World’s in dramatic fashion,
•  has twice run sub-1:59.00 times this season, promising results in an Olympic year.
• The 100-metre hurdles will be intensely competitive, with specialists Nikkita Holder
•  and Phylicia George being pushed by heptathlete Brianne Theisen-Eaton.
• Edmonton’s Angela Whyte will also be in the 100-metre hurdle mix. Whyte, 
• whose first major international competition for Canada was the 2001 World Championships
•  in Athletics at Commonwealth Stadium, has a serious shot at qualifying for her third
•  Olympic Games at 36 years of age.
• In the field events, javelin thrower Elizabeth Gleadle is looking to improve on
•  the 11th-place finish at 2015 World’s. Long jumper Christabel Nettey was a strong fourth
•  in Beijing in 2015.
• All-around athletes Brianne Theisen-Eaton (heptathlon) and Damian Warner (decathlon),
•  both won silver medals at the 2015 World’s and brought home gold from the prestigious
•  Hypo Meet in Gotzis, Austria in May.
• Headlining the field of Paralympians is Guillaume Ouellet, who won gold in the 5,000-metres
•  in dramatic fashion in the heat and humidity of Doha, Qatar at the 2015
•  International Paralympic Committee World Championships.
• In wheelchair racing look for Michelle Stilwell (T52 classification) and Diane Roy
•  (T54 classification). Stilwell won gold and silver at the 2012 London Games,
•  and a pair of gold medals in Beijing 2008. Diane Roy has 5 Paralympic Games
•  medals to her name, and won gold and bronze at the Parapan Am Games in Toronto
•  last summer.
• In wheelchair throws Pamela LeJean and Becky Richter are IPC and Parapan Am medallists

If you can’t make it to Foote Field AthleticsCanada.tv has you covered with a free live webcast

of the event beginning on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. MT / 1:00 p.m. ET. The live webcast is 

also available through Athletics Canada’s new mobile app.

For ticket information, fans should visit TrackTownCan.com. 

Tickets also can be purchased at the Foote Field box office.

- See more at: http://athletics.ca/2016trialspreview/#sthash.X7bbtdBh.dpuf