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

ANDRE CONTINUES WINNING WAYS AT HARRY JEROME CLASSIC in Vancouver on Friday June 17, 2016!

The Harry Jerome International Track Classic is held annually in honour of Harry Jerome, whose talent and tenacity on and off the track inspired a generation of Canadians to “never give up” in their own endeavours. His legacy of athletic excellence and commitment to youth and sport remain pillars of motivation and inspiration today

Men 100 Meter Dash Fairmont Pacific Rim

1 Andre De Grasse Canada 10.32 -1.4

2 Joe Morris United States 10.41 -1.4

3 Kemar Hyman CAY 10.48 -1.4

4 Akeem Haynes Canada 10.51 -1.4

5 Arthur Delaney United States 10.58 -1.4

6 Jerome Blake Canada 10.64 -1.4

7 Donate Richards-Kwok Canada 10.67 -1.4

--- Ryan Bailey United States DNF -1.4

Men 200 Meter Dash CTV

1 Andre De Grasse Canada 20.46 0.2

2 Joe Morris United States 20.61 0.2

3 Arthur Delaney United States 21.06 0.2

4 Donate Richards-Kwok Canada 21.16 0.2

5 Jerome Blake Canada 21.37 0.2

6 Tremaine Harris Canada 21.82 0.2

7 Francis Klimo Canada 22.14 0.2

--- Jermy Dodson SAM DNF 0.2

Men 400 Meter Run Fairmont Pacific Rim

1 Jeremy Wariner United States 46.64

2 Nathan George Canada 47.06

3 Rayshaun Franklin Canada 47.76

4 Michael Aono Canada 48.16

5 Frankie Wright United States 48.66

6 Quin Litherland Canada 48.69

7 Daniel Kelloway Canada 48.94

--- Phliip Osei Canada DNF

Men 800 Meter Run Resonance Branding

1 Anthony Romaniw Canada 1:47.36

2 Harun Abda United States 1:47.55

3 Alex Ullman Canada 1:48.47

4 Prince Mumba Zambia 1:48.62

5 Dusty Solis United States 1:48.64

6 Cory Bellemore Canada 1:48.78

7 Duane Solomon United States 1:50.23

8 Geoff Harris Canada 1:51.94

--- Mark Wieczorek Pace United States DNF

Men 800 Meter Run National TIMEX

1 Sacha Smart Canada 1:48.93

2 Hans Roelle United States 1:49.71

3 Adam Paul Morris Canada 1:50.00

4 Brendon Restall Canada 1:50.22

5 Cameron Proceviat Canada 1:50.31

6 Matthew Swanson Canada 1:50.47

7 Daniel Block Canada 1:50.59

8 Tyler Smith Canada 1:50.96

9 Lukas Jarron Canada 1:51.35

10 Dean Ellenwood Canada 1:51.54

11 Tommy Land Canada 1:53.04

--- Joshua Johnson Pace Canada DNF

On Sunday May 29th it's Kellie Cadogan, Vita Chambers, and Marisa Lindsay, among other superb musicians at BOTW at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto!

On this Queen Victoria Day holiday (In Quebec "National Patriotes Day" or Journée Nationale des Patriotes),I'm getting excited as we draw closer to the last weekend in the merry month of May because it will be the return of Barbados on the Water at Harbourfront Centre! Arturo Tappin Band, Allison Hinds, Lil, Rick, Biggie Irie, Eddie Bullen, Quincy Bullen, Roger Gibbs, Susan G. & Neu Jenarashun, and many more will be entertaining us at what will be a fine festival displaying the arts and culture of beautiful Barbados! Here is some information on some of the outstanding performers:
Kellie Cadogan

Jazz singer Kellie Cadogan released her first album "The Nearness of You" in January 2009. The following year she received the Barbados Music Award for Jazz artiste of the year. Since then this dynamic performer, who is also a trained musician and vocal coach, has performed in Brazil, Boston, Belize,Suriname, and music festivals such St. Mary's Jazz festival (Virgin Gorda) the Barbados Jazz Festival, Naniki Music Festival(Barbados),Honey Jazz Barbados and Jazz on the Square at St. Lucia Festival, all to impressive reviews.

Marisa Lindsay

Marisa Lindsay's vocal talent reflects her naturally charismatic personality while drawing the listener in, to reveal a deep, soulful, sensual woman. Her  musical journey encompasses almost every aspect of vocal performance from choir to solo artist, background to lead vocals, from hotels and restaurants to nightclubs, voice-overs to jingles, stage to studio.
Marisa's warm spirit and genuine love for her art is seamlessly woven into the fabric of every performance. Her purpose is evident in her effortless yet compelling presence as she commands her stage. Marisa as a proud representative of Barbados has toured throughout the Caribbean, London, Ireland, Scotland, Toronto, Ottawa Jazz Festival, New York, Las Vegas and Portugal. Marisa has also opened for many international acts such as Air Supply, Brian Mc Knight, Peabo Bryson, Macy Gray and Babyface.

Convinced of the enormous potential of Marisa's talent, Thunder Dome Sounds CEO and Juno Award winning producer, Eddie Bullen, took on the task of personally investing in the recording and the artistic development of Marisa in 2006. Collaborating to achieve mutual goals of success, artist and producer have since created two albums which epitomize the synergy evident in their creative union.

In 2007 , Marisa’s debut album“Submit 2 Love” ,presented her to the world as a major talent coming out of Barbados bridging the gap between standard, contemporary and smooth jazz.In 2009 the pair followed up with “Deeper Love", which marked her foray into R& B/Neo Soul, a departure from the jazz cover tunes that were predominant on her first album.
Committed to documenting Marisa’s artistic evolution as an authentically Barbadian export,  Thunderdome Sounds is set to release the first  single from Marisa’s new album  in the summer of 2016. The album continues the tradition of superb production ,arrangement,signature vocals and the honest purpose driven soul-lyric that Marisa Lindsay fans appreciate.
Prior to the successful launch of her recording career, Marisa was quietly honing her skills, taking time out to expand her musicality and receive vocal training in Cuba. It is this culturally rich island that she credits for the major transformative experiences which molded her into the vocal artiste and vocal coach she is to this day.

Vita Chambers
At age 16 Vita Chambers was signed by Sylvia Rhone to Universal Motown. Vita toured with Justin Bieber as one of his opening acts for twenty seven shows on his My World Tour in 2010, as well as performing at Lilith Fair in 2010, Bamboozle Road Show, PopCon, and touring with Forever The Sickest Kids. She also performed with Estelle at the 2010 Soul Train Awards in Atlanta, and opened the halftime NFL Motown 50th Anniversary show in Detroit in 2009.

She released  her single, "Fix You" on Canadian radio in 2013 as an independent artist, which was nominated for the Best Dance Record for the 2013 Juno awards.Within three months "Fix You" entered the Top 40 and went Gold in Canada and sold over 350,000 copies worldwide. She was the #4 Emerging Artist on the Canada Billboard chart, and was Bell Media "Artist of the Month" in May 2013.

 As an independent artist Vita Chambers has done sixty-five shows throughout Canada since 2013. She opened for Chaka Khan at Pittsburg Pride in 2014, Hamilton Pride and Toronto Pride in 2014 and Winnipeg Pride in 2013 with Christina Maria . Vita also headlined the Vaughn Winter festival in 2015, and for Canada Day in 2015 in Burlington, Ontario. She also toured Tokyo and Thailand in 2014.

In 2014 Vita received two nominations at the Canadian Music Radio Awards for Best New Group or Solo Artist CHR and Best New Group or Solo Artist Dance/Urban/Rhythmic. Her latest projects "Tell Me " and "Atlas" gained #1 spots for four weeks  on the European Indie Chart. Vita writes, co-produces and co- directs all of her music and music videos released under her company Gold Note Productions Ltd. Her next release coming soon is "His Love". This will be her ninth release as an independent artist. 

For schedule of performances please see www.harbourfront.com or www.visitbarbados.org 

Musical group Spice & Company will return to Canada after 21 years! And you must not miss Elan Trotman! Both at Barbados on the Water Festival, downtown Toronto, May 27,28 & 29th!! !

Spice and Company was founded in 1976 by four young teenagers born in Barbados. Alan Sheppard, Dean Straker and Roger Foster went on to compose, arrange and produce a catalogue of hit songs in the Caribbean between 1982 and 1995. Spice & Company toured Canada extensively from 1986 to 1994 gaining massive popularity on the college and university circuit resulting in them being awarded the Canadian Organization of Campus Activities Award for top recording act in 1988.  Shortly after, the group was awarded the Caribbean Band of the Year in 1989 at the Sunshine Awards in Miami.  After numerous hits including the Disney classic "In De Congaline", Spice & Company disbanded in 1995 at the zenith of their career for personal differences.

 In 2010 after a fifteen year hiatus, they came together to produce one of the most talked about shows ever seen in Barbados at the Globe Drive-In to a crowd of 8,000 Barbadians spanning three generations of all colours and classes. As the relationship between the members rekindled, the band has performed during the last 5 years on rare and selective occasions, also making International appearances albeit for short tours only. From 9 to 10:30 p.m. on Friday May 27, 2016 in Toronto promises to be filled with emotion, excitement, nostalgia and a super performance on the West Jet Stage - Harbourfront. They will perform their hits which include Give Them Freedom, Bob's Song, Rastaman, Irie Feeling, Aware Africa, Always On My Mind, Lift Ya Leg Up, Make Noise, Take Ya Clothes Off, and The Guns among others!

-Taken from Spice Media Release

Besides Rihanna, Jazz sax-man Elan Trotman is the only other Barbadian recording artist to have charted on Billboard over 10 times with Top 30 radio singles! The Berklee College of Music graduate is the founder of the annual Barbados Jazz Excursion at the Crane Resort, which features many world class artists like Javier Colon, Jeff Lorber, Gerald Veasley, Jeffrey Osborne, Peter White and others. Trotman is also the creator of the "Never Lose Your Drive" Foundation which brings celebrities, entertainers and athletes together at Elan's annual golf tournament to raise funds to help young musicians in Barbados attend College. Elan is currently based in Boston, and continues to tour as a solo act and with an A-list of artists that include Jonathan Butler, Earl Klugh, Peter White, Keiko Matsui and others. Please visit www.elantrotman.com, www.barbadosjazzexcursion.com and www.neverloseyourdrive.com

Elan Trotman performs on Stage in the Round from 3 to 4 p.m. on Saturday May 28^th at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto!