THE STRAY CATS Calypso tent has been hard at work for their 2019 opening date this Sunday at the Town Hall of the Crane Hotel, St Philip.
An upbeat Jerry Roberts, manager of the tent, said that there was practice on Monday night, with a few other sessions coming up to meet the 8 p.m. opening.
Roberts also said the tent would be seeing calypsonian Ayana John do double duty with the mic as emcee.
“Ayana John is going to be the best emcee. She started out with the Stray Cats, but in a couple of years [they] would be asking her to emcee the finals. So I am putting them on notice that she started with the Cats,” warned Roberts.
He also said that several people who started with his tent came back to help him out.
“Like Holla Bak, he started with me and he holla, ‘Jerry, I gwine come’. We have Apache and De Doctor, two semi-finalists from last year. After Stray Cats did so well, they are bringing in Enobong who is a three-time finalists and we also got Sammi Jane singing Pic-O-De-Crop,” said Roberts.
There will also be newcomers in Shane and Jewell.
Shane, who will be judging for Pic-o-De-Crop, was recommended by Richard Stoute.
Roberts will also be doing his one-man band act for fans who heard about it, but never saw it in action. But the tent band will be there for all other calypsonians.
Those also going before the Pic-O-De-Crop judges are De Doctor, Apache, Glenda King, Shane, Sammi Jane, Enobong, Bianaca Jaguar, and Black Eagle. Chorus who got a good response last year for Up Down, Up Down will be doing Make It Clap and Billboard.
Party artiste Kadaffi, a faithful supporter of the tent, will also be appearing.
The other scheduled tent nights are July 7 and 13 at Divi Southwinds and judging will be back at the Crane on July 18. (JS)
