by WENDY BURKE

MORE JUNIOR calypsonians are taking to the stage this year.

The National Cultural Foundation's (NCF) officer for music, Ronald Davis, who is also co-ordinator of the Junior Calypso Monarch competition, said at the primary school level there was a 40 per cent increase and at the secondary, a 15 per cent increase.

The competition usually starts with about 20 children, ranging from ages eight to 18 and by the semi-final and finals stage, the number is cut to ten.

Davis said the foundation had been staging workshops since April 8 and they were continuing on Saturdays at the Barbados Union of Teachers' headquarters in Merryhill, Welches, St Michael.

"We have had past monarch Keisha Christian come by to speak with the children, Kellie Cadogan who is a voice coach, and there was also a panel discussion on The Total Performer, which Joy Knight-Lynch, Stedson Wiltshire and Mark Husbands sat on," he said.

He added that cultural officers such as dance officer Ian Douglas, performing arts officer Kofi Akobi and himself spoke on the importance of theatrics in performance.

Davis said while some of the youngsters were still working on putting together their material, they were receiving assistance from Anthony Sargeant and Wayne Willock, along with veteran calypsonians such as Mighty Gabby who wrote for some of them.

When asked about the absence of some of these youngsters from the calypso arena after the junior competition, Davis said there was a lull and it was because the children's energies were being focused on things of paramount importance.

"The issue then is academics and they are refocused after the competition on their school work. The children are guided to a greater extent by what their parents want them to do. On reaching age 20 or so they make their own decisions and some return to calypso," he said.