~ Event in Carnival Village ~
The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) has 23 calypsonians registered for the Senior Calypso Eliminations and expects a "hot" night of social commentary on Friday, April 1.
The eliminations to determine the 10 calypsonians who will try to dethrone reigning Calypso Monarch Kaiso Brat, will be held at the St. Maarten Festival Village, which turns into Carnival Village for the official period of Carnival.
The eliminations are still considered a pre-Carnival event, but unlike previous years will not be held outside of the Village. According to President of the SCDF Stuart Johnson, the show has outgrown the smaller venues and deserves to be in the Village.
"Carnival doesn’t open until April 25, but we thought that this pre-show, headlined by veteran calypsonians, deserved to be held in the Village. So we are looking forward to the public coming out in full force to support the calypsonians," he said.
Johnson went on to thank the calypsonians who made the final deadline on Monday to submit their music sheets. To accommodate the calypsonians, the SCDF extended the deadline twice for the submission of their sheets.
"We had first indicated March 4, then we extended to March 10, then we extended to March 14. This was to give them ample time to be prepared. We have more than 20 and now practice sessions with the band can commence and the public can wait in high anticipation for the show," Johnson concluded.