NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (December 10, 2022)- Shante Hendrickson, singing as ‘Princess Neveah’, created history on Friday evening, December 10, 2022, when she became the first female to capture the crown in the FLOW 2022-2023 National Junior Calypso Monarch Competition.
Hendrickson, a 16-year-old student of the Gingerland Secondary School in Nevis, delivered a hard-hitting calypso “I’m Confused” to amass a crown-winning 227 points. Princess Neveah, who made her debut in the Junior Calypso competition when she was nine years old, went on to capture several crowns and is the reigning Nevis Culturama Festival Junior Kaiso Monarch 2022.
Hon, Eric Evelyn, Minister of Youth and Culture in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) and Area Representative for St. George, Gingerland, registered heartfelt congratulations to the young Queen on her achievement.
“This is certainly a very proud moment for Nevis making history at the National Carnival last evening in St. Kitts, when our very own from Nevis, Shante Hendrickson, ‘Princess Neveah’, was crowned National Junior Calypso Monarch, the first female to accomplish this.
“Princess Neveah has been competing here on Nevis for quite some time. She has grown well and has been excelling in the calypso arena. As the Minister of Culture on Nevis and as the Area Representative, because she is from the parish of St. George, I am so very, very proud of her and of course her parents as well, because they have been there encouraging and supporting her all the way. And so Princess Neveah, heartiest congratulations from all of us in Gingerland and from all of us in Nevis. We are all so very proud of you. Continue to do well.”
The Culture Minister also extended congratulations to First runner-up, Terron “Invincible” Webbe, who previously held the title. He earned 221 points for his rendition “Fake Profiles”. This was Invincible’s last appearance in the Junior Competition; he has won eight titles- five consecutive crowns in the National Carnival Junior Calypso Competition and three consecutive crowns in the Nevis Culturama Junior Kaiso Contest. The 17-year-old is a student at the Nevis Sixth Form College.
Also coming in for congratulations was Dequon Hendrickson, a 13-year-old student of the Gingerland Secondary School. He amassed 212 points for “Mommy Cry” to place 2nd runner-up.
The other participants in the FLOW 2022-2023 National Junior Calypso Monarch Competition were 10-year-old Alieijah ‘Princess Kali’ Hendrickson of the Joycelyn Liburd Primary School; 17-year-old Marques ‘Mighty Jay’ Washington, a recent graduate of the Gingerland Secondary School; and Quincy ‘Mighty QJ’ Isaac, a 12-year-old student of the Charlestown Secondary School.
Minister Evelyn said it was a major coup for Nevis to sweep the top positions in the FLOW 2022-2023 National Junior Calypso Monarch Competition, but also because all of this year’s participants hailed from Nevis.
The judging criteria for the competition were Lyrics- 40 points, Music- 30 points, and Performance- 30 points. The show, hosted by Chris “Moonlight” Roberts, was held at the Circus in the heart of downtown Basseterre before a large and captive audience.
Irvin Sweeney, known in the local calypso circle as King Sweeney, adopted the Junior Calypso Monarch Competition for the next three years. King Sweeney provided the Youth Calypso Monarch trophies and a cash award of EC $1000 for the winner, $550 for the first runner-up, and $423 for the second runner-up.