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Musical on Calypso Rose a Story to Be Told

NNPA NEWSWIRE — This light-hearted evening of entertainment defies the hyper-produced West End or Broadway experiences of shows like Tina – The Tina Turner Musical or Get Up, Stand Up, and The Bob Marley Musical. Instead, it traces a local route that was first established in 1995 by director and playwright Rhoma Spencer’s Bassman (Shadow), and then in 2003 by Zeno Constance’s The Road Make to Walk (Lord Kitchener).

Published

2 years ago

September 9, 2024

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By New York Carib News

Attendees at the Central Bank Auditorium were captivated by The Queen of the Road: The Calypso Rose Musical, which presented another instance of national theater rooted in the Carnival spirit. Thankfully, this production was better than the numerous instances of poor production quality and “uneven quality” common in Best Village drama.

This light-hearted evening of entertainment defies the hyper-produced West End or Broadway experiences of shows like Tina – The Tina Turner Musical or Get Up, Stand Up, and The Bob Marley Musical. Instead, it traces a local route that was first established in 1995 by director and playwright Rhoma Spencer’s Bassman (Shadow), and then in 2003 by Zeno Constance’s The Road Make to Walk (Lord Kitchener).

The musical had been in the works for some time, and during Spencer’s 2022–2023 artist-in-residence period at the Queer and Trans Research Lab at the University of Toronto, it made considerable progress. As stated on the lab’s webpage, “Spencer had been working since 2019 on a jukebox musical based on the life of queer Caribbean icon and ‘undisputed Calypso Queen of the world,’ Linda McCartha Monica Sandy-Lewis, popularly known as Calypso Rose.” Within the confines of Rose’s little over forty calypsoes, the four-act jukebox musical attempts to expound on Rose’s life, professional advancement, and evolution.

Spencer claims that her favorite model for this show was the Best Village model: “I make no apology for situating (the production) in the original Trinbago Musical Theatre style — Best Village.”

She has said previously that, “The Best Village competition was called ‘illegitimate theatre,’” however, that she “continued to crave the illegitimacy, a feeling that has inspired her whole career.”

Here, the music, dance, actor, and plot all worked well together thanks to excellent staging and directing. Rose’s life narrative, from birth to adulthood, is shown in flashbacks because she was the 2017 recipient of the French Grammy, the Victoire de la Musique award.

The term “light entertainment” used above does not minimize the fact that the musical touches on significant aspects of Rose’s life and work that have lasting relevance. The rural, very religious family with several children is discussed in Act I in terms of family dynamics. To defuse the tension, Rose’s uncle and aunt in Trinidad voluntarily “adopted” her from a family of thirteen brothers and sisters.

Rose’s development is directed and notably stable throughout the musical by her lifetime relationship with her Spiritual Baptist grandmother, both physically and subsequently in spirit. With impressive confidence and skill, young actor Thara Howe plays the preteen Rose. Her outstanding stagecraft manages to upstage everyone, and perhaps she will be seen in many shows.

Act II follows Stacey Sobers’s character, Calypso Rose, as she navigates the misogynistic and frequently anticipated hypersexuality of the calypso society in the late 1960s and early 1970s when her career was just starting to take off. Calypso Rose is a young adult who works in the Original Young Brigade Tent under the leadership of Kearn Samuel.

It cost her dearly that the church, women’s organizations, and the local newspapers of the time called her the “Queen of Slackness” and “Queen of Smut,” despite her musical pushback with wickedly double-entendre calypsoes like Banana and Sweet Pudding Man (1968) and Palet (1969) – the sweetness, and the reciprocal exchange of orality.

During this time, Sparrow and other people questioned her sexuality, asking “why she doesn’t have a man.”

Rose was not a prissy, coy, or weak-willed person at this time. She made a demand because she knew what she wanted. It was worthy of respect.

As an actress, Stacey Sobers is astonishing. She is already well-known for her singing and calypsonian skills; in 2018, she was named the National Women’s Action Committee (NWAC) National Calypso Queen and an NCC Calypso Monarch finalist. She also successfully mimics Rose’s stammer and Tobago accent with her body language.

In 2004, Gordon Rohlehr penned that “Rose’s prolonged wailing mode of delivery, a possible inheritance from her Spiritual Baptist/Shouter roots, has now become the signature style of a significant number of current female soca singers.

The performing style and tone are nearly exact replicas.

In Act II, the Sparrow-Kitchener duo that dominated Calypso at the time is essentially overthrown by Rose’s ascent to prominence with Road March and Calypso Monarch victories in the middle to late 1970s. Not only did she have to negotiate the narrow silo of a Carnival season, but she also faced rising antagonism towards her domination over a considerable number of male calypsonians, which led to jealousy and relocation to better pastures up the islands.

Her relationship with Andy Palacio, Belize, and Garifuna culture—which includes punta—is discussed. It turns out that she had a lucky link to Belize since Ivan Duran, a producer based in Belize, created her 2017 comeback album, Far From Home, which won an award.

The world, and the French in particular, welcome her as she moves toward near calypso immortality in Act IV, which is set in the 2010s and takes place thirty years after Act III. This marks the collapse of the main calypsonians who began their careers in the 1960s and 1970s.

The musical challenges the audience to realize that Rose is more than just Fire in Your Wire by showcasing her extensive body of work. A Caribbean queen, Rose is. One advantage was how simple it was to sing along to a couple of calypsoes. In order to respond with honor, audiences ought to hear the entire canon of our calypsonians. one stride at a time.

Under Michelle Henry’s direction, the musical accompaniment was superb, and the Central Bank Auditorium was transformed into a fitting calypso tent without any startling volume changes. The musical’s technical aspects were handled deftly, demonstrating progress over concerns that were noted on opening night.

The stage blocking and movement, which extended up and down and into the auditorium aisles, along with the set design, which featured projection screens to establish Rose’s homes in Trinidad and Tobago as well as the larger school area, the yard, the Original Young Brigade calypso tent, and performance stages in France and Coachella Festival, lifted the musical above the recollections of the basic folk theater of the past.

The two leads played by Rose received well-deserved applause.

To improve the quality of singing, which is essential for any musical, and to work out production problems, this play may and should be workshopped. Assuming that this is a tale that has to be discovered by everybody, local validation is safe.

Because it searches beyond itself for approval and economic development, Queen of the Road: The Calypso Rose Musical is a good illustration of the calypso musical style and quality that can eventually become commonplace in our creative industries.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

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2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

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2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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