Calypsonian Ozie Blue is the first winner for the 2023 Montserrat Carnival Season with the release of his new calypso.
On Tuesday, the Montserrat Arts Council (MAC) announced that Oswald “Ozie Blue” Carty has released Drums of Freedom, which was composed, written, and arranged by Everton “Reality” Weekes, with background vocals done by Dionne Welch.
“As part of an initiative by the Montserrat Arts Council (MAC) to increase song interaction ahead of the competition, a prize of $500 EC will be awarded to Carty. Carty also won this prize when competition first started in 2022, with the song “Sixty”.
Chairman of the Calypso Committee Theodore Phillip says the award serves as a motivation for calypsonians to compose and release their songs more than one month ahead of the competition. “By doing this, it allows for the audience to familiarize themselves with the songs which in turn can result in better support come competition night.”
This year, calypsonians can win close to $10,000 in special prizes for the three-rounds of the competition which will culminate with the top nine going against reigning monarch, Keithroy “The Voice” Morson.
Calypso Eliminations 2023 is scheduled for Saturday December 9th.
Montserrat’s Carnival is slated to run from December 16, 2023 to January 2, 2024.
