Gypsy

The story so far.

Written and edited by Smokiller

Gypsy is the calypso name of Winston Peters, a veteran calypsonian who has also served as a government minister and as chairman of the National Carnival Commission. He was crowned Calypso Monarch in 1997, and his winning song "Little Black Boy" is still described by the Trinidad Guardian as one of the most powerful social commentary calypsoes to come out of Carnival. He is also a former holder of the National Extempo title, and his competition performances often include improvised lines. Years after his win he returned to the Calypso Fiesta semi-finals, where he faced jeers and rolls of toilet paper from the crowd yet turned the mood around with "Too Many", a song about negative attitudes in society, and qualified for the final. His later decision to enter the Calypso Monarch and Extempo contests while chairing the NCC drew a Guardian editorial calling for him to withdraw. An earlier favourite, "The Sinking Ship", dates from 1986.