Dec. 20, 2004 – Calypsonians vying for the title of Crucian Christmas Festival Calypso King Friday night had only one shot to guarantee themselves a slot in the finals, so they had to come with their best to win over the crowd and the judges. At the end of the night, Morris "King Generic" Benjamin took top honors. He and nine others got the judges' approval to move on to the final round and face the reigning Calypso Monarch "Mighty John" for the title on Jan. 5.
The songs were laced with the usual social commentary, humorous political satire and tales of everyday challenges of life in the Virgin Islands. The Calypso eliminations at Midland Nightclub saw seasoned entertainers matching their wit and skill against previously untested songsters. Throughout the night the singers' lyrics managed to send the enthusiastic crowd into fits of laughter.
Often the laughter came from recognizing the truth in the lines like when Malushua " T. Lady Spice" Parker sang about the abundance of potholes in the roads or James "P. G. Monarch" Wakefield referred to certain politicians as vampires. Other popular subjects were crime and violence, the recent Senatorial elections and gas prices.
Eighteen hopefuls competed in the preliminary round. The finals will be held at Frederiksted's Paul E. Joseph Stadium.
Multi-year calypso crown winner Samuel "Mighty Pat" Ferdinand, was noticeably absent from the field of competitors. Ferdinand reluctantly surrendered his crown to 18-year-old "Mighty John" Williams in last year's competition. Veteran singer Campbell "King Kan Fu Plentae" Barnes, who captured the second runner-up position in 2003 did not make the final cut in Friday's preliminaries. (See "At 18, New Calypso King Has Wealth Of Experience").
Here is the list of competitors and their rankings as a result of the eliminations:
1. Morris "King Generic" Benjamin
2. Peter "King Paul" Polius
3. Lariel "The Teacher" Gerard
4. Malushua "T. Lady Spice" Parker
5. Debra "Sugar D" Nurse
6. Allan "King Herring" Clarke
7. Kasaun "K-Force" Baptiste
8. James "P. G. Monarch" Wakefield
9. Gemma "Gemma" Noel
10. Karen "Lay Mac" McIntosh
Other singers included:
Campbell " King Kan Fu Plentae" Barnes
Joseph "Joey B" Brown
Emanuel "Prince Emanuel" Henry
King Maltuba
Stephen "The Man Feel Free" Mariat
Ann "Lady Ann" Sorhaindo
John " Cheech Man" Warner
Llewelyn "Llewelyn" Westerman