Calypsonian Isoursop Receives Award
Nevis’ 37th annual festival, Culturama, has opened doors for local calypsonian, Mr. Calvin “Isoursop” Johnson.
This is according to Johnson’s manager, Mr. Vernon Springer, who spoke on Johnson’s behalf at last Saturday’s Culturama Prize Giving Ceremony.
“We want to say how pleased we are and we want to say thanks to Culturama because [as a result of] performing in the 2010 Culturama Calypso Finals, the song “Crossroads” has now been turned into a video which is now being seen on Tempo,” Mr. Springer said, adding that it was the island’s “first ever calypso video.”
The song “Crossroads” as performed at the Nevis Cultural Complex in 2010 in front an appreciative crowd, addressed social ills within the twin island Federation of St. Kitts-Nevis.
Following Springer’s expression of thanks to the Culturama Committee, he and Johnson, on behalf of the Isoursop Making a Difference Foundation, made a monetary donation to the Nevis Renal Society.
The initiative, as outlined by Manager Springer, formed part of the calypsonian’s humanitarian efforts which became evident following his victory in the 2009 Senior Kaiso Contest.
“In 2009, we would’ve won the crown here in Nevis and we decided that we’re gonna give back in a very big way to Nevis,” Mr. Springer explained.
Among the contributions made, thus far, under the Isoursop Making a Difference Foundation were donations to Pink Lily Breast Cancer Care and the Nevis Blind Light and Visually Impaired Society and the hosting of a Youth Calypso Workshop.
“In 2011, we have decided to make another contribution out of our winnings for Culturama 2011,” Mr. Springer said as he announced that the Nevis Renal Society was the recipient of the foundation’s most recent donation.
“When we went through all of the analysis of all of the organisations, we thought that it was very very important at this time, through our foundation, to support the society,” Springer said.
Isoursop captured the first runner-up award in this year’s Senior Kaiso Contest on July 29.