Tennicia does it again!
‘SOME PEOPLE still evading tax, I don’t know, I don’t know; De scanner pon de wharf, will they put it back, I don’t know I don’t know; Poor Manniram has lost his seat, APNU still vex with de PSC, Granger still want de Presidency, and GECOM boss knocking glass with Jerry.’ With her skilful delivery of the witty calypso, “Rumours: I don’t know”, Tennicia De Freitas dethroned defending champion, Diana Chapman and became the 2012 Calypso Monarch last Saturday night at the Mackenzie Sports Ground.
A self-described “Tomboy”, Tennicia has been in the game a long time. Living with an aunt in Berbice, Tennicia’s cousin, who loved music, would play a variety of songs every day. One song, a gospel track titled “God is Mending”, struck a chord with Tennicia. The song spoke about persons who think they can do it all on their own, and when things go wrong they don’t know what to do.  She decided to sing the song for Father’s Day in her church, the God’s Battalion New Testament Church in Kuru Kururu. Everyone enjoyed the song and called for an encore. Tennicia says she just couldn’t believe she could do that.
One of the youth leaders decided to sign her for a teen talent competition among the district churches. That was the first competition she won. Soon after, she entered a competition hosted by Kross Kolor Records, and though she didn’t win, Burchmore Simon, owner and CEO of that recording studio, saw potential in her and wanted to speak to her mother.
Only 14 at the time, Tennicia was surprised when her mom agreed. Soon after, she recorded her first song, “You like the Way”, a soca song that was in the “Wine till you drop” album, an annual Kross Kolor release. In 2006, she first entered the Calypso genre in the Children’s Mashramani Competition. She indicated her interest to her Head Teacher at Christ Church Secondary, and got her approval. Probably the first person from the school to enter the competition, Tennicia went on to win her first calypso competition with a song titled “Honesty”, written by Birchmore Simon. She repeated this feat for the following two years.
She continued to place first priority on her studies, though, until after she graduated in 2008.
When she graduated, Simon decided she should continue singing calypso, and she was entered in the junior segment of the competition. The artiste notes she is a fast learner and has a flash memory. Once she gets the sound of a piece, the performance falls into place.
Placing  third in the first Junior Calypso competition in 2009; first place, with “I don’t want to be born” in  2010; second place in 2011 with “Can’t take it no more”; and winning this year, Tennicia says “You got to live your  performance. Once you get the feeling of the song, the emotion comes afterwards.”
Her win qualified her for automatic entrance into the senior competition, and the semi-final is at Wales Ground on February 11. Though a lot of people only know her for calypso, Tennicia notes, she also performs R&B and Reggae.
Once Mashramani is over, we’ll see more of “the versatile me,” Tennicia promises. She has some videos coming out. Follow Tennicia’s work on Facebook and Twitter.