Onikha Joseph, the Calypso Queen
The sensational Onikha Joseph.
The sensational Onikha Joseph.

First-time Calypsonian knew that she would win

NEWCOMER Onikha Joseph who graced the stage at the National Park on February 16 and emerged as the winner of the 2018 Mashramani Calypso Monarch competition said she was not surprised at all by her win.

The private school co-founder and teacher told The Buzz that although she did not underestimate any of her competitors, she had the confidence in herself from the onset.

Onikha Joseph and co-founder Karim Trotman of Academic Advancement Centre.

Joseph said she knew what would have placed in that competition and went on stage and performed at her best and it paid off for her.

She is not new to the stage but it is her first time singing Calypso and she was told it was unusual for a first-timer to win but she is simply elated.

Joseph is a teacher at Academic Advancement Centre located on Carmichael Street and she and co-founder Karim Trotman provide after-school lessons for school children from 15:30hrs to 17:30hrs from Monday to Friday.

The 42-year-old is originally from Hopetown but has resided in the city for the past eight years. She was encouraged to sign up for the competition by Kross Kolor Recording Studio owners Burchmore Simon and Melissa Roberts better known as “Vanilla”.

She related that when she was approached by the duo, she accepted and they motivated her to participate in the 2018 Mashramani Calypso Monarch competition even though she was not into singing calypso.

New perspective
Joseph said she grew up singing in church like most of her family members and she never really liked the idea of being on stage, but since winning, her perspective has since changed.

The song which was penned by Kross Kolor Records titled “Woman is boss” was the clear winner after Joseph’s performance.

She told The Buzz that when she first heard the song last October,she liked it and she had enough time to get familiar with the words and to perfect the song.

Joseph said the song made her feel good on stage and she was happy that she proved some people wrong by walking away as the winner.

She was also pleasantly surprised by just how many people supported her on the night of the competition when she took the stage.

“I came from a family of singers, many of whom do not wish to sing on stage and chose to remain in the comfort of their homes but they all have beautiful voices that were meant for the stage,” she said.

In 1997 and 1978 Joseph participated in the national ‘In Search of a Star’ competition where she won both times. She also grew up singing in church in her hometown of Hopetown, West Coast Berbice.

She told the Buzz that her brother Mortley Joseph competed in the Ministry of Education Children’s Competition and he won some years ago as a child.

Joseph, a mother of two added that her mother has a lovely voice as well but she is too shy to perform. Her grandmother and her uncles were also singers- one of her uncles was known as “Wildfire” and a fierce Calypsonian.

She related that his son, Abdalla Benjamin won three times in similar calypso competitions in succession while her uncle’s dad had some popular songs such as “From whence we came”, “Warning Bells”, “Two-legged Dog” and “Johnny and Joy”.

This humble, family-oriented Joseph told The Buzz that she will defend her crown in 2019 and based on the reactions she has since she won, she is very pleased, adding that the experience has been a “good one”.

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