New Vincy Calypso Monarch Chanique Bailey headlines Vincy Day USA picnic on Long Island
Thousands of Vincentians gathered at Heckscher State Park, where the new consul general urged the diaspora to come home for the 50th Vincy Mas in 2027.
NEW YORK, United States. Newly crowned St Vincent and the Grenadines Calypso Monarch Chanique Bailey headlined the Vincy Day USA Picnic at Heckscher State Park in East Islip, Long Island, on Saturday 15 August.
Bailey, a newcomer to calypso, won the crown on 5 July at Independence Park in Kingstown, during the grand finale of the Vincy Mas Calypso Competition, with “Lift Me Up”, becoming the first calypsonian from the Brooklyn-based Dynamite Calypso Tent, the only Vincentian tent in North America, to take the title.
She defeated several former monarchs and veteran calypsonians, including defending monarch Raeon “Madzart” Primus.
Bailey co-owns the Brooklyn-based Magma Band with her Vincentian-born husband, arranger and producer Adrian Bailey, which backed the day’s performers.
“It was a great feeling, great performing before the crowd,” she told Caribbean Life. “Everybody wants to know what I have for next year.”
A packed bill
Other performers included former monarch De Man Age, Rejector, Scorcher, Curtis C, Lively, Fusion, Shanny D, Stamina Smurf, Prezzi Don, Zoelah, Marlo, Blama, Man Kemmy and Skarpyon, who drove the crowd wild with “Hammer”.
Thousands of Vincentians from across the United States, joined by other Caribbean nationals from as far as Canada, attended.
Road to 50
Newly appointed Consul General Roland “Patel” Matthews gave his first address at the picnic, welcoming a delegation from home including Culture Minister Kaschaka Cupid.
He invited critics of the event to join the planning process. “Constructive participation is the bridge between where we are and where we want to be,” he said.
Matthews heralded the start of the countdown to the 50th anniversary of Vincy Mas moving from the pre-Lenten season to June and July, which he said was expected to be the largest cultural homecoming in the nation’s history.
“I am encouraging every Vincentian in the Diaspora to start planning your journey home for 2027,” he said.
Garry “Tunka” Edwards, spokesperson for Vincy Day USA, said the picnic was “the largest gathering outside of SVG”.
