Yes, Yes, Yes, the Bag did it again ( visualize Christa doing the dance of joy and wukking up).

FINALS REVIEW:

10th place (377 points) - Colin Spencer: This placing surprised me a bit . Colin always has a smooth delivery and great rendition and Friday night didn't seem to be any exception. His lyrics are also sound, so I don't see how he would have lost ground there.

9th place (382.5 points) - TC: "Gimme A Ruler", while very philosphical in theme and approach was just not appealing to the ear. It was one of those songs that you just tolerate. There were shades of opera in her rendition. I just love "Hot Sun and Riddim" and the new arrangement for Finals night was just right. However, TC's rendition was not as crystal clear as usual. One of these days everything will click for her on Finals night and she will finally be Calypso Monarch (she has already put the Soca and Party Monarch titles under her belt this year).

8th place (384 points) Hee Haw - Mr. Haw was good on Finals night. He didn't let the big stage faze him. His video presentation was too long. His presentation with the American preacher was tiresome and added little to "Black Man Struggle". Another long presentation had me yawning before he launched into "Ain't Fooling Around."

7th place (387.5 points) Bumba - His first song "The End justifies the Means" was well delivered but Bumba was never seriously going to be in the runnings. He sang "Yes We Can" with all the usual Bumba passion and clear diction. The lyrics of the song were not weighty enough to merit him a higher place. Was that the same jacket he wore in his Semi Finals appearance?

6th place (395.5 points) Adrian Clarke - I think that AC did himself a disservice by releasing his materail so late in the game. Yes, the surprise element can work but there is a lot to be said for allowing a song to grow on the public. And on the judges, who are members of the public and do not actually live in a little bubble without radio and tv.

I found the melody to Jungle Life to be at odds with the theme of the song. If life is a jungle with all the inherent struggles and fighthing for supremacy that implies, why the idyllic "jungle" music that made it seem as if life were a pleasant stroll in a flowering, Disney like jungle where one would cast admiring glances at the different species of non- threatening wildlife? "Put Out" was classic Adrian. Sharp suit and cane, good delivery. But not enough this year.

5th place (397 points) Sheldon Hope - He sings well and as a former judge knows what he has to do to make the Finals. But, his songs just seem like so much "Barbados Song Contest" rather than Calypso competetion. I have a problem with "Last Days". If we are living in the Last Days why does the chorus state that the Last Days are not "too far behind"?

4th place (398 points) Sir Ruel - Well, I said it at the semis and I said it at the Finals. This boy is going to beat big, hard backed calypsonians. And he did. "Ready for the Monarchy" was superb. He had the stage presence to back the lyrics. "What is a Calypsonian" was another sound offering. One day we will call him King Ruel.

3rd place (404.5 points) Blood - Blood cannot be faulted for his diction, use of stage, charisma. He really comes across as the consumate calysponian and uses his years as lead singer with Square One to good effect. I loved the video presntation in "The Long Haul". Simple, effective, touching in the memories it evoked of Blood's passage from "Young Blood" to Blood. Excellent delivery in both of his songs. The only thing Blood lacks is killer instinct. He needs to turn a little of that smoothness into hunger for the crown.

2nd place (405.5 points) John King - John was solid as a rock with "My Caribbean". The only problem was that the theme has been overworked and he really added nothing new to the existing treatment of the topic. The melody of the song is lovely. "Heaven" was pure heaven. Excellent delivery and outstanding pan arrangement.
A very musical offering.

RPB: He delivered "Home Drums" well. The song is so wordy that one mistake could have proved fatal. But Bag did not slip. I thought he would have been beating a drum more or simulating this but that could well have proved distracting and was probably best left avoided. "Something is happening" was truly spectacular. I have never seen the Bag enjoy himself so much on a Finals stage. The presentation, dancers, rendition were all spot on. The imagery in that song is fantastic. There is an economy of word but those which are used are used to good effect. Students of English take note.