Shontell Gittens took over with her ‘Chinese’ calypso

“Who taking over, Chinese

Big business in Guyana, Chinese

Cellphones and your TV, Chinese

Everything now in the country, Chinese

The clothing you wear, Chinese

Women check out your false hair, Chinese

Ayo look at me, I am an Afro-Chinese”

 

It was third time lucky for 2014 Junior Calypso Monarch Shontell Gittens, who had previously entered the competition in 2012 and 2013.

Shontell, who comes from a family of singers, told The Scene in an interview this week that her winning calypso “Chinese Taking Over” was written by Roger ‘Young Bill Rogers’ Hinds. Shontell said she went for it because she wanted to “switch it up” this year. “I looked and analysed what was going on in today’s society like all Calypsonians do. But I didn’t want to sing the songs we hear every year about domestic violence, teenage pregnancy and HIV/AIDS; these are still relevant but I wanted to switch it up and sing about the Chinese. That is really the talk of the town,” she said.

20140301shontellThe monarch wanted to sing something she knew of personally too, but this had its repercussions. Shontell was working with some Chinese merchants in a Regent Street store and had been there for a few months. But after she entered the Junior Calypso competition, she was unceremoniously fired from the job. She was not given a valid reason for her dismissal and questioned if it was because of the message of the lyrics.

But now Shontell said, “They did me a favour”. She won the junior monarchy and the $200,000 cash prize that goes with it, national recognition and a title she holds for the next year.

She expressed that this year she entered because of her confidence that God would grant her the favour of winning the monarchy. On the night of the competition, she stepped onto the stage of the National Cultural Centre as one of the first competitors, shaking nervously in her shoes and wishing her performance to be over as quickly as possible.

She said that everyone feels nervous, it doesn’t matter how many times you compete or step on a stage – the anxiety overwhelms when you think about your chances of winning.

For winning the junior competition, Shontell was automatically qualified to compete in the Senior Calypso competition which was held at Banks DIH’s Demerara Park on February 14. Although, she did not place she still went home happy with $20,000 participation fee.

Shontell recalls that her calypso had the Demerara Park audience bellowing with laughter as she sang:

“This country of my birth.

I am a born Guyanese but like we taking over now by Chinese.

Big business all over the country: a restaurant, a store, a grocery

Most things in your house, check – Made in China.

Mass productions taking over Guyana,

Soon you might see names like Sulunglung, Chung Young, Chang Wang or LouLi.

Next elections you would see a Chinese presidency…

 

“Who taking over, Chinese

Big business in Guyana, Chinese

Cellphones and your TV, Chinese

Everything now in the country, Chinese

The clothing you wear, Chinese

Women check out your false hair, Chinese

Ayo look at me, I am an Afro-Chinese”

 

What was special about her performance and what set her apart from the other competitors at the junior calypso competition was that she came out of the crowd in the audience wearing Chinese traditional clothing. She was surrounded by an entourage of close friends and family who gyrated around her, portraying a Chinese festival. They followed her on stage where she performed her song to the enjoyment of the audience who cheered.

Shontelle comes from a family of singers. She grew up listening to her mother, Pamela Gittens, singing Jazz, Soul and Reggae. Shontell often attended her mother’s shows at the Sidewalk Café and she describes her mother as a woman with an inspirational voice.

Her brothers, Levar (Ahzula) and Jamal (G Money) Gittens, are both soca singers and were both semifinalists in this year’s Carib Soca Monarch Competition. In addition, Ahzula, G Money, their cousin and a few friends are the composers and singers of “Everywhere the Dangles Deh”, a dancehall song that was made quite popular a few months ago by teenagers and other dancehall enthusiasts.

Shontell revealed that she never really liked calypso prior to 2012. After her brother and his friends introduced her to calypso, she began practicing a song and they pushed her to join the junior competition. She became hooked and self-motivated to win the title one day. Over the past years she has been training harder and harder and now she finally has the crown to show Guyana that after all the years of working hard, one of her dreams is now a reality.

Shontell said she wants to continue singing calypso and she might even venture into other genres; Soca for example. She revealed that some people have already started to encourage her to enter the 2015 Soca Monarch Competition.

Asked to express her thoughts on the future of calypso, Shontell said some people may think it is boring but that’s because they do not take the time to listen to the music. “Calypso is energising,” she said. “It’s real and it’s our culture.”

She does not believe calypso is dying since other competitors are strengthening the genre and getting better every year. According to Shontell, audiences are now cheering for everyone and even singing along. “People are getting to like calypso and so the music should be played more and the competitors should be given more opportunities to express this beautiful art form,” she said.

Shontell was also a past beauty queen. She had won the Miss North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary School title when she was in Form 3 and in 2008, she was crowned Miss East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme.

Shontell is currently a student at the IDCE (Institute of Distance and Continuing Education) majoring in the English Language Programme. Afterwards, she plans on continuing studies at the University of Guyana with the ambition of landing a good job (hopefully at not another Chinese store) and to continue singing what is on her mind. The Junior Calypso Monarch hopes that one day she can be inspirational in society and be a role model to the youths through her music and values.