Drop the ‘sparkle’, keep the ‘T’

Former Junior Calypso Monarch, Teri Sparkle T Williams, is hoping to take her career as a calypsonian to the next level under her new name Teri. 

The young calypsonian who reigned at the uncontested 2017 Scotiabank Junior Calypso Monarch, told Barbados TODAY that the time had come to reinvent herself as she graduated out of the kiddies pool and entered into the adult battlegrounds.

Teri, who entered this year’s Pic-O-De-Crop competition with her social commentary Up In Arms, said it was time to say farewell to the young, childlike Sparkle T who participated in the Scotiabank Junior Monarch at the age of 11 when she entered Queens College. 

“I felt like I needed to jump from juniors to seniors and people need to take me seriously. Sparkle T was a little childish in a sense and I wanted to change my name to rebrand and come with a different style this year,” she indicated. 

Teri made the announcement at the cheque presentation ceremony from her sponsors Signia Financial Global and Armstrong Agencies. The 20-year-old University of West Indies St Augustine student who is a member of the Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent said that her songs will feature adult and mature content as well. 

“In juniors, you have to be suitable to the age that you are in and now in Pic-O-De-Crop I’m dealing with more serious issues and I’m a little more forceful than I would have been like when I was in Junior Monarch,” she commented. 

Noting the intensity of the reformatted Pic-O-De-Crop competition with a record number of 96 calypsonians vying for the prize, the young entertainer who has returned to competition after a one-year break, says she will work hard to stand on the finals stage on August 2 at Kensington Oval.

“I’m really going to push this year because I know the big names are going to be coming in and people won’t be really looking in my direction unless I make them, so I’m ready to push in the tents,” she stated. 

Brand manager of Armstrong Agencies Ortiz Williams revealed that Teri has committed to a two-year sponsorship agreement with the local distribution company.

Armstrong Agencies, which has been represented by the likes of Kirk Brown and Edwin Yearwood, was Teri’s sponsor throughout her eight-year participation in the Junior Monarch, after noticing her talent and determination.

“We think of her as a young talent in this art form and so we are looking at developing [her] and seeing where she can take us and by extension, where we can take her,” he said. 

Marketing Manager of Signia Financial Global Samantha Inniss also reiterated their commitment to Teri, saying, “Our overall corporate social responsibility is to support youth development across all the art forms and academics and anything that promotes the upliftment of the youth in Barbados. Once it is positive, we try to go all out to support them.

“What we like about Teri is that she is not only competing for herself but she is doing mentorships and she is writing calypso for the young calypsonians. She is also making sure that she brings up the younger generation.”