One of the Caribbean’s most anticipated annual calypso competitions is gearing up for its climactic final round, after 18 competing artists locked in their official performance order during a public drawing event held this past Saturday. The Courtesy Garage Pic-O-De-Crop Finals, sponsored by Q100.7 FM, will take place on July 31 at Barbados’ iconic National Botanical Gardens, where competitors will go head-to-head for the coveted title of calypso monarch and a luxurious grand prize.
Securing the much-discussed first performance slot is Quon, a former Pic-O-De-Crop champion. This marks the third time in the competition’s history that Quon has drawn the opening position, and the seasoned artist has expressed nothing but confidence in the placement. Rather than seeing the lead-off spot as a disadvantage, Quon framed it as a unique opportunity to set a high bar and an engaging tone for the entire evening of competitive performances. Following Quon in the lineup will be J. Diamond in second place and Raheem in third.
Claiming the fourth position is this year’s defending champion Mr. Blood, who will take the stage early in the night as he fights to retain his title and secure back-to-back calypso supremacy. The middle stretch of the performance order brings together a diverse mix of established and rising talent: Queen T takes the fifth slot, with Tae in sixth, Skung Yung in seventh, Niqa in eighth, iWeb in ninth, and Sir Ruel rounding out the first half of the lineup at tenth.
The final seven positions close out the competitive lineup: Colin Spencer performs eleventh, followed by Chrystal at twelfth, Kid Site at thirteenth, Adrian Clarke at fourteenth, Yahandje at fifteenth, Billboard at sixteenth, Jamal Slocombe at seventeenth, and De Announcer closing the entire competition in the eighteenth and final spot.
Beyond the prestige of claiming the calypso crown, the 2024 winner will walk away with a life-changing grand prize: a brand-new EMKOO GX SUV, valued at over $116,000. Festival organizers behind the event shared that public excitement for this year’s finals has reached impressive heights, with fans already buzzing over the depth of talent that has advanced to the final round. Confident in the newly drawn performance order, organizers noted that the sequencing of competitors is designed to hold audience attention and deliver dynamic entertainment from the first opening note to the final closing performance.