VIRGINIA BEACH: Many people, who have only begun to pay attention to Grenada’s calypsos since Tallpree’s Old Woman, would hardly know that the island’s most celebrated performer is not either Tallpree or Super P, who followed his footsteps with Peeping. Around St George’s, the only calypsonian who comes to genuine royalty is Ajamu, whose real name is Edson Mitchell. Ajamu has not had the regional impact or the Trinidad success has had Tallpree or Super P in recent times, or did Black Wizard for a brief period at the turn of the 80s. He has hardly made it there for carnival there, opting to performing on the overseas carnival circuit and at special festivals. Ajamu started out as a calypsonian 20 years ago – and in 2000 moved his entire studio and song-writing operations to Virginia Beach where he now resides with his family. He has won the Grenada calypso crown more than anybody alive or dead – a whopping seven times – and has added soca monarch and road march titles for good measure. He once performed in the International Soca Monarch competition in Trinidad, and though not selected for the final round of the competition, band leader Roy Cape said his Own the Road Again was the sweetest song they played all season. Beyond that Ajamu is the calysponian’s calypsonian –described by the likes of Sparrow, Rose and Gabby as a very special talent and one of the region’s best. This year Ajamu is expecting to finally conquer the Trinidad audience with a full season singing with the tents there this carnival season. He is lined up with the Calypso Revue Tent which opens for the season this weekend, and will sing alongside the likes of Sugar Aloes and Cro Cro. Ajamu is expected to sing songs from his latest album Taking My Time. It is not immediately clear which songs he will be doing in the tents in Trinidad, but Playing For Time, which helped him place fourth in the Grenada Calypso Monarch in August is expected to be among them. Queen of the Island has also been receiving extended airplay on Caribbean stations in North America. SOURCE: CARIUPDATE.COM