By: Precious Mills
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 9th December 2021) — Well-known veteran calypsonian Jacqueline ‘Singing Jackie’ Leader is of the view that “we are not in a thing together here” as it relates to a general policy which does not allow the participation of the unvaccinated in the Senior Calypso Monarch Competition for Sugar Mas 50.
Appearing on Freedom FM’s ‘Island Riddims’ with host Maurice ‘EK’ Flanders aired on Monday 6th December 2021, she voiced her concerns as an entertainer who has been involved in the calypso arena since the 1970s as a teenager, praising the art form for helping her “to get away from the bullying that I got in school.” Other unvaccinated calypsonians Big Lice, Glenroy Blanchette, Phonsie and Lady Composer were also in the Freedom FM studio sharing their concerns.
“I catch a plane come up here to hear that I can’t sing; somebody who has been in this thing, and you all telling me bout in dis thing together? We are not in a thing together here!” she expressed. Leader, who resides overseas where she is employed as a history teacher, had made special arrangements with her job to come back specifically for the competition.
“I made sure that I follow all the protocols. So I made the arrangement after getting the go ahead that unvaxxed would be allowed to take part so I booked my flight, the hotel. I don’t mind all the protocols that they asked for. It costs money, and then after I’ve done all of that I got a message saying we want to know if you’re vaxxed or unvaxxed,” she recounted. She noted that calypsonians had signed a contract which included no stipulations regarding vaccination status.
Recalling being bullied as a child, she linked calypso’s positive impact in her life: “Calypso took me out of depression as a child. I used to be bullied in school because of my relatives. You know what took me out of that? Calypso! That’s how I started writing — looking at other people’s problems and burying mine. Calypso did that for me. That is how I started to get away from the bullying that I got in school. And then you going come tell me a new massa is here telling us we can’t sing?!”