Chef, housewife win Indian Classical and Chutney titles

Ramesh Basdeo and Kamaldai Ramkissoon respectively, are the winners of the Independence Classical and inaugural Chutney Singing Competitions.

Both winners, who filled the top two positions in each competition, collected $25,000 each as the top prize at the finals at the Passage to Asia Restaurant, Chaguanas, on Saturday.

The competition kicked off around 7 pm with ten finalists participating in the classical singing round. Each contestant had to deliver two local Indian Classical songs using traditional instruments. The Traditional Chutney Singing round started at 10.30 pm. Each contestant in this category had to sing one chutney song using Bhojpuri or a blend of Bhojpuri and English.

In the end, Ramkissoon, 50, a resident of Caparo, took home the top prize in the Chutney category, edging out Basdeo, with Angely Rajkumar finishing third.

Ramkisson, a mother of two and grandmother of three, said she started singing at the Caparo Hindu Temple when she was seven years old.

“Winning this competition in the Traditional Chutney Category makes me very happy and grateful. I feel I can make a difference in the Traditional Chutney genre, I want to show everyone that traditional chutney can be just as entertaining and modern chutney music,” the housewife said.

“I sang Piya Lage, which was one of the songs handed down and was being sung for decades. I remember hearing Polly Sookraj sing Piya Lage so many years ago. For the last year and a half I have been singing Indian Classical music, I am grateful for placing.”

In the classical round, she sang a Dhupad and Thumri.

Basdeo, 49, a chef and Arima resident, who beat Ramkissoon for the top Indian Classical prize, said, “My hard work and dedication towards Indian Classical Music over the years has paid off and it was pleasure to be a winner and I hope to win both categories next year as I continue to grow.”

For the classical rounds, he sang a Thumre and Krishan Bhajan in shair style, and sang Raam Sili Tayri Akahiye as his chutney selection. The chutney was written by the late Jameer Hosein, who was also Basdeo’s ustad or trainer. Basdeo’s father was the late Boyie Basdeo, a classical singer from Palmiste in central Trinidad. His son Shivanand Basdeo accompanied him on the drums.

Winners

Traditional Chutney

Kamaldai Ramkissoon

Ramesh Basdeo

Angely Rajkumar

Indian Classical singing

Ramesh Basdeo

Kamaldai Ramkissoon

Manmohan Gosyne

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