From Montserrat Runways To Calypso Crowns: Terry Lyons On Grit, Culture, And Craft;

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In this powerful and deeply personal episode of The Corie Sheppard Podcast, we sit with Terri Lyons — Calypso Monarch, Queen of Queens, performer, and cultural torchbearer — for an expansive conversation on calypso, resilience, legacy, and Caribbean identity.

Terri unpacks what it truly means to represent Trinidad & Tobago on regional stages such as Montserrat and Carifesta, the responsibility that comes with being crowned Queen of Queens, and why claims that calypso is dying completely miss the point. She reflects on commanding performances, crowd connection, and the discipline behind her powerful stage presence.

The conversation moves into Terri’s early life in Port of Spain and Laventille, growing up without financial security, navigating loss and trauma, and how those experiences shaped her resilience, creative drive, and refusal to be boxed in by industry expectations. She speaks candidly about motherhood, survival, financial discipline, and staying authentic in a challenging music landscape.

We also explore:

• The craft and strategy of calypso performance
• Writing songs without rhythms and building music from melody and story
• Paying homage to icons like Black Stalin and Shadow
• Radio politics, cultural gatekeeping, and who decides what gets heard
• Why calypso must connect with youth without losing its roots
• Longevity, ownership, and making music work as a business
• Her standout songs including “I Am Lion,” “Ask Yuh Man,” “Blessings,” and “Fling Bam Bam”
• Competing in Skinner Park, tent culture, and the modern calypso circuit

This episode is a masterclass in Caribbean excellence, cultural preservation, and personal grit — filled with humour, honesty, and hard-earned insight from one of Trinidad & Tobago’s most compelling calypsonians.

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