Singing Sandra (Sandra Des Vignes-Millington) (December 10, 1957 – January 28, 2021) was a Trinidadian

calypsonian A calypsonian, originally known as a ''chantwell'', is a musician from the anglophone Caribbean who sings songs of the Calypso music, calypso genre. Calypsos are musical renditions having their origins in the West African griot tradition. Origin ...

known for her vocal performances. She won both the National Calypso Queen and

Calypso Monarch The Calypso Monarch (originally Calypso King) contest is one of the two major annual calypso competitions held in Trinidad and all English speaking Caribbean islands, as part of the annual carnival celebrations. History While Trinidad's carnival ...

competitions, most well known in the

Soca music Soca music, or the "soul of calypso", is a genre of music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1970s. It is considered an offshoot of Calypso music, calypso, with influences from Afro–Trinidadians and Tobagonians, Afro-Trinidadian a ...

scene.

Personal life

Sandra Des Vignes-Millington was born on December 10, 1957, in the East Dry River, Port of Spain, Trinidad. She was raised in

Morvant Morvant (pronounced, in the local English dialect, "mor-vuh") is a community in Trinidad and Tobago located east of Port of Spain in the region of San Juan-Laventille. Location Morvant is located in the southern foothills of the Northern Range of ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , pp. 5, 257–258 and grew up as an only child with her mother. She never met her father. At fifteen, Sandra was

baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...

into a

Spiritual Baptist The Spiritual Baptist faith is a syncretic Afro-Caribbean religion that originated among Afro-Caribbean communities in the plantations of the former British West Indies, particularly in Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tobago, and the ...

church faith and later began practicing

Orisha Orishas (singular: orisha) are divine spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Haitian Vaudou, Cuban Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. The p ...

. From an early age, she sang and acted in small productions. Due to behavioral issues and poor attendance, Sandra did not complete her formal education and worked at various low-wage jobs in her twenties.

Career

In 1984, Sandra was approached by calypsonian Dr. Zhivago to perform two of his songs. The following year, she joined the Mighty Sparrow’s Youth Brigade tent during carnival. There, in 1987, she earned the titles of National Calypso Queen and St Maarten Queen of the World with the song 'Sexy Employees,' more commonly known as 'Die With My Dignity.' The song reflected a moral stance against male

chauvinism Chauvinism ( ) is the unreasonable belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak, unworthy, or inferior. The ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' describes it ...

in the workplace. She won the Carifesta Monarch and 'Calypso Queen of the World' titles in 1992, and performed at the 1992

Reggae Sunsplash Reggae Sunsplash was a reggae music festival held annually in Jamaica from 1978 to 1996, with additional events in 1998 and 2006. The festival expanded to include international tours in 1985 and was revived as a virtual event in 2020 by Tryone ...

festival. Later, Sandra formed the United Sisters group with

Lady B Bahiyyah Clark, born Wendy Clark (c. 1962), better known by her stage name Lady B, is an American radio DJ and rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is one of the earliest female rappers in hip hop, and the first female hip hop artist to re ...

, Tigress, and Marvelous Marva. She continued to perform as a solo artist, and at the 1997 carnival she won the 'Best Nation Building Song' award along with a prize for the song 'One Destiny One Heart'. In 1999, Sandra became the second woman to win the

competition (after

Calypso Rose Calypso Rose or Linda McCartha Monica Sandy-Lewis (born April 27, 1940, in Bethel Village, Tobago) is a Trinidad and Tobago calypsonian. She started writing songs at the age of 13; over the years, she has composed more than 1000 songs and record ...

in 1978) at Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival. Two of her songs, 'Song for Healing' and 'Voices from the Ghetto', addressed the struggles of marginalized communities. She secured third place in 2000 and fifth place in 2001. In 2003, she won the title for the second time, becoming the first woman to achieve two Calypso Monarch victories. The two songs she performed for the competition ('For Whom the Bell Tolls' and 'Ancient Rhythm') contained strong political content. The latter song talks about the experiences of the African

diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...

community in Trinidad and elsewhere, and finding freedom within music by embracing diaspora identity. (Video).

Legacy

Through her music, which addressed social, racial, and feminist themes, in a notably male-dominated genre, Singing Sandra became a prominent female figure in the Calypso industry.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Singing Sandra 1957 births 2021 deaths Trinidad and Tobago calypsonians Trinidad and Tobago soca musicians 20th-century Trinidad and Tobago women singers 20th-century Trinidad and Tobago singers 21st-century Trinidad and Tobago women singers 21st-century Trinidad and Tobago singers