At 78-years-old, veteran Calypso singer, performer Calypso Rose does not seem to be slowing down. Rose, as she is affectionately called, has become Coachella’s oldest performer hitting the Gobi Stage on both weekends of the festival, April 12 and 19.
Rose, whose real name is Linda McCartha Monica Sandy-Lewis, is not only the eldest performer at Coachella, she is the first calypsonian to be booked for a full set at the annual festival. Hailing from Tobago, Trinidad’s twin island, Rose was born on April 27, 1940. She made her first song at age 15 called “Glass Thief,” after seeing a man steal a pair of glasses from a woman.
She is well-known for breaking down barriers for women in calypso and soca music — often singing about topics like domestic violence, harassment and women’s rights. “They have done so much injustice to me, but that didn’t keep me down. I wanted to do what I want to do,” Rose said in an interview with Coachella.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an annual music festival held over two weekends in Indio, just east of Palm Springs. The festival is held over two weekends.
This year Calypso Rose reconnects with Machel Montano and the team responsible for the magic that was “Leave Me Alone” to create another hit single, “Young Boy.”. … The original “Young Boy” is produced by Canadian/Belizean platinum producer Ivan Duran, and will appear on Rose’s upcoming album.