From Newsday T&T

“PUT my name on the plane,” McCartha “Calypso Rose” Lewis said yesterday after hearing about plans government has for her which include naming a Caribbean Airlines aircraft after her and providing her with a Diplomatic passport.

In a brief interview, Lewis said she felt thrilled, happy and thanked God to be alive to receive a Diplomatic passport and also to have her name written on one of CAL’s fleet or air planes. Asked if she would have preferred a monetary gift, Lewis said, “Put my name on the plane. My name will remain forever and ever in time to come. But when you get the cash … the cash comes and go as everyone wants a piece of it. I am satisfied with their offers.” Lewis added, “When I got the news yesterday (Thursday) I felt thrilled and was very, very happy about what government had plan to do. To know that my government will be giving me that prestigious award, I am happy.” She continued, “I always wonder why my government…why my people in Trinidad and Tobago don’t honour me in that way? But the time has come. I will say nothing happens before its time.

I thanked God that I am alive and I will be receiving a Diplomatic passport and also I will like to thank Caribbean Airlines for what they will be doing for me. I want to thank them very much.” Lewis said she will continue to fly the flag for TT through her music. Asked if she would have appreciated or preferred getting a house and land from the government, Lewis said, “No, no, no.

I have enough house and land already. I am satisfied with the plane being named after me and getting the Diplomatic passport, I am truly satisfied.” (See Page 14A) At Thursday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, Dr Nyan Gadsby Dolly, Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts said Cabinet made the decision to give Calypso Rose a diplomatic passport and to name one of Caribbean Airlines aircraft after her in recognition of her achievements.

In February, Lewis was the first local artiste to win the French version of the Grammy’s – the Victoires de la Musique – after her platinum selling album Far From Home, was voted Album of the Year.

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IMAGE: Calypso Rose Wikipedia