St. Kitts-Nevis (WINN) – Veteran Trinidad and Tobago Calypsonian Sandra Des Vignes Millington “Singing Sandra” has died at age 64.
Singing Sandra, a two time Calypso Monarch of Trinidad and Tobago was hailed across the region for her songs of struggle that eloquently tackled youth violence, poverty, women’s rights issues that spoke not only to people of her native land but people from across the region.
Her hits include For Whom the Bell Tolls, Die with my Dignity, Voices in the Ghetto and the War Goes On (Nobody wins a war).
The Trinidad Express reports that Sandra Vignes-Millington was born in 1957 in East Dry River, and raised in Morvant.
In her mid-20s she was approached in 1984 by calypsonian Dr. Zhivago to perform two of his songs, and the following year was recruited to Mighty Sparrow’s Youth Brigade tent at the carnival.
Her exceptional talent and persistence in hard work and in music resulted in her winning the National Calypso Queen in 1987.
From that moment and after, her career accelerated at an exponential rate. She went on to win the Carifesta Monarch and Calypso Queen of the World titles in 1992 and she performed at the Reggae Sunsplash festival in 1992.
While at Young Brigade, she earned both the local National Calypso Queen and St Maarten Queen of the World titles in 1987 with Sexy Employees (Die with My Dignity), The song mirrored Sandra’s image and spiritually strong moral standing and was an immediate hit with women in society who identified with the images of male chauvinism in the workplace.
WINN extends deepest condolences to the family and many fans of Singing Sandra.
May Her Soul Rest in Peace!
