Chalkdust

Who is Chalkdust?

Hollis Urban Lester Liverpool, better known as Chalkdust is a leading calypsonian from Trinidad and Tobago. He has been singing calypso since 1967 and has recorded over 300 calypsos.

He is an eight-time winner of Trinidad's Calypso Monarch competition, most recently in 2009. Chalkdust's winning song performances for these most acclaimed Calypso Crowns are: 1976; 1977; 1981; 1989; 1993; 2004; 2005; lastly in 2009. Before only the Mighty Sparrow had more wins in that competition, until 2009 when Chalkdust also achieved eight wins in the Calypso Monarch. Chalkdust also won Carifesta in 1976, the World Calypso King title in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands eight times, and the Calypso King of the World in New York City on the two occasions when that competition was held.

Chalkdust, who holds a Ph.D. in history and ethnomusicology from the University of Michigan, is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of the Virgin Islands, and frequently lectures and offers workshops on the history and culture of calypso music. He is the author of the books Rituals of Power and Rebellion: The Carnival Tradition in Trinidad and Tobago and From the Horse’s Mouth, a socio-cultural history of calypso from 1900 to 2003.He also had been principal of trinity college.