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Singing Sandra

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Singing Sandra
Birth nameSandra Des Vignes
Born(1957-12-10)10 December 1957
East Dry River, Trinidad
Died28 January 2021(2021-01-28) (aged 63)
GenresCalypso
Years active1980s–2021

Singing Sandra (Sandra Des Vignes-Millington) (December 10, 1957 – January 28, 2021) was a Trinidadian calypsonian known for her vocal performances. She won both the National Calypso Queen and Calypso Monarch competitions,[1] achieving success in the Soca music scene.[2]

Personal life

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Sandra Des Vignes-Millington was born on December 10, 1957, in the East Dry River, Port of Spain, Trinidad. She was raised in Morvant, Trinidad and Tobago.[3] Growing up as an only child with her Mother, she never met her father.[4] At fifteen, Sandra was baptized into a spiritual Baptist church faith and later began practicing Orisha.[4][5]

From an early age, she sang and acted in small productions.[5] Due to behavioral issues and poor attendance, Sandra did not complete her formal education and had worked various low-wage jobs in her twenties.[6]

Career

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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.[7] There, in 1987, she earned the titles of National Calypso Queen[8] and St Maarten Queen of the World with the song 'Sexy Employees', more commonly known as 'Die With My Dignity.'[9] The song was seen to reflect a moral stance and resonated with its depiction of male chauvinism in the workplace.[10]

She won the Calypso Monarch and 'Calypso Queen of the World' titles in 1992, and performed at the 1992 Reggae Sunsplash festival.[11]

Later, Sandra formed the United Sisters group with Lady B, 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'.[citation needed]

In 1999, Sandra became the second woman to win the Calypso Monarch competition (after Calypso Rose in 1978) at Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival. Two of her songs, 'Song for Healing'[12] and 'Voices from the Ghetto',[13][14] addressed the struggles of marginalized communities.[15][16][17] 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.[5] 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 community in Trinidad and elsewhere, and finding freedom within music by embracing diaspora identity.[18]

Legacy

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Singing Sandra became a prominent female figure in the Calypso industry.[19] Through her music, which addressed social, racial, and feminist themes, she achieved success in a male-dominated genre.[16][14][15]

References

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  1. ^ "Calypso - Singing Sandra". Best of Trinidad.
  2. ^ Goodwin, Michael (2000-01-01). "Singing Sandra: One Voice from the Ghetto". Caribbean Beat Magazine. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
  3. ^ Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6, pp. 5, 257–258
  4. ^ a b DesVignes-Millington, Sandra (September 4, 2008). "Singing Sandra-In her own words". wordpress.com. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c McGill, Aldwyn. "Singing Sandra Interview for Morvant Love Magazine". YouTube.com.
  6. ^ "Social Soundtrack". Social Soundtrack. 2022-04-03. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
  7. ^ "Loss of a Mother". Trinidad Express. January 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  8. ^ "Calypso - Singing Sandra". Best of Trinidad.
  9. ^ "Die with My Dignity"
  10. ^ Community Contact Staff (November 7, 2014). "CALYPSO ICON SINGING SANDRA HERE ON NOV. 23". Entertainment. Montreal Community Contact. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  11. ^ Doughty, Melissa (2021-01-29). "TT crying as Singing Sandra passes on". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  12. ^ "Song for Healing"
  13. ^ "Voices from the Ghetto"
  14. ^ a b Mondezie, Michael. "Mother to the Nation's Youth". The Trinidad Guardian. Trinidad Publishing Company Limited. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  15. ^ a b O'Donnell, Kathleen (March 2001). Adventure Guide to Trinidad and Tobago. Hunter Publishing, Inc. ISBN 9781588432575.
  16. ^ a b Thompson, Dave (2002). Reggae & Caribbean Music. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879306557.
  17. ^ Doughty, Melissa. "Trinidad and Tobago Crying as Singing Sandra Passes On". The World News. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  18. ^ "Ancient Rhythm [Song]". Retrieved June 6, 2017. (Video).
  19. ^ 2B Karibbean (September 16, 2014). "AMBASSADOR 5-SINGING SANDRA-Calypso legend speaks on community, women & the future of calypso". YouTube. Retrieved June 6, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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