Stedson Wiltshire, better known by the

sobriquet A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of expla ...

of Red Plastic Bag, RPB, or merely Bag, is a

calypsonian A calypsonian,Definition of CALYPSO
Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

. He has won the Barbadian calypso monarch competition a record ten times. Hailing from the eastern, rural Barbadian parish of

Saint Philip Saint Philip, São Filipe, or San Felipe may refer to: People * Saint Philip the Apostle * Saint Philip the Evangelist also known as Philip the Deacon * Saint Philip Neri * Saint Philip Benizi de Damiani also known as Saint Philip Benitius or Fili ...

, RPB became one of few performers from that region in the island to become successful. He carries a large support group of fans that show up to cheer him on from Stand C when he performs against other calypsonians at

Barbados National Stadium Barbados National Stadium is a Multi-purpose stadium, multi-use outdoor stadium in Waterford, Saint Michael, Barbados, St. Michael, Barbados. Occupying a 22-acre site, it was officially opened on 23 October 1970 by Prince Charles. Situated appro ...

. Red Plastic Bag began performing in 1979. He combined the sounds of reggae and soca, and has become one of the most popular performers in Barbados and throughout the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. His biggest hit, "Ragga Ragga", (year 1995) has been recorded in seven different languages. His song "Holes" complains about potholes. As a result of the finals of Barbados' Pic o' de Crop Competition in August 2007, RPB became the island's calypso king for a record eight times, following a two-year hiatus, and pledged to defend his title in 2008, where he came in second to Adrian Clarke, but came back in 2009 to win again. In 2011 RPB won the title of Sweet Soca Monarch with his song "Once Upon A Wine", a commentary on how Caribbean music and dance has evolved over time. In 2012, Red Plastic Bag won the Pic-o-de-Crop finals for the 10th time singing "I Thank You Calypso",Calypsonians.com - I Thank You Calypso by Red Plastic Bag
/ref> a tribute to his 30th year in the artform as well as "The Royal Visit". In January 2015 RPB, along with fellow

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

and

St. Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerin ...

stars

Charles D. Lewis Charles D. Lewis (born 1955) is a Barbadian songwriter, recording artist, bassist, engineer, and producer. Career Charles is best known for his writing and performance of " Soca Dance", released in Europe in 1990. It was number one for seven ...

, Wayne "Poonka" Willock, Anderson "Blood" Armstrong, Lennon "Blaze" Prospere and Nicholas Brancker were invited to

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

to participate in a cultural exchange project, receiving high accolades from both critics and the general public.

References

Further reading