Junior Monarch: Calypso Will Survive

AFTER a crowd-stunning performance, eight-year-old Xhaiden Darius was crowned Junior Calypso Monarch 2025 on February 24.

His song, Calypso Will Survive, written by veteran calypsonian King Luta (Morel Peters), highlighted the young man's commitment to preserving the art form.

“Cause I want all of them to know, I will never stop singing calypso,” he sang as he strummed his cuatro at the beginning of his performance at the Queen's Park Savannah.

Inspired by his mother, 2023 calypso queen Tameika Darius, Xhaiden started singing calypso at just five years old. His mother said after discovering the music of Lord Kitchener, with whom Xhaiden happens to share a birthday, he fell in love with calypso.
He models his singing and performance style after veteran artists.

“A lot of people, when he performs, compare him to Kitchener and Sparrow and all these older calypsonians. So he adapted that style for himself, that’s the style he likes,” she said, beaming with pride after her son’s win was announced.

And this is not his first win.

The Savonetta Primary School student is the holder of many titles, including Point Fortin Junior Calypso Monarch 2024 and Emancipation Junior Calypso Monarch 2024. And just days before being crowned Junior Calypso Monarch 2025, he won the primary school segment of the 2025 South Junior Calypso Competition on February 13.

Xhaiden’s musical ability is not the only miraculous thing about him. When he was born, doctors told Xhaiden’s mother he would never walk, because while in the womb, he did not move for months. Doctors thought his crouched position would affect his mobility, but his moves onstage proved otherwise.

Xhaiden, however, was not the only star on the stage.

Nataki Thompson, 15, did well in attempting to defend her 2024 title, performing Crying Nation, written by Len Phillips.

The song addressed the issue of crime, pleading for a solution to the unending gun violence that has destroyed lives, families and communities across the country. The Scarborough Secondary School student placed third for her performance.

She was joined in the top ranks by fellow Tobago student 16-year-old Koquice Davidson of Bishop's High School, who placed second.

Davidson’s song, My Plight, was also written by Len Phillips and explored similar themes to Thompson’s, such as corruption, violence and family dysfunction.

Davidson, who placed third last year, said reviewing her performance in 2024 helped her advance her placing.

“Last year, I lacked confidence. At times, I felt like I wasn't good enough. So this year, I looked back at my performances from last year and worked on what I could perfect and how I could engage the crowd better,” she told media.

Both Davidson and Thompson, who are in the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) calypso tent, are set on building their calypso careers and enhancing their performance skills. Both are also set on placing in the top three  next year, and despite not winning, the ladies cheered on their young Calypso Monarch.

“We’re proud of him. We know he is the future of calypso and he will carry this title well,” said Davidson.

Although not in the top three, Alaeja Gould Ferguson of Bishop Anstey High School was a crowd favourite at the competitions.

The 18-year-old had a clear message for the media, Fix Yuh Front Page. The song emphasised the importance of highlighting the talent and accomplishments of the nation's people as opposed to the constant stories about crime and violence.

After her performance, Ferguson told Newsday, “I just believe that we tend to highlight the negative stuff more on our front page.

“And it’s not that I don’t think we should make people aware of what is happening in our country, I just think we should showcase the better stuff first instead of putting the negative to the front. It makes it more attractive when you inspire people and you show them that you have so many great things happening in this country, instead of portraying the negative.

“So I really believe we should fix our front page.”