Kudos to Calypso Monarch judges

THE EDITOR: Hearty congratulations to all participants at the March 2 Calypso Monarch 2025 competition, which was a highly entertaining extravaganza. Special congratulations are in order for the top three performers:

Third place – Yung Bredda exploded on the local entertainment scene with positive vibes and mentorship for especially impoverished youths. By his own volition claiming to be from “the ghetto,” he is poised to inspire generations to come with his natural talent and kindred persona.

Second place– Kurt Allen, a veteran, who began singing calypso in 1983, has been consistent with potent thought-provoking commentary. He is always a force to be reckoned with and conjures the attention of many calypso lovers.

Calypso Monarch 2025 winner – Helon Francis, who is an Independent senator, deservingly captured the crown with a stellar performance that featured a poignant political critique without calling names. His commentary seemed aligned with the tenets of his job as an Independent senator and he certainly checked all the boxes of a winner.

There appears to be general acceptance for the overall results by the populace.

Although it comes as a surprise to many that soca king and recently crowned king of chutney soca 2025, Machel Montano failed to successfully defend his Calypso Monarch title. Arguably, Montano has been and continues to be the most accomplished and celebrated local entertainer over the last 40 years.

Losing his Calypso Monarch crown does not mean his performance was bad. Rather, there were better renditions, which augurs well for the continuance of the art form. Montano must be aware of the adage – you can’t win them all.

Moreover, the loss for Montano should be likened to being a good thing since it reminds all artistes/performers and superstars that no one is indispensable and that it’s alright to suffer deflated egos sometimes, curbing ostentation and snobbery. Note that this analogy is made in general and is not aligned to Montano.

However, it would be remiss of me not to mention the biggest winners of Calypso Monarch 2025 – the judges. The esteemed judges must be extolled for sticking to the set rules of judgement and for impartiality. They could have easily been swayed by the unofficial criteria of hype and stardom, thus favouring an unjust outcome.

Thankfully, good morals prevailed, solidifying trust in the judges of not only the Calypso Monarch, but that of all judges selected by the National Carnival Commission for various Carnival-oriented competitions.

Once again, hats off to the judges, and well done to all winners.

DEXTER RIGSBY

Mt Lambert