On Friday, Saint Lucia’s annual National Secondary Schools Calypso and Soca Monarch Competition wrapped up to widespread acclaim, with a new generation of young Caribbean performers exceeding every expectation and wowing crowds with talent that many attendees argued could hold its own against professional senior competitors.
Split across a full day of dynamic programming, the event opened with the hotly contested Calypso segment in the morning, before shifting to high-octane Soca performances in the afternoon. When the final judges’ scores were counted, two schools claimed top honors: Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School took home the national Calypso title, while Corinth Secondary School secured the Soca crown.
In the individual Calypso competition, Zalaya “Zizi” Fannis of Sir Ira Simmons Secondary claimed the top spot with her original track “Zizi & I”, which earned her a total of 357 points from the panel of judges. Alex “Lexxii” Pinel of Castries Comprehensive Secondary School finished a close three points behind with his socially conscious performance “S.O.S – Save Our Society”, securing first runner-up.
Rounding out the top four Calypso finalists were Raygena “Queen Gena” Victor of Patricia D. James Secondary School, whose emotional performance of “Dear Daddy” earned 347 points and second runner-up, and Kenyan “Ti Keno” Osman of Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School, who took third runner-up with 343 points for his track “Teacher”. The additional special award for Best Stage Presence went to Anthony “Mighty Swift” Theophilus of the Saint Lucia Sports Academy, whose dynamic command of the stage captured the attention of judges and attendees alike.
As the afternoon rolled around, the energy in the venue shifted dramatically for the Soca segment. Backed by raucous groups of school supporters who filled the stands with chants, school colors and homemade signs, every competitor brought infectious energy and commanding stage presence that kept the crowd on its feet throughout the segment.
When scores were finalized, Kaylee “Fire Kay” Simmons of Corinth Secondary emerged as the new Soca Monarch with her performance of “A Mad Party”, which outscored all competitors. The Soca crown was far from a landslide victory, however: just five points separated Simmons from first runner-up Rickel “Baby T” Joseph of Patricia D. James Secondary, who earned 375 points for his performance of “Ah Bon Ti TayTay La”. Though Joseph narrowly missed taking the top title, his set was widely named one of the most memorable moments of the entire day, drawing some of the loudest cheers and applause from the packed audience.
Completing the Soca top four were Khloe “Baby K” Joseph of Entrepot Secondary School, who took second runner-up with 341 points for “Put It Up”, and Akayla “Ti Pima” Lewis of Castries Comprehensive Secondary School, who earned 335 points for “Pressure” to claim third runner-up.
Event organizers have hailed the 2026 iteration of the competition as a resounding success, noting both the exceptional quality of student performances and the event’s critical role in nurturing emerging artistic talent across the island. “This is where we get the next generation of cultural ambassadors, artistes and performers,” said Tamara Gibson, Chairperson of the Carnival Planning and Management Committee, emphasizing the long-term cultural value of investing in youth participation in calypso and soca, two foundational genres of Caribbean culture.