The Dominica Calypso Association (DCA) has refreshed its leadership team after holding its annual general meeting (AGM) on August 22, 2026, kicking off a new term focused on advancing the iconic Caribbean musical tradition ahead of the 2027 performance season.
Seven hopeful candidates competed for four open seats on the DCA’s nine-member executive board, a contest that followed a wave of departures that created the vacancies. Four incumbent members—Chester “Daddy Chess” Letang, Jerry “Oracle” Lloyd, Andy “Andy” Carter and Keith “Tronada” Hurtault—stepped down from their roles earlier this year, while the term of sitting executive member Augustus “Liberator” St. Louis reached its scheduled end, leaving four spots open for new leadership.
Before members cast their ballots, DCA leadership presented the official annual reports from both the association’s President and Treasurer, giving full transparency into the organization’s recent activities and financial standing to all voting attendees. When the votes were counted, four candidates emerged victorious: Marsha Dangleben secured 25 votes to claim the top spot, followed by Jarnillia “Mika” Phillip with 23 votes, Daniel “Danian” Theodore with 20 votes, and Steve “Triumph” Williams with nine votes. The unsuccessful candidates included Shirvon “Vigilante” Vigilante, who earned eight votes, and Jerry “Hexi” Williams and Wilfred “Intruder” Peltier, who each picked up five votes.
DCA Public Relations Officer Peter Letang framed the AGM as a critical turning point for the future of calypso in Dominica, a cultural art form deeply tied to the island’s national identity and annual carnival celebrations. The newly expanded executive committee is set to waste no time getting to work, with its first full organizational meeting scheduled for this coming Wednesday. During that inaugural gathering, members will assign specific roles and responsibilities across the executive team, before turning their full attention to coordinating logistics, programming, and promotion for the 2027 calypso season.