Under the warm evening lights of Serenity Park in Saint Lucia on Saturday, emerging Kwéyòl musical talent Reginald Antoine – who performs under the dynamic stage name Unpredictable – secured the top prize at the highly anticipated 2026 Chanté Kwéyòl competition, taking home the title with his heartfelt original track *Mwen ni an Wév*. This landmark victory marks the first career win for Antoine at the iconic cultural contest, coming on the heels of his promising debut appearance in the 2025 edition of the event.
The fiercely contested 2026 standings saw beloved local performer Wulstan Alfred, widely recognized by his stage alias Walleigh, earn the runner-up spot for his catchy, crowd-pleasing entry *Baguy-la*, while seasoned local artist Gregory Sinaise rounded out the top three with his well-received performance of *Demi Touni*. The full-day event also featured electrifying supporting sets from a stacked lineup of 17 celebrated local and regional creatives, including Slot, Sexy Blue, KCey, Migz, Senator, Ckay, Kamau Regional, Alley Cat, Papi Joe, Afwéchi, J Movay, Sherlan, Black Pearl, General Butch, Lil IN!GO, and Honourable, who kept thousands of attendees engaged across the multi-hour showcase.
Founded back in 2012 by cultural advocate Gordon Charlemagne Leon as a dedicated Kwéyòl-language calypso contest, Chanté Kwéyòl has now run uninterrupted for 14 consecutive years as a flagship anchor event for Saint Lucia’s national Creole Heritage Month festivities. Designed explicitly to elevate local artists and preserve the island’s beloved Kwéyòl linguistic and musical traditions, the annual platform offers emerging and established creatives a rare, high-visibility stage to share their original work performed entirely in the Saint Lucian Kwéyòl dialect, fostering intergenerational pride in the island’s unique cultural heritage.