Dezral Lengthy aka King Dezral has gained Saint Lucia’s Nationwide Calypso Monarch title, his second consecutive title.
His songs The Kaiso Goat and The Immigrant beat out all rivals and added to the Energy Soca Monarch crown he snatched the evening earlier than, performing The Car with Jardel making him the youngest particular person to ever win each the Calypso and Energy Soca titles in the identical yr.
This double win is legacy-defining as his father, legendary calypsonian The Mighty Pep, is an eight‑time monarch himself and was on stage to rejoice alongside him
A Custom of Voices
St Lucia’s Nationwide Calypso Monarch Competitors is a cultural cornerstone of Carnival, showcasing lyrical wit, social commentary, and musical storytelling deeply rooted in custom. The competitors kicks off in Calypso Tents (not literal tents, efficiency venues in Castries), the place artists compete in quarterfinals inside their tents. Chosen finalists advance to the semifinals, and in the end the finals, the place 9 high calypsonians face off in a reside, two‑tune efficiency backed by a reside band.
Dezral clinched his first title with songs De Largest Gun and A Want For Fish, in 2024.
Internationally, whereas Saint Lucia’s Calypso Monarch hasn’t produced globally identified names like Trinidad’s Mighty Sparrow or Machel Montano, Lucian calypsonians have earned respect inside the Caribbean circuit for preserving and modernising the artwork kind.
Saint Lucia’s Calypso custom is supported by establishments just like the Cultural Improvement Basis and the Folks Analysis Centre, which maintains the Lucian Kaiso journal and hosts the annual Kaiposium to nurture the style.
Dezral’s 2025 victory is each a private triumph and a mirrored image of Saint Lucia’s enduring calypso custom: rooted in neighborhood dialogue, handed by generations, and celebrated in Carnival’s wonderful spectacle. His slim win this yr reminds us that calypso isn’t solely about music—it’s a dwelling dialogue with the island’s soul.