Kingstown, St. Vincent – The Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) has unveiled the semi-finalists for the 2025 Calypso Monarch Competition, to be staged under the banner “An Evening with the Legends” on Sunday, June 29th at the Cruise Ship Terminal.
This year’s semi-finals will feature a showdown of lyrical brilliance as several former monarchs make their highly anticipated return to the big stage. Among the veterans vying for a spot in the finals are:
Lornette “Fya Empress” Nedd – Children of the Drum
Shaunelle McKenzie – Ghetto Mentality
Zamfir “Zangie” Adams – My Nation
Kenneth “Vibrating Scakes” Alleyne – Democracy in Trouble
Grantley “Ipa” Constance – Peace and Love
Elvis “Abijah” Abbey – Is We Mashing Up Society
Mike “Lord Have Mercy” Ollivierre – Hip Hip Hip Hooray
These seasoned performers are known for their commanding stage presence, biting wit, and lyrical prowess — qualities that have defined Vincentian calypso over the decades.
Also joining the line-up is fan favorite Alvin “Zion-I” Dennie, performing We Know Who Yo Mean. While not a past monarch, Zion-I has earned widespread respect for his consistent performances and thought-provoking compositions.
The returning monarchs and seasoned contenders will face off against a talented field of calypsonians from the country’s top tents — Upstage, Graduates, Dynamites, and On Tour — including:
Robert “Patches” Knights – Fake News
Ronald “Ron B” Browne – It Won’t Always Be So
Divyne “Skye” Hackshaw – No Rush to Grow (Reigning Junior Monarch)
Cleopatha Hendrickson
Dennis Bowman
Shena Collis
And others bringing their unique voices to the national stage.
Two reserves have also been named:
Jerome “Parry” Samuel – SVG Will Rise Again
Omani Cupid, another Junior Monarch – Omani for Prime Minister