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Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchives'King Kan' Repeats as Calypso Monarch

'King Kan' Repeats as Calypso Monarch

King Kan Fu Plentae repeated as Calypso Monarch.A full slate of top-notch performers had St. Croix’s King Kan Fu Plentae fighting to keep to his Calypso Monarch crown, as this year’s musical competition featured everything from sharp-witted commentary to laugh-out-loud acts.

Plentae – also known as Campbell Barnes – kept the pace in the end, though, and repeated as Calypso Monarch with a song entitled "Call for Reparations," which recalled the struggles of slavery and old promises for compensation.

"And if we don’t get reparations, we gon’ feel God’s wrath on the nation," he sang. "Go tell the white man on the plantation, we overdue for reparations." Dismissing any claims of racism, Plentae added that what he was saying was "history."

"It is factual," he sang. "The national anthem don’t include we – we were freed but certainly not free."

Coming in second this year was a progressive song from Cedric "King Spade" Brookes, who also spoke about freedom, but from old grudges and hate. Large glossy photos of Oprah, Nelson Mandela, Michael Jordan and local Olympians John and Julius Jackson were brought on stage and used as examples of prominent African American that have "broken through the shackles" that Spade said continue to "enslave" the minds of many local Virgin Islanders.

Cedric 'King Spade' Brookes took second."Let’s get rid of all the hatred, lest leave the baggage behind ah we," he sang. "Only then we’ll be truly emancipated, and then we can tell the world that we’re free."

Ad libbing at the end, Spade threw in a couple of verses about the night’s competition, asking the audience and judges to really look at what the other performers were singing about. Referencing everything from the Carnival Committee’s "Lord Blakie" to "Percy deJongh," Spade said that the others were "fighting so hard to win the monarchy, with poison dripping off of their tongues."

Nodding their heads in agreement, many in the crowd clapped loudly as Spade left the stage, saying, "yeah, yeah, we have a winner."

An upbeat performance from Toby "Toby Dee" Derima, was also a crowd favorite, and took third place in this year’s competition. Dragging on stage a projection screen that towered above him, Derima’s said he wasn’t leaving the stadium this year without being crowned king, and urged the audience to wave their hands in support.Toby 'Toby Dee' Derima gave an animated performance.

"Plenty lyrics, rhythm, and melody I will fling, the whole package I bring," Derima sang as he pointed to the screen, which flashed the word "king" in big bold letters.

The last act of the evening, Derima brought many in the crowd to their feet as he left stage, dancing, twirling, and – in true rock star form – with a big fist pump and a loud, "I love you St. Thomas!"

Other winners this year were:

Best Social Commentary – Samuel "Mighty Pat" Ferdinand, with a song entitled "Ask de Governor," which lashed out against Gov. John deJongh Jr.’s advisors, who he said were so "full of greed" that they "wouldn’t even bleed" if cut with a knife;

Best Political Commentary – Carolyn "Sista Darkie" Webb who, dressed in a headdress, earrings and skirt made of glittering green dollar bills, sang about money owed by the government in a calypso entitled "We Want We Money."

Most Improved – Shelley "Queen Diva" Percival, with a song entitled "Mommy Told Me, Daddy Told Me;" and

Most Humorous – Janet "Mighty Wifey" Russell, who paid tribute to her late husband – famous local calypsonian Nicky "Mighty Whitey" Russell – with an upbeat tune entitled "Teach Me."

After the competition, Russell said this first performance was something that she had wanted to do for years, and discarded the more political pieces for a fun song that had the audience screaming in support as Russell proved that the "white gyal" could "wind up" with the best of them.

"I had to do it," she said later. "I had to do it for Nicky."

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