Maddzart retains calypso crown

Reon ‘Maddzart’ Primus successfully defended his calypso crown at the Dimance Gras show last Sunday, July 6, 2025 beating off 11 contenders to retain his title as King of Calypso. A few days prior Maddzart had expressed confidence telling SEARCHLIGHT he felt he had a very strong song and “a very excellent chance” of retaining the crown. On Sunday, he did just that with his ‘Gravy Train’.

“I wasn’t really worried about what I was gonna do; my worry was how the judges were going to perceive what I was gonna do because at the end of the day, the judges are people like me and you and everybody has their own subjective view of what something should be,” Primus said earlier this week.

“I knew what I was supposed to do and I did everything that I was supposed to do. I was hoping the judges would give me a perfect score and they did.”

He plans for another successful defense next year, noting that “the song is already there”.

Appearing at number 9, Maddzart put on a masterful delivery of ‘Gravy Train’ ending the suspense of calypso lovers when the sixth requirement for getting on that train was revealed.

A lot of people turned out to hear witness the performance and “particularly number 6, which was part of my marketing strategy with the song”, the second time King of Calypso,” told SEARCHLIGHT.

He has given high marks to the standard of this year’s calypso renditions, a conclusion he thinks patrons also shared given the comments he heard as he moved through the crowd where persons were speculating on who would emerge victorious.

Nine points separated Maddzart from the number two position- his 418 points to Lornette ‘Fya Empress’ Nedd’s 409 with her rendition, ‘Children of the Drum’.

Shaunelle McKenzie, leader of the Upstage Calypso Tent, of which Maddzart is a member, took the third spot, garnering 401 points with her calypso ‘Ghetto Mentality’.

Looking at the future Maddzart shared that he would like to see two things happen- that calypso performances be done more regularly; and junior calypsonians be taught the craft of putting together a calypso, “not just a teacher or somebody writing a song for them to sing”.

He explained that, “Writing a song for you to sing doesn’t make you develop as a calypsonian, that makes you develop as a singer, but the art of calypso is composing the lyrics, and the punch lines, and everything.” He also feels strongly that mas should also be given attention at the level of the ‘nursery’, noting that “Mas should be an aspect of the art classes and Calypso should be an aspect of the music classes,” on the curriculum in schools.

Maddzart recollected that in days past calypso was not seasonal, limited only to preparation for carnival; he would like to see that happening again.

“It does not have to be weekly” but calypso shows may be held more regularly “where calypsonians can come and harness their craft and stay in form”.

The Calypso Monarch argued that “to wait a whole year for three nights- two in the tents and one night at Dimanche Gras- is not doing justice” to the art form.

That is a challenge which the Calypsonians and their association may want to closely examine.

Now that the carnival is over, Maddzart returns to his daily routines- attending to the business of his bakery, and his gardening- and of course, continuing to compose.