By Henry Gomez

The KAISO 365 Calypso Monarch Competition is the significant calypso event on the Toronto Caribbean Carnival calendar. Traditionally, it takes place eight days after the Junior Carnival Parade. The parade culminates with a Junior Showcase of the Caribbean carnival arts in which children eighteen and younger sing calypso or soca, play the steelpan and dance.

Calypso has a long tradition in the Caribbean, that dates back to the late nineteenth century. Due to revolution, war, and economic and social upheavals, there was a movement of people from other islands to Trinidad. This movement consisted of enslaved Africans and their “owners” and free Africans who made Trinidad their home.

The Africans, mainly from West Africa, brought their traditional call-and-response traditions with them, and through syncretization coming out of these cultural flows, the calypso art form was born in Trinidad. Originally, singers sang calypsos in French and Patois, and Gros Jean became the first to bear the title, Maitre de Kaiso. Later, this became Calypso King. And still later, when Calypso Rose won the title, it became Calypso Monarch.

When Caribbeans created Caribana to celebrate Canada’s Centennial in 1967, mainly Trinidadians brought the art form with them. The first one to be crowned Calypso King in Canada was David De Castro, sobriquet, The Bandit. The competition was held at the Maple Leaf Gardens. The second to be crowned was Lord Smokey.

Last year at Kaiso 365, an enthusiastic crowd saw Tara Woods, sobriquet Macomere Fifi, regain the title and crown from Joel Davis (Connector), who won it in 2016; and it seems as if it will be a battle royal this year as calypsonians vie for the coveted title. If she wins it again this year, it will be her eighth time.

Among the challengers are previous monarchs Henry Gomez (King Cosmos) and Joel Davis (Connector). There are veterans and title holders like Susan Grogan (Susan G) and Bill Newman (Crooner), Naki Tuitt (Naki), returning to the kaiso stage after a brief absence, relative new comer Bajan Brown Sugar, Emmanuel Thomas (Blocker) and Marlon Simon (Lando Hooks).

On Sunday, July 28, before a panel of judges at the East Town Banquet Hall, someone will be chosen calypso Monarch for 2024. The show begins at 6:00 PM.

Tickets are $45.00 each, available at Ticketgateway.com, or at the door. Be a part of the audience and witness calypso at its best in Canada.