By Simone Tull

Junior Monarch Sakara reigned supreme in a stellar calypso performance as she successfully defended her Junior Monarch title in a dazzling display of calypso prowess at the Garfield Sobers Complex on Thursday night. The reigning champion’s performance of The Present Future proved unbeatable, as she amassed 122 points to secure a convincing victory.

The finalists, having honed their skills from tent performances to the grand stage, delivered polished acts in their bid to impress the judges. However, Sakara’s element of surprise, coupled with her clever lyrics and stage presence, kept her a step ahead of the competition.

Referencing advancements in space travel by Elon Musk, the SpaceX founder, and the growing interest in travelling to other planets, Sakara’s winning entry took a satirical look at space exploration, drawing parallels between earth and mars. Adopting the persona of an astronaut, she humorously suggested that humanity was already experiencing extraterrestrial life, punctuating her performance with the refrain, “We in mars already.”

Following her triumph, the self-proclaimed Queen of the Galaxy expressed relief, saying, “I had so much pressure on myself because I am the sort of person that wants everything to go perfectly. When the night finally goes how I wanted it to, I feel happy with myself.”

King K secured second place with 108 points for his entry Real Boys Does Cry, which encouraged emotional openness in young men.

Bit Bit claimed third with 94 points, earning the Best Self-Penned Song award in the calypso category for Put on a Show. N’kyla rounded out the top four with 90 points for her song Runaway.
Other notable performances included Hailstorm’s Beautiful Nation, Trinity’s No Hope, Khaleesi’s Girl Unseen, and Potent’s H.O.P.E.

The event showcased the rising talents in calypso, with each contestant demonstrating remarkable growth from their initial tent performances to the grand finale. (STT)