There are moments in the history of an artform when an artist does something so significant that it changes the way we should look at his entire career.
For me, Scholar’s decision not to defend the Calypso Monarch crown in 2026 was perhaps the single most significant development of this year’s Carnival season.
Not because a reigning monarch decided to step aside. Others have done that before. It was significant because of what Scholar did with the opportunity he created by stepping aside.
He did not simply sit back, rest on his laurels and watch the calypso season roll by. He used his absence from the competition to make perhaps his greatest contribution yet to the development and future of Grenada’s calypso.
And that, in my view, is Scholar’s crowning glory. Scholar is, by any reasonable measure, Grenada’s most crowned calypsonian. His record speaks for itself: 11 Calypso Monarch titles, two Independence Calypso titles including the historic Golden Jubilee title, one Soca Monarch crown and one Groovy Monarch crown.
There is little left for him to prove in competition. But greatness in an artform is not measured only by the number of trophies one has accumulated. At some point, greatness is measured by what you do for the artform and for those who come after you.
And this year Scholar showed us exactly what that looks like.
Carrying calypso on his back
For approximately the last eleven years, Scholar has been doing something that often receives far less recognition than it deserves. Through his management and leadership of Kaiso Bards, he has helped carry the calypso tent tradition in Grenada.
Kaiso Bards is the country’s longest-serving calypso tent, its biggest and certainly its most successful. It has provided a platform for generations of calypsonians and has remained a vital part of Grenada’s calypso ecosystem.
Scholar has not merely been performing in the tent. He has been building and administering the institution that provides the stage on which others perform. That is an enormous contribution.
This year, however, he took it a step further. He introduced Back Stage.
The concept was brilliant in its simplicity. Instead of calypsonians appearing once or twice and then waiting weeks for another opportunity to perform, Back Stage created an environment where the artistes could repeatedly sing before a live audience, sharpen their delivery, test their material, build confidence and hone their craft.
Seven nights of calypso performances were staged at the Grenville Methodist School. Seven opportunities to perform. Seven opportunities to learn. Seven opportunities to improve.
Cultural Ambassador Arley Gill described Back Stage as the most significant thing to have happened during Carnival 2026.
I agree.
It was not simply another Carnival event. It was calypso development disguised as entertainment. Brilliant. Just brilliant.
The passing of the torch
But Scholar’s greatest contribution this year may have been even more profound. He wrote songs for a number of calypsonians – five in total, it was announced, including two young and upcoming soca artistes.
And one of those young artistes, Jello, went on to jointly win the very Calypso Monarch crown that Scholar had vacated. Think about that.
The reigning champion chose not to compete. Instead, he gave his songs to a young man who had never previously sung in the calypso competition, worked with him, mentored him and drilled him.
And that young man went out and won the crown. That is what passing the torch looks like. It is easy to call yourself a king when you are standing on top of the mountain. The real test is whether you are prepared to help someone else climb it. Scholar did exactly that.
And in doing so, he demonstrated something that I believe is greater than another championship. He demonstrated legacy.
The future is looking good
And a word must be said about Jello. Watch him perform and one immediately gets the feeling that the future of Grenadian calypso is in good hands. There is a boldness about him. A fearlessness. A willingness to attack the stage.
There are moments when his movements, particularly when he is driving home a punchline or responding to the chorus of the band, are reminiscent of Scholar himself. That is not surprising. Great teachers leave fingerprints on their students.
But the important thing is that Jello is not merely a copy. He appears to possess the raw ingredients to develop his own identity and become his own force. And perhaps that is the most beautiful thing about succession.
The student does not have to become the teacher. The student has to become the next great thing.
Father Gerard Paul and another remarkable achievement
Scholar’s contribution did not stop with Jello. He also wrote for and mentored Father Gerard Paul, the suspended Catholic priest who made his calypso debut this year.
In his first attempt, Father Gerard made it to the finals and gave a very good account of himself. That in itself was a remarkable achievement. But it also says something about Scholar.
He was able to take someone from outside the traditional calypso fraternity, help him find his voice and prepare him to stand on one of the biggest stages in Grenadian entertainment. That is mentorship. That is investment. That is how an art form survives.
The GOAT deserves his flowers
It is time, therefore, that we have an honest conversation about Scholar’s place in Grenadian culture. Scholar is the GOAT of Grenadian calypso.
There is no disrespect intended to anyone else in making that statement.
Ajamu deserves his plaudits. Black Wizard deserves his. Inspector deserves his. So do many of our other great calypsonians. But recognising their greatness should not require us to diminish Scholar’s.
And yet, somehow, whenever the history and development of Grenadian calypso are discussed by politicians, officials and others in positions of influence, Scholar’s name is too often conspicuous by its absence. This cannot continue.
We cannot talk about Grenadian calypso as though Scholar has made some minor contribution to the art form. Eleven Calypso Monarch titles. Two Independence titles. The Golden Jubilee title. A Soca Monarch crown.
A Groovy Monarch crown.
Years of managing and sustaining Kaiso Bards. The development of new calypsonians. The creation of opportunities for performers. The writing of songs for other artistes. The mentoring of young talent.
And now, while not competing himself, helping a young newcomer win the crown he vacated. If that is not a legacy, what is?
Where are the national honours?
There is another uncomfortable question that needs to be asked. Where are the national honours for our cultural giants?
I cannot recall any significant national honour bestowed upon Scholar by the authorities that adequately reflects his contribution to Grenadian culture. And that is a serious omission.
Government and the Ministry responsible for Culture need to do much more to honour the people who have given their lives to building our cultural identity. People such as Ajamu, Black Wizard, Inspector, Mr. Killa, Blaka Dan and Boyzie, among others, have made enormous contributions to Grenada’s cultural landscape.
They should know, while they are alive, that their country appreciates what they have given. And recognition should not always mean a plaque gathering dust on a shelf.
Why should the naming of a street in their honour be considered impossible? Why should the possibility of some tangible national recognition including the allocation of a piece of Grenadian real estate where appropriate be dismissed?
These are the people who have helped sell Grenada to the world. They have helped shape our identity. They have entertained us, challenged us, educated us and, in many cases, dedicated decades of their lives to the development of our culture.
We need to start treating cultural achievement with the same seriousness with which we treat achievement in other spheres.
Scholar’s greatest crown
Perhaps, then, Scholar’s decision to step away from the competition this year should not be viewed as an ending. It should be viewed as the beginning of another chapter.
Because in 2026, Scholar demonstrated that his greatest contribution to Grenadian calypso may no longer be what he can win for himself. It may be what he can help others win.
He created Back Stage. He gave calypsonians more opportunities to perform. He wrote for five artistes and all of them made it to the finals.
He mentored young performers. He helped a first-time calypsonian become a joint Calypso Monarch. He helped a priest make the finals in his debut.
And all the while, he continued to lead and sustain one of the most important institutions in Grenadian calypso. That is not a king simply defending a crown.
That is a king building a kingdom. And perhaps that is why 2026 should be remembered as the year of Scholar’s greatest achievement. Not because he won another crown. But because he chose to give one away and then helped someone else wear it.
That is the difference between being a champion and becoming a legend.
Grenada has produced many great calypsonians. But when the history of this era is finally written, one name will be impossible to leave out, Scholar.
The records say he is Grenada’s most crowned calypsonian. The evidence says he has done more than anyone else to sustain, administer, develop and advance the artform while still remaining an active participant in it.
And 2026 has given us perhaps the clearest evidence yet that his greatest legacy will not be the trophies sitting on his shelf. It will be the people standing on stage because he helped put them there.
Give the man his flowers while he is alive. Proclaim him for what he is.
Treat him for what he is. Grenada’s Calypso GOAT.
And let the legacy that endures be not merely that Scholar won more crowns than anyone else, but that when he had nothing left to prove, he turned around and helped the next generation find its crown.
NB: I wish to acknowledge and sincerely thank the many individuals, calypsonians and cultural enthusiasts who shared their knowledge, insights and recollections, which helped to inform and enrich this article. Their contributions helped provide a broader appreciation of Scholar’s remarkable journey and enduring contribution to Grenada’s calypso and cultural heritage.
Reginald Deriggs