Crooner Crowned 2025 Calypso Monarch at Kaiso 365 Finals

The energy was high and the lyrics sharp on Saturday night as the Ontario Calypso Performing Artists hosted the annual Kaiso 365 competition at the Hungarian House in Toronto.

Emerging victorious was Bill Newman, known on stage as The Crooner, who beat out five other talented finalists to earn the title of 2025 Calypso Monarch.

Crooner captivated the crowd and judges alike with his thought-provoking performance of “The 51st State,” a biting political commentary referencing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s vision of Canada as an American state.

Dressed in red and white and proudly adorned with a maple leaf, Crooner delivered the line that echoed through the hall: “We don’t want to be a state in a country so full of hate.”

The night was filled with stellar performances, as each finalist brought their A-game in a celebration of Caribbean musical tradition and social commentary.

For full coverage, see this Thursday’s edition of The Caribbean Camera, August 31.

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