Introduction to the 2023 Kwéyòl Song Competition, Chanté Kwéyòl

The 2023 Kwéyòl Song Competition, Chanté Kwéyòl The eleventh edition took place on Saturday October 7, at the National Cultural Center. Conceived in 2012 by founder deceased Gordon “Chacom” “Gin” Leon as a Kwéyòl calypso competition, the event changed to a song competition embracing all genres of music in 2015. It was then called Annou manjé, dansé, chanté Kwéyòl. It was Chacom’s vision to infuse the music of Saint Lucia with its indigenous language to give the language the level of recognition that it deserved. Two years after Chacom’s passing in 2017 the name was shortened to Chanté Kwéyòl, with the tag line, “Annou manjé, dansé, chanté Kwéyòl pou Chacom”. Over the years Chanté Kwéyòl has added more than 100 songs to the musical repertoire of Saint Lucia. One of the unique features of this event is that most of the songs performed on the Chanté Kwéyòl stage are not just original but are written by the performing artistes. The event has enjoyed the endorsement of the Monsignor Patrick Anthony Folk Research Centre from its inception and is a prestigious event on the official calendar of events in observance of Mwa Éwitaj Kwéyòl in Saint Lucia. On Saturday at the National Cultural Center eleven competing artistes graced the stage: Slot, Migz, Leonette Pierre, Sherlan, Afwéchi, Robert Rene, Black Pearl, Jaunty, Siah, K-Cey and Gregory Sinaise with a special guest appearance by Nikki Edmund. The event promises a bouyon of music as is the norm, gospel, country & western, zouk, Dennery Segment to name a few. Kay Kwéyòl remains grateful to the Ministry of Creative Industries and Culture for their support along with other supporting partners, Republic Bank EC Limited, Box Wraps & Flowers, Hallmark, St Lucia Mortgage & Finance Co Ltd and the Claudius Calderon Foundation. Calabash TV is a perennial sponsor of the Kwéyòl Song competition.