Episode 233 | Kurt Allen

This week we welcome the ever-relevant, ever-fierce Kurt Allen — calypsonian, social commentator, and one of only three people who have won both Calypso and Soca Monarch. From his early days as a teen composer to leading Roy Cape All Stars and shaking up Skinner Park with hard-hitting commentary, “The Last Badjohn of Calypso” holds nothing back. We talk competition politics, getting toilet paper in Skinner Park, and the fine art of saying what the people feel — without fear or favour. Kurt breaks down the discipline behind his performances, his years shaping young talent, his experiences in band culture, and his daughter Chocolate’s journey from homeschool to international performance stages. We also get into the rise and fall of calypso tents, his work with Caribbean Vision, living with the Marley family in Jamaica and his commitment to using calypso as a real-time tool for social and political truth-telling. This one is about legacy, purpose, and lyrical duty.