Dominican calypsonian King Dice has announced he will not compete to regain the Calypso Monarch title this year, citing concerns over judging following his performance in the 2025 finals.
In a Facebook post on December 27 marking the start of the new calypso season, King Dice, whose real name is Dennison Joseph, said he recently watched his 2025 finals performance for the first time and was left questioning where he had gone wrong.
According to the calypsonian, he believed his overall showing met the standard expected of a winning Calypso Monarch performance.
“The performance was there, the song was on point, the presentation was on point,” he said, adding that calypso is meant to reflect the spirit of Carnival and not be treated like a church performance.
While he did not go into detail, King Dice suggested he understood the reasons behind the outcome but expressed disappointment with the process. Calypsonian Joy “Joy” Stoute walked away with the title.
He apologised to his supporters and confirmed his decision to sit out the 2026 competition.
“This 2026 calypso season, I hope we can be fair and judge the songs and performances, not the person,” he said.
Despite stepping away from the competition, King Dice assured fans that he remains active musically and encouraged them to look out for new releases in the coming months.
Fans expressed support for his decision in the comments under the post.
One supporter wrote: “I support you 100 per cent, Dicey. This was not the only crown stolen from you. You and I know the only person to defeat Dicey is Dicey himself. A king is never honoured in his own country.”
Another commented: “The competition will not be the same without you. I will miss your performances. No matter what or who has the crown, you’ll always be my calypso king. You’re the best!”
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