Vincentian Police Officer Wins BVI Calypso Crown in “Clean Sweep” 

By Admin. Updated 9:45 p.m., Sunday, July 26, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Vincentian police officer and former St Vincent and the Grenadines Calypso Monarch Zamfir Adams has added another prestigious regional title to his résumé after being crowned the 2026 British Virgin Islands Calypso King.

Adams, who performs in the British Virgin Islands under the stage name Officer, emerged victorious during the Calypso Showdown on Saturday, July 25, the opening event of the Lavida Cottoy Festiville, part of the 2026 Virgin Islands Emancipation Festival.

Festival organisers announced the result in a social media post, congratulating the new monarch while praising the high standard of competition.

“A huge thank you to all the talented performers who lit up the stage. The creativity and lyricism were at an all-time high,” the Virgin Islands Festivals and Fairs Committee said.

Adams later revealed that his victory was a clean sweep, having also secured the competition’s Best Lyrics, Best Performance, and Best Melody awards.

For Vincentians, Adams is better known by his local calypso sobriquet Man Zangie. The Barrouallie-born police officer was crowned St Vincent and the Grenadines Calypso Monarch in 2014 after defeating 10 other finalists with his performances of Act Before It’s Too Late and The Victims Cry.

His latest triumph further cements his reputation as one of the region’s accomplished calypsonians, successfully carrying Vincentian talent beyond the nation’s shores.

The Calypso Showdown marked the start of a packed entertainment schedule for this year’s Virgin Islands Emancipation Festival, with organisers promising nearly two weeks of music, culture and celebration honouring Lavida Cottoy, the 2026 Festival Village honouree.

The festivities officially continue on Monday, 27 July, with the Torchlight Procession and the grand opening of the Lavida Cottoy Festiville, featuring performances by Razor Blades, Boss, Destro and DJ Malie.

The programme also includes the Soca Monarch competition on 28 July, Gen Z Night on 29 July, Big People Party on 30 July, International Reggae Night featuring Jamaican reggae icon Sizzla on 31 July, Flag Pride on 1 August, the Miss BVI Pageant on 2 August, and the Parade Day Village Entertainment on 3 August.

The festival concludes with a series of themed events, including Go Green, Musical Mix, For Deh Culture: Fish and Fungi, Glow Night, and the Festival Last Lap (Drink the Bars Dry) on 8 August, bringing the curtain down on one of the British Virgin Islands’ biggest annual cultural celebrations.

For Adams, however, the celebrations have already begun, with his commanding Calypso Showdown performance earning him the 2026 crown and providing yet another proud moment for St Vincent and the Grenadines on the regional stage.

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