BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FOLLOWING his win of the LIME Senior Calypso Monarchy in the wee hours of (Dec. 30), Sylvester Hodge, popularly known as King Socrates, has announced his retirement from national calypso competitions. 

The five-time Calypso Monarch of St. Kitts and Nevis told SKNVibes that he wanted to end his career with a bang and had already planned to do so since last year when he took a break from the competition. 


“I had this planned from last year that I would enter this year’s competition giving it my all, capturing the crown and ending with a bang. When I look at my competition it is with people half my age and I feel like I don’t need to be on stage anymore,” he said. 

Hodge convincingly captured the crown with ‘The Real Health Scare’ and ‘Let Justice Reign’. 

Hodge will now be representing the St. Kitts in the Leeward Islands Competition in Anguilla, a competition that he said that he is looking forward to especially since he would be competing against the reigning Leeward Islands Calypso King, Konris Maynard. 

“So, people of the Federation and of Anguilla will have a treat when both of us will compete,” he said. Hodge has had an illustrious career in the calypso arena spanning some 30 years. In 1981 in the Sandy Point Buy Local Calypso Show, Hodge captured his first crown and has since gone on to capture 17 other crowns. 

“With a total of 18 crowns don’t you think it is time I retire?” he said. Although he will not be competing in national competitions, Hodge indicated that he would still strongly be involved in calypso competitions, as he would be helping “the next legacy of calypsonians”, particularly his daughter Queen Anastasia and the Mighty Jay. 

“I will still be active in helping them; they both have a lot of potential. This year I competed with the Mighty Jay in the Semi-Finals and I thought that he could have made it to the Finals,” he said.