Send us Fan Mail

Rikki Jai never planned to become a chutney star. His dream was to make his mark in calypso—but music took him on a journey he couldn’t have predicted.

In this extended conversation, we explore the ambition, sacrifices and turning points behind his career. From selling his car to finance his first record to discovering that “Sumintra”—the song he placed on the B-side—was becoming his breakthrough hit, Rikki shares the stories behind the music.

We also get into:

🎙️ How Kenny Phillips gave him the name Rikki Jai.
🔥 His journey through Chutney Soca Monarch and the competitive drive behind his victories.
🎶 Why veteran artistes still face pressure to produce a new hit, regardless of their catalogue.
💼 The pandemic’s wake-up call and his advice on building income beyond music.
🏆 His return to calypso and the emotional significance of receiving an honorary doctorate.
🥃 The criticism of “rum songs” and the real-life stories behind his lyrics.

There’s humour, honest reflection and a deep love for the culture throughout this conversation.

Thank you for supporting us on Patreon. Your membership gives you early access and extended conversations like this one, while helping us sustain independent Caribbean storytelling. ❤️

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Before the viral characters and sold-out shows, Majah Hype was an electrician in New York with a secure job—and a decision to make.

We sit down with Majah Hype to explore his journey through music, DJing and comedy, the Caribbean upbringing that shaped his characters, and why he chose to walk away from steady employment to make people laugh.

From learning seven instruments to finding his footing on stage, we hear about the work behind the humour, his relationship with his father, and what representing the Caribbean means to him.

The conversation also addresses public allegations against him and his response.

CONTENT & EDITORIAL NOTE
This episode contains strong language and discussion of domestic abuse allegations and sexual content. Majah Hype denies the abuse allegations. We have not independently verified his statements about the final court outcome or the status of his record. His account should not be understood as establishing that the allegations were false.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🎧 SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Become a Patreon member to get every episode early and in its full-length, extended version. Your membership helps us sustain independent Caribbean storytelling.

https://www.patreon.com/coriesheppardpodcast

📱 FOLLOW CORIE SHEPPARD

📸 Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/coriesheppod

Subscribe, share the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments. We welcome respectful discussion.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What really happened when Helon Francis' Calypso Monarch performance was interrupted during the television broadcast? Was it a technical failure, something deliberate, or a controversy that exposed deeper issues within the calypso fraternity?

Two-time National Calypso Monarch and former Independent Senator Helon Francis joins us on The Corie Sheppard Podcast for a revealing conversation about calypso, politics, artistic integrity and his extraordinary journey.

For the first time on our platform, Helon speaks at length about the controversy surrounding his 2026 Calypso Monarch performance of “Doh Forget.” He shares how he discovered that part of his performance had not been broadcast, his reaction to the public outcry, and why he was disappointed that no official apology or explanation was personally communicated to him.

We also explore his views on the selection and judging of calypsonians, the challenges facing political and social commentary, and why he refuses to compromise his writing to satisfy anyone.

Beyond the controversy, Helon takes us back to growing up in Cascade, his family's calypso heritage, learning to write under George Martin, and studying music at university.

We also discuss his historic experience as a Calypso Monarch serving in Trinidad and Tobago's Senate, what independence really means in Parliament, and why he voted against the Property Tax Amendment Bill.

From the calypso stage to the Senate chamber, this is a conversation about culture, conviction, creativity and the responsibility of speaking for a nation.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🎧 SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Get early access and extended episodes on Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/coriesheppardpodcast

📱 FOLLOW CORIE SHEPPARD

📸 Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/coriesheppod

👍 Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/coriesheppardpodcast

𝕏 X
https://x.com/coriesheppod

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

#HelonFrancis #CorieSheppardPodcast #Calypso #TrinidadAndTobago #CalypsoMonarch