The Captain and His Crew: Inside Snakey’s Winning ‘Raging Seas’ Performance

Who is the captain of the ship?

From left to right: Rose Bhagwan, Rio “Snakey” St. Paul, Dr. Shola K. Roberts, Mellany Paynter, and SandXila at True Blue Bay Resort. Photo by Akilah Pascall

When I landed in Grenada for Spicemas 2026, word on the street was that the captain of the ship was the clear frontrunner.

Conversations in taxis and along the side of the road routinely turned into joyful banter about Rio “Snakey” St. Paul and what his much-talked-about “Raging Seas” presentation might bring to the Soca Monarch finals.

I had neither seen the performance nor even heard the song before arriving at the Grenada National Stadium on August 7, but the crowd’s response from the moment Snakey made his entrance told me almost everything I needed to know.

By the end of the performance, I knew he would be difficult to beat.

Read the full story over on Substack.