By Laila Langford
Roseau, Dominica — Moments after Midnight Groovers left the World Creole Music Festival stage on Night One, the message from the veteran cadence-lypso band was unmistakable: Dominica’s sound is not fading, and it is not going anywhere.
Performing on the opening night of the 26th edition of the World Creole Music Festival at Windsor Park Sports Stadium on Friday, October 23, 2026, Midnight Groovers delivered one of the evening’s defining cultural moments proof that cadence-lypso still has the power to move a stadium.
A Legacy With a Future
Frontman Phillip “Chubby” Mark did not mince words when asked what cadence needs next.
“We need more cadence in Dominica. We need more bands to boost up the cadence,” he said.
For Chubby, the genre is more than a style of music. It is heritage.
“I will always love cadence. You know it’s our culture, it’s part of our music culture, it’s part of us,” he said. “So what I can do is continue doing it in an exciting way that can encourage them to join that genre of music.”
The band’s performance drew strong reactions online, with festival posts praising Chubby’s energy and declaring that “when Midnight Groovers hit the stage, you know it’s time for real cadence-lypso.”
White Fairy: The Next Voice
Standing beside Chubby was White Fairy—already being positioned as the next carrier of the Midnight Groovers sound.
Band manager Reynold Alcendor made the succession plan clear.
“White Fairy is here with us. Chubby is getting of age, but we have him there understudying Chubby,” Alcendor said. “The moment Chubby says he has had enough, then White Fairy comes in, because he is already doing well.”
“He can sing all of Chubby’s songs,” he added.
It was a deliberate statement of continuity: Midnight Groovers is not merely celebrating its past; it is preparing its future.
A Message From Paris
Alcendor also pointed to a powerful example from the band’s own performance: two young artists from France who had no prior connection to Midnight Groovers or cadence-lypso.
“As you saw tonight, you saw two young guys—upcoming artists from France. They knew nothing about Midnight Groovers and cadence-lypso,” he said. “However, we were able to take the songs, send them across to them, and they learned the music in Paris and then came down here.”
The result, he said, showed the genre’s international reach.
“This is just the beginning of what is to come,” Alcendor said. “I really wish this statement tonight sends out a message to the young people of Dominica and to the authorities.”
A Call for Music Education
The manager’s message extended beyond the stage and into policy.
“I personally think the government, the authorities, should find a way to have music as part of the curriculum,” he said. “Let’s get a music school here. Get young people to play music—not just cadence music, while it is true that cadence is important.”
His call came with a practical demand: invest in the infrastructure that allows young musicians to build careers at home.
“We really wish we could get a recording studio here and that the government would invest in sound engineering,” Alcendor said.
“We Are Here to Stay”
For Midnight Groovers, the message was both cultural and generational.
“So this sends a clear message that Midnight Groovers is not going anywhere. We are here to stay,” Alcendor said. “The day that the brothers decide to go, we gonna continue. More cadence, and more cadence, and more cadence.”
The 26th World Creole Music Festival opened with a lineup that blended Dominican cadence-lypso and bouyon with dancehall, kompa and international acts, including Capleton, Skillibeng and Klass. But for Midnight Groovers, the festival was also a platform to insist that Dominica’s own rhythm remains central to its identity and ready for the next generation.
