From Grenada’s Roots to the Groovy Monarch Crown — A New Chapter Begins

For Sabrina Francis, music has never been just a career. It has been a language, a journal, a source of healing and a way to make sense of the world around her.

Growing up as the seventh of nine children in Madeys, St. Patrick’s, Grenada, Sabrina was surrounded by music from an early age. With her mother, calypsonian Lady Empress, and her father’s love of vocals and guitar, music was woven into family life. Although she once imagined a future in accounting or the corporate world, her journey would take her somewhere far more personal: a life dedicated to storytelling, cultural expression and connecting with people through song.

Today, Sabrina Francis stands at an exciting point in her career. In 2026, she made history as Grenada’s first female Groovy Soca Monarch, winning with her song Honour You and introducing her music to a new audience. Yet, for Sabrina, the victory represents more than a crown. It is another reminder of what is possible when you trust your abilities, remain true to yourself and embrace opportunities to grow.

Her music, which she describes as Afro-Caribbean Pop, continues to draw inspiration from Grenadian culture, Caribbean experiences and the emotions that connect us as human beings. Through projects such as Meet Me at the Mango Tree, she is also finding new ways to honour the island’s storytelling traditions while challenging herself creatively.

In this Worlmag exclusive, Sabrina opens up about her childhood, her purpose as an artist, the significance of her historic Groovy Monarch win, and what lies ahead. With a brand-new story and 14 new songs ready for the return of Meet Me at the Mango Tree, she is entering what she calls a season of experimentation — one built around taking risks, creating connections and reaching new audiences.

We speak to Sabrina Francis about the journey so far, the people who keep her grounded, and the legacy she hopes her music and family will leave behind.

Sabrina, before the stages, the music and the historic crown, who was Sabrina Francis growing up in Grenada? What are some of your earliest memories that still influence the woman and artist you are today?

I grew up as the 7th child of 9 siblings. In a small rural community named Madeys, St. Patricks. My childhood was vibrant and rich, although we didn’t have a lot financially. It’s impossible to give an account of my life before music, because I have always known it, it’s a part of every memory I possess, my parents made sure of that. My mom was a wonderful songwriter and calypsonian and my dad was the¨baddest thing kicking¨ let him tell it, when it comes to some vocals and a guitar. So music was almost a second language to us kids.

You grew up in a musical environment, with your mother Lady Empress being an established Grenadian calypsonian. How did growing up around music shape your relationship with it?

Before I used music as a way to make a living and ¨heal the world¨, I would use it as an outlet, a journal. It was the way I analyzed my experiences and made sense of the world. It’s saved my life many times.

Interestingly, music wasn’t initially the career you imagined for yourself. What did young Sabrina dream of becoming, and when did you realise that music might actually be your calling?

In my youth I had hoped to become an accountant, or to operate in the corporate space. Looking back, that would have been a mistake lol. I realized that music could be a viable path for me through the help of my mentor and manager Dieter Burkhalter, he’s the reason I started seeing the potential of my music. The reception it got once I started performing it live was encouraging and the organic growth, both musically and personally, made it a no brainer.

Was there a particular moment, performance or person that made you think, “Maybe I can really do this as a career”?

Out of curiosity, my team and I attended a networking conference in Austin in 2019, that CD Baby hosted. We met amazing musicians, artistes and industry specialists from all walks of life. The one thing they had in common, was that they were doing it themselves. They used social media to its fullest potential and pushed themselves out there. Nondoy was sitting around waiting to be5. 6. 7. 8. ¨discovered¨ It was inspiring, and it was the start of me taking my operations to the next level.

Grenada is such a culturally rich island, with its music, storytelling, Carnival, food, landscape and people. How much of Grenada do you believe is present in the music you create?

I can boldly say a LOT of it. My upbringing and culture deeply inspires my music and my live projects. I call the music I make ¨Afro Caribbean Pop¨. Storytelling is a big part of what I do, my theatre show Meet Me At The Mango Tree pays homage to Grenada’s storytelling traditions, my songs like Cocoa Tea fondly highlights our food, songs like Woman and Learn to Love honours the matriarchs of our community and speaks about some of the struggles we sometimes endure as Caribbean people. There are many many more examples of the beautiful marriage between my music and my culture.

Early in your career, your music didn’t necessarily fit neatly into the dominant musical sounds coming out of Grenada. Did you ever feel like you were fighting to find your place?

There was a time when maybe I felt like I was fighting to be accepted. But after a while, I recognized that that might never happen and I would have to be okay with it and just continue with my authentic expression and the journey of finding my sound. When I let go of the desire to be fully accepted and understood, I felt people becoming more and more curious and supportive.

Looking back at your earlier work, what do you think young Sabrina was trying to say through her music that perhaps you understand differently today?

A lot of my earlier music was me navigating difficult time, they were prayers, they were reaching out to see who else was out there experiencing the same things, they were letting people know they weren’t alone. The songs I’m writing in this season of my life is a lot more light hearted, it’s celebratory. Feelgood stuff. My music is always reflective of wherever I am in life.

You’ve released albums, and numerous singles and have worked with international creatives. What has the journey taught you about being an independent Caribbean artist?

I’ve learned just how important it was for me to take the time I took finding my own sound and expression. Learning myself, figuring out what I want to say and how BEFORE I collaborated. On the other hand, I’ve also learnt that collaboration on every level is vitally important, as much as I am an independent artiste, I know I can’t do this alone. So building up a trusted and competent team of people is the mandatory, at least for me.

You’ve performed internationally, including at London’s Royal Albert Hall, worked with major artists and appeared on a Disney+ special with Pentatonix. When you look back at those moments, what do they mean to the girl who started out in Grenada?

They mean the world. These experiences serve as little reminders that I can do whatever I want, as long as I’m willing to put in the work. It helps me build trust in myself and my abilities.

Beyond making music, what is Sabrina Francis’ purpose? What do you believe you are here to contribute through your creativity?

I believe I’m here to observe and document our emotional experience as human beings. I see myself as a bit of a diarist. I observe, analyse, and translate what I experience and witness into songs. I hope these songs find the people who need them, whether that’s now or years from now, and help them make sense of whatever they might be going through. In that way, I think my purpose is to create something that makes people feel seen, understood, and a little less alone.

What do you want people to feel when they listen to a Sabrina Francis song?

I want them to feel whatever it is they need to feel when they encounter my music. Be it release, or to be seen or sadness, or grief, or anger. I just want them to FEEL.

You’ve spoken previously about wanting a sustainable career and a life that allows you to remain connected to yourself and home. Has that vision changed as your career has grown?

Vision is the same lol. In fact, the need to remain connected to myself and my home has grown even stronger. I’ve had some experience in the business that’s shown me how easy it is to become completely lost if you don’t nurture those things.

How important is it for you to be able to build an international career while still being deeply rooted in Grenada?

I always want to be able to represent my culture and where I’m from, no matter how far I go in this world, It’s about identity, an innate need, that I think most of us have.

If you could sit down with the younger Sabrina who was writing songs as a child, what would you tell her today?

I would tell her to become a student of her craft. Learn an instrument, fall even deeper in love with your music, it will open so many doors for you girl.

Let’s talk about 2026. You entered the Groovy Soca Monarch competition and walked away as Grenada’s first female Groovy Soca Monarch. When that announcement was made, what was going through your mind?

Shock. As much as I worked for it and hoped for it, I still did not expect it. I was surprised and shocked and all the things.

What does becoming Grenada’s first Groovy Monarch Queen mean to you personally?

It’s another thing on my list of ¨girl you could really do anything you set your mind to do¨ It was another chance to make my mother so unbelievably proud, to carry her legacy, to surprise myself and even my fan base. I introduced a whole new group of people to my music, it allowed to make another small step in the advancement of my career. It was really a special special win, on so many levels for me.

Beyond your personal achievement, what do you believe this historic victory represents for women in Grenada’s music industry?

It’s representation for the young girls, to see a woman dominating in certain fields, I hope is very inspiring to them, and they feel motivated to go even further than me or my mom could ever dream

You entered a competition traditionally associated with a very different style of performance from the music you’ve become known for. What made you decide that 2026 was the year to step into the Groovy Monarch arena?

I wanted to give something back to my supporters for the love and the room to experiment they’ve given me over the years. I had my Wide Open Concert in March of this year, and the turn out and love was so overwhelming. Even though I’m sure they would’ve loved to hear a soca or two out me over the years, they turned up in their numbers to hear MY music, my quirky contemporary songs. I thought ¨what a GIFT¨, If they could give that to me, what is a groovy soca to give in return?

Your winning song was “Honour You.” What is the story behind that song, and why was it the song you wanted to take to the Monarch stage?

The short answer is it’s the only one I had lol but also I performed it live for the first time at the Wide Open Concert and the crowd response was great then I also had my instagram people give it a listen and got really good feedback. I was also very proud of the song, proud to say I wrote this. So in my mind there was nothing to lose.

The Monarch stage demands a different type of performance, energy and connection with an audience. What did competing on that stage teach you about yourself as a performer?

It confirmed to me that I really do just enjoy being chill and lowkey lol. But it was nice to proving to myself that it IS in me if I ever needed it,

There were challenges on the night, including elements of your planned stage presentation not materialising. How did you manage to stay focused and deliver the performance?

Right before I stepped on stage, I reminded myself ¨All you have control over is yourself and these lyrics. Even if all you have is a spotlight and nothing else on that stage, go out there and deliver your song, deliver your lyrics. Whatever happens after that is beyond your control.¨

Now that you’ve had time to process everything, what does “Groovy Monarch 2026” represent in the bigger story of Sabrina Francis and what inspired the your winning song Honor You is this a experience of yours or generalisation?

My Groovy win this year opens many potential avenues I can take. I’ve decided that I would like to find ways to dive even deeper in the groovy space and see what it brings creatively, I would like to do some local and regional collaborations. The song Honor You was inspired by my own personal experience, as is a lot of my songs. I was a in a very appreciative mood one day towards my partner, the words came. I worked with a Trinidadian Producer Michael Ramroop aka Stemz to bring it to life and the rest is history.

Meet Me at the Mango Tree is such a distinctive concept. Where did the idea come from, and what does the mango tree represent to you?

When I was a child, there was a majestic mango tree near the road, the men in the community built benches around it, and we used to gather there, children adults, we cooked food, we told stories, I have lots of core memories from around that mango tree. After 4 years of doing Sabrina’s Treehouse Concerts, it was time for a change, we thought about how we could elevate this experience for our guests while simultaneously challenging ourselves. So we put on a play, we wrote a story, then I wrote and recorded 12 songs with Nigerian producer “Mystro Sugar¨, we incorporated pre-recorded sounds and intense stage lighting to tell the story. We called it Meet Me At The Mango Tree. The learning curve was STEEP, but worth it. We took a hiatus at the beginning of 2026, and wrote a new story and 14 new songs, We will be re-opening on the 13th of November with a brand new story.

The experience combines music, storytelling, theatre, visuals and Grenada’s oral tradition. Why was it important for you to create something that went beyond a traditional concert?

It’s important for me to continue experimenting with my craft. The personal development that comes from doing random stuff that you’ve never done before is priceless. I’ve been making music professionally for over 12 years now. I find joy in pushing the boundaries.

How much of your own childhood and experiences are woven into the story behind Meet Me at the Mango Tree?

The first story I would say 60%. The new one is completely fictional.

What do you hope someone who has never experienced Meet Me at the Mango Tree understands or feels when they leave?

I want them to feel transported. I want them to be completely emerged and escape into the story, the songs and their emotions. I always say I hope they leave feeling better than they came.

You’ve already built a remarkable catalogue and now have a historic title attached to your name. What’s next? Are we entering a new chapter of Sabrina Francis?

I would say it’s a new season of experimentation for sure. As I mentioned earlier, I would like to explore some local and regional collaborations. And see just how many new ears I can introduce to the music.

What can fans expect from you over the next 12–24 months — new music, international collaborations, Meet Me at the Mango Tree, Wide Open, touring or something completely unexpected?

I think all of the above. I will for sure be doing Wide Open and Mango Tree, and I am always always open to the unexpected.

Finally, if this next chapter of your life and career had a title, what would you call it — and why?

I always separate my personal and professional goals. So the next chapter of my career is called ‘Get Out There’ because I plan to take risks, build connections and community. The next chapter of my life is called ‘Body Butter’ because I am really going to hone in on my self care, mentally, health wise, all of it. Giving myself the resources I need to be able to carry out all the plans I have for my career.

Sabrina, when the music stops, the lights go down and you return home to Grenada, what do you hope your legacy will be?

Two things have been the center of my life thus far, my music and my family. Through my music, I hope to have touched lives, I hope to have been an inspiration to those coming after me. I want my music to be a source of comfort and connection long after I’m gone. But just as important if not more so, I hope my legacy is one of commitment and devotion to the people who mean the most to me. I want my family to know that they are the heart of what I did and why I did it.

A New Season for Sabrina Francis

For Sabrina Francis, winning the 2026 Groovy Soca Monarch title is not the end of a journey. It is an invitation to explore new possibilities.

From the personal gratitude that inspired Honour You to the memories and cultural traditions that shaped Meet Me at the Mango Tree, her work continues to reflect a deep connection to Grenada, her family and the experiences that make us human.

Her next chapter, which she calls Get Out There, is about taking risks, building connections and creating community. Alongside her plans to explore more local and regional collaborations, Sabrina is preparing to bring Meet Me at the Mango Tree back to audiences with a completely new story and 14 original songs. The production is scheduled to reopen on 13 November 2026.

But beneath the ambition and creativity is a clear sense of what matters most. Sabrina wants her music to offer comfort, connection and inspiration long after she is gone. Equally, she wants her family to know that they have always been at the heart of everything she has done.

Her historic crown may have opened new doors, but Sabrina Francis remains an artist committed to her roots, her craft and the freedom to discover what comes next.

Follow Sabrina Francis on Instagram: @sabrinafrancismusic

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