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St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands — September 23, 2025 — The U.S. Virgin Islands turned up the volume on history this week as lawmakers gave a thunderous standing ovation to one of the region’s most electrifying cultural icons — Dennis “Pumpa” Liburd, the St. Kitts-born, St. Croix–raised soca powerhouse whose high-energy performances have taken Caribbean music global.

In a landmark move that cements Pumpa’s name in cultural history, legislators passed Bill 36-0058, sponsored by Senator Marise James, granting the entertainer the prestigious Key to the Territory and renaming 6-Y Peters Rest Road in Christiansted — the very place Pumpa calls “where it began” — in his honor.

FROM CAYON TO THE WORLD

Pumpa’s story begins in the proud and close-knit village of Cayon, St. Kitts, where he was born and raised. The son of respected community leader and activist Lennox Liburd and Ercille Bertie-Clarke (Sykes), Pumpa grew up in a household and a village that instilled in him discipline, resilience, and pride.

It is often said that “it takes a village to raise a child” — and in Pumpa’s case, the village of Cayon proudly lived up to that proverb. From the church steps to the football fields, from the rhythms of village life to the encouragement of neighbors who treated him as their own, Cayon nurtured and guided the boy who would become an international soca sensation.

Though Pumpa later moved to St. Croix as a teenager, his Kittitian roots remain indelible. He frequently credits Cayon and the values of its people for shaping his character, his energy, and his unshakable drive.

A STAR WHO BECAME A CULTURAL AMBASSADOR

Today, Pumpa is more than just an entertainer. Known for carnival anthems and pulsating stage shows, he has become a self-appointed cultural ambassador for the Virgin Islands and the wider Caribbean. Senator James hailed him as far more than a musician, declaring: “You embody energy, discipline, and inspiration that have touched countless lives. You are a cultural ambassador, a leader, and a living reminder of what is possible when passion meets perseverance.”

PRAISE FROM ACROSS THE REGION

The session honoring Pumpa was nothing short of a regional celebration, with tributes pouring in from soca giants Machel Montano, Asa Banton, and the Virgin Islands’ own Benny Demus.

Ian Turnbull, Director of the Division of Festivals, summed it up: “Earning the key to the city is more than symbolic. Pumpa’s journey reflects resilience, dedication, and an unshakable love for his community.”

“THIS ONE IS FOR US”

Visibly emotional, Pumpa reflected on his journey from the proud village of Cayon to St. Croix to the world stage: “Music was birthed in me… I don’t know myself without music. Never thought I would have been alive to witness these things.”

As he accepted the honors, Pumpa dedicated the moment to his community and the wider entertainment industry: “Big up all the musicians, all the DJs, the whole entertainment body in the Virgin Islands. This one is for us!”

LEGACY ENSHRINED

With a road in Christiansted carrying his name and the Key to the Territory in his hand, Dennis “Pumpa” Liburd now stands immortalized in Virgin Islands history. Yet his legacy is shared not only with St. Croix, but also with Cayon, St. Kitts — the proud village that raised him, molded him, and propelled him to greatness.

From the narrow village lanes of Cayon to the world’s biggest soca stages, Pumpa’s story is a living testament to the truth: when a village raises a child, that child can rise to raise the world.

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