It may not have taken the Road March crown, a result many fans have called a “robbery”, but Toko Doak still emerged as one of the defining songs of Lucian Carnival 2025. With its catchy call to “start werk up” and “start free up,” the track by Saint Lucian artiste Deejay Asap, composed by French producer Natoxie, dominated fetes, Carnival recap videos, and even became the “Bum Bum Wall” anthem.
The song’s journey, however, began long before Carnival 2025. Deejay Asap told St Lucia Times that the track was pieced together from older freestyles and shaped by influences from other Saint Lucian artistes, including Ezra, Mal Fete and MC Dalo. While the song gained traction in 2025, it had actually been recorded a year earlier. Its release was deliberately delayed to build anticipation.
“We decided to go live on Instagram, and the Saint Lucians back home were feeling the song. Natoxie was the mastermind behind it. He was telling us he is not releasing it yet. He was saying no matter how much people want it released, he is not gonna release it,” Asap explained.
Before its official release, the song was sent to DJs in Martinique, where it was played during that island’s carnival and introduced to wider audiences. Deejay Asap also had opportunities to perform Toko Doak live in both Martinique and France, where it was well received.
Still, he admitted he did not expect the response it later received in Saint Lucia.
“I did not expect it to blow up so much… I was telling Yozo I don’t see the song getting much traction back home as it did in France,” he said. He added that the turning point came after his performance at the D’Vibes Dennery Segment Show, which helped solidify its popularity locally.
Since Carnival, Toko Doak has maintained strong momentum. It has remained the #1 soca song in Saint Lucia for four consecutive weeks and reached #16 on the Top 40 soca songs streamed worldwide, according to SocaSource. The track has also received airplay in Martinique, Guadeloupe, France, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other Caribbean territories.
Reflecting on the success, Asap said he was proud not only of his personal achievement but of the attention it has brought to Dennery segment.
“I am really proud of myself… coming from a long way. I’m just proud of the segment itself, Dennery segment. I know people have been saying Dennery segment is dead. I wish they could see how much Dennery segment is appreciated outside of Saint Lucia and how it could change their view of the genre,” he said.
For him, the success of Toko Doak is not the finish line, but a reminder that Dennery segment still has space on the regional and international stage, and that Saint Lucian music can continue to make its mark.
