FORMER president Anthony Carmona said the death of cultural icon Winston “Joker” Devine is a national, regional and international loss.

The prolific song writer who penned songs for almost every calypso great, including Machel Montano and Mighty Sparrow, died on Tuesday morning.

In a message expressing sadness at his passing Carmona said he was, “A giant of a composer and a lyrical poet extraordinaire, a quintessential cultural icon with the indisputable gift and power of the word, one who helped create our Marvin Gaye of calypso – King Austin.”

He said like King Austin, Joker, who was awarded the Humming Bird Medal Silver for music and the arts, never got the institutional recognition they both richly deserved.

“The Price of Progress and Who will guard the guard – two of many Devine’s eternal classics, sung by King Austin and, In time to come sung by Crazy, are calypsoes of vision, immeasurably inspiring depth, instructing, pedagogic, calypsoes of admonition and erudition, of indisputable international stature and reach.

“This philosopher poet Winston “Joker” Devine helped in a way not followed by some of our bards.

“His compositions were never divisive, parochial or insular but rather uplifting, reflective, searching, philosophical, humanistic and global in content, running critical commentaries on the flotsam and jetsam of our humanity, our personal and collective hopes, attributes and failings.

“He was sheer genius. May Almighty God welcome Winston "Joker" Devine in Paradise and may he rest in eternal peace.”