Nineteen in line-up to dethrone Dutchin
Stabroek News
January 13, 2007
On February 3, Guyanese and more particularly Linden party fans are going to witness the first instalment of this year's Carib Soca Monarch competition and it's bound to have a few surprises.
The quarter-final is set for the mining town-or is it ex-mining town now party venue? Whichever, it will see 19 contestants "warring" to get into the semi-final billed for the Esplanade Ground, New Amsterdam, Berbice on February 10. By then, four contestants would have been eliminated and another four will go on that night.
And on February 18, at the National Park the remaining 11 contestants along with the defending 2006 Monarch Adrian Dutchin will vie for the $600,000 first prize. The second and third place 'seekers of the crown' would be awarded with gifts of $300,000 and $150,000 respectively.
At this fourth annual contest promoted by 'the gold and blue' Carib is also offering a prize for the best newcomer. Demerara Distillers Ltd, according to its Marketing Assistant Alicia Katideen, is providing in excess of $600,000 to aid in the successful run off of this year's competition.
Okay, the nitty gritty is this: Ansa McAl recently announced the quarter finalists heading to Linden. The company said a panel of three judges selected Sharmaine Gift with her song "Garden City", Lil Man with "One For The Road", Shelly G with "Love Can Set Us Free", Malo with "Give Me It", DMD with "Oh Oh Oh Oh", Lucky B with "Rred", Passion with "Survivor", Bones Roots with "Hands Up", Vanilla with "Queen of the Band", Mighty Duke with "Afraid", Nicole Osbourne with "Soca Fever", Mark Harris with "Super Markey", Pecky Dred with "Put Them Rags Together", Sweetie with "Don't Lie Down So", Stephen Dunbar with "Live In Love", Ronella with "It's Party Time", G-Money with "Flashlight" and X Factor with "Don't Get In Trouble". Dutchin is coming strong with "Big Damn Celebration".
For the fans who may want to know where last year's almost-monarch Michelle 'Big Red' King is in all this, Carib Soca Monarch Coordinator Nigel Worrell revealed that the soca stalwart did not enter this year but that she is being pursued to put in a guest appearance.
That said, here is a first look at five of the wannabes:
X Factor
X Factor is part of the popular dance group known for its fly passa passa moves. The group's two leaders Gary Morgan, 34, and James Yhap, 31, are hoping to have newcomers' luck with their anti-crime track "Don't Get In Trouble", in which they sing:
"Nah guh thief for live with grief
We nah guh rape fe go a jail
Illegal killing don't mix with no AK
Mashramani happiness to hell with
Them crime stress"
Gary said they put together the song for the competition as, "it's a long time we wanted to get into music because X Factor is not only a dancers' group, but it also has actors and everybody else. …we thought it was a good opportunity to enter and show people that we don't only do passa passa."
Gary said the song sends a positive message for youths to do something positive with their lives instead of wasting time.
Lois Moseley
Another first time Carib Soca Monarch entrant, Lois was a finalist in this year's first ever local reality show Star Guyana. Her song, "Don't Lie Down So", she says, a song about "a young lady caught up in material times sleeping with men because of their generosity."
She sings:
"Not because he gives you money and calls you honey
Means he loves you Suzy
All he might need is your body
No No No Suzy don't lie down so
Make sure you know
What he say is so."
Lois who is adopting the stage name 'Sweetie' told the Scene she was motivated to enter the competition by veteran bandsman Bonny Alves who gave her the nod. He thought she could do it and said to Lois as a Star Guyana finalist that she should try something. She did and the result is the Soca Monarch quarter final entry.
Vanilla
First time Soca Monarch entrant Melissa 'Vanilla' Roberts, 23, is one of four competitors out of the Kross Kolours camp. She said her motivation for entering the competition as a professional artist for just about a year is to gain some experience and exposure.
A dancer since age 15, and a former member of the National School of Dance and Let's Dance Theatre, Vanilla says she is currently dancing with New Attitude Dance Company.
She is bringing to this year's soca party a track called "Queen of the Band", a song written by studio boss Burchmore Simon for the monarchy. The lyrics include:
"I am a queen and I love the band
Every carnival time
A searching for a man
Every time I think I found the one
I have to go and look for another one
But this trend has got to change "
Vanilla, who is also the Assistant Manager at Kross Kolours, is into audio, video and graphic production as well. She says she is still working on her lyrical writing skills.
Shelly G
Now that she can be called a queen in her own right, the pretty and vivacious Shellon 'Shelly G' Garraway is coming in as a veteran of the Soca Monarchy having entered since the competition first took off some three years ago.
In that first effort her song "Touch Meh", which is still making waves, having been launched in audio/video format recently, got her within hands reach of the crown.
This year she's back with another entry the result of her creative talents and she says, "basically the world needs to be better, with all the mishaps, and fighting," hence her song "Love Can Set Us Free" which is intended to promote love, peace and unity through her favourite genre, soca.
"All we need is unity
Some peace and little harmony
To make brighter days
Just for you and me
Only love can set us free
Only love can set us,
Love can set us free."
Sharmaine Gift
A former back-up singer for the Fire Clan Band, Sharmaine Gift is a newcomer looking to win a gift for herself in the form to the 2007 Soca Monarch Crown.
No stranger to the stage Sharmaine says she thought she should enter the competition because, "I have a love for music since hen you're doing it can bring a kind of peace within the soul."
Her entry 'Garden City' was inspired by the need for Guyanese to get the country prepared for World Cup Cricket and reminds citizens of the need to get things in order.
The lyrics she chose to urge her fellow Guyanese to get in the spirit to present a magic city image when the best of one-day cricket passes through local turf are:
"Everybody must clean up
Everybody must pick up
Everybody must nice up
The Garden city
We are hosting World Cup Cricket
Many millions are going to see it."
More next week. basstone@lycos.com