PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – THE Hasely Crawford Stadium was ablaze with excellent music Friday night (Mar. 4) as Machel Montano dethroned JW and Blaze to be crowned this year’s International Power Soca Monarch, while Kes Dieffenthaller booted Shurwayne Winchester to take the Groovy Soca Monarch crown.
Montano won the competition singing ‘Advantage’ and Dieffenthaller’s piece was ‘Wotless’, while the two dethroned monarchs failed to place in their respective category.
In the Power Soca category, Iwer George was second with ‘Come To Meh’, while Bunji Garlin placed third singing ‘Hold A Burn’ with his wife Fay-Ann Lyons followed with ‘Consider It Done’.
The others who participated in this category are Blood, Nadia Batson and Patrice Roberts, Ravi B, Tallpree, Skinny Fabulous, Destra, Shal Marshall, Tian Winter and Michelle Xavier.
Benjai placed second in the Groovy Soca category performing ‘Trini’, Destra Garcia in third place with ‘Cool It Down’ and Blaxx fourth with ‘Tanty Woi’.
The other contenders were Saucy Wow, Kerwin Du Bois, Chucky, Yankee Boy and Patch, All Rounder, Jahmoun, Patrice Roberts and Cassi and Megan.
This has been Machel Montano’s comeback win at this competition after he had decided a few years ago that he would no longer compete. However, with the TT$2M up for grabs, not only did it caught his interest but also those of many other individuals.
The Trinidad International Soca Monarch Competition is one of the most anticipated shows held during that island’s carnival season and it attracts some of the Caribbean’s beast soca performers.
This year has been the second time an individual from St. Kitts/Nevis had competed in that annual event. The first person to have done so is the current National Calpso Monarch Pungwa, who had reached the Semi-Finals in 2003, and now Konris Maynard who had participated in this year's Semi-Finals on February 13.
