ROSTON Simon won the $50,000 first prize in the Tobago Stars of Soca competition on Wednesday night at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex.

The event, organised by Radio Tambrin and M&E TV’s Peter Lewis, was facilitated by the THA and Tobago Festivals Commission.

The dreadlocked Simon, who goes by the sobriquet Culture B, delivered an energetic performance to his selection, Strong Rum

The song, which had the audience in stitches, told the story of man with a penchant for mixing at least two types of rum to have a good time.

Simon told the crowd that several young women had approached him to be “winer girls” for his performance, but he declined their offer.

Instead, he opted to present elements of the Moriah Ole Time Wedding, with its unique brush-back dance, for the benefit of tourists in the audience who had come to Tobago for the island’s inaugural carnival.

Second place went to the duo Michael Skeete (Mike-Tower) and Kwame Mc Clean (Too Real) with Firestorm. Their lively presentation featured smoke, fire breathers and dancers dressed in red.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="660"] Michael Skeete, left and Kwame Mc Clean, known as Too Real, placed second at the Stars of Soca competition at Shaw Park Cultural Complex, Wednesday. - Photo by David Reid[/caption]

Mc Clean told the audience, “I want you all to understand something about our fire. This fire is what we call an internal fire. No water could out this. If you bring Iwer George in here – the Water Lord – we will turn him into steam.”

They received $30,000.

Coming in third was Gerard “GMB” Balfour with Problems, a song about the hardship blue-collar workers often experience in getting money from contractors and the government.

Dressed as a labourer, Balfour, one of Tobago’s top pannists, spoke about the problems he was experiencing as a cash-strapped family man.

“I want it. I need it. Money, money, money,” he declared in the song’s hook.

“I just come from wuk. Ah wuk whole time, call the supervisor. Wife calling me, pampers to buy, flour gone up. Everything just sky high, and now he telling me he doh have the money.”

Balfour said he does not want any handouts but prefers to “work for what is mine, 24-7 I on the grind.” He got $20,000.

[caption id="attachment_982967" align="alignnone" width="765"] Gerard Balfour performs on Wednesday at the Stars of Soca competition. Photo by David Reid[/caption]

The remaining competitors each received $5,000. Artistes were judged on music, performance, lyrics and crowd response.

At the start of the show, Radio Tambrin managing director George Leacock thanked the artistes who participated in the preliminary round of the competition leading to the finals.

He said all of the finalists displayed amazing attitudes.

“I have not seen a competition in Tobago in recent times with artistes being so supportive of each other.”

The Tobago Stars of Soca competition was inspired by Radio Tambrin’s popular Touch De Road initiative.

THA Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transporta