TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO should revive the International Soca Monarch competition, said Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival chairman Thaddeus M Antoine.
“For Trinidad to be the mecca of Carnival, the mecca of soca music, from Ras Shorty I (to the present), to not have a Soca Monarch competition, I think it is very damaging to the product.”
The International Soca Monarch is owned by Caribbean Prestige Foundation and was held from 1993-2020, with Austin “SuperBlue” Lyons holding the record for titles at seven.
The competition, along with all other Carnival activities, was suspended for 2021 and 2022 due to the covid19 pandemic. When the festival resumed last year Soca Monarch was cancelled due to lack of funding and it was similarly cancelled this year. Speaking to Newsday in a Zoom interview, Antoine said when Machel Montano, Patrice Roberts, Bunji Garlin and Destra left the International Soca Monarch competition it “fell flat.”
“Because there is no longer an attraction to come to the festival.”
He said Caribbean people love big competitions, and it was necessary to have the major artistes to raise the standard of the competition. Antoine said for Saint Lucia Carnival, which is being celebrated from July 1-17 this year, the government had taken the decision to put the national events the week before the main events. He explained this allows the fetes big prominence in the Carnival and there is no clash with national events.
[caption id="attachment_1063538" align="alignnone" width="724"] Nailah Blackman - Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
“The reality is when you think of it, and when you think of Trinidad yourself, a lot of visitors don’t really come for your calypso finals, your Mardi Gras (Dimanche Gras). A lot of them don’t come for that. A lot of them come for the fetes, the all-inclusives, and things of that sort.” He explained that a window was provided for the national events, so they are not outshined by the fetes.
“You realise you don’t have Soca Monarch this year. Had you not had those kinds of fetes that you’ve been having you would have had Soca Monarch. But people would rather go to the fetes because they get more value for their fetes as opposed to the Soca Monarch.”
He pointed out that Calypso Monarch has been reduced from two songs to a one-song competition. Antoine said he does not like the change as he loves his kaiso and loves to hear two songs.
[caption id="attachment_1063539" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Aaron “Voice” St Louis will perfrom in St Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival. - Jeff K. Mayers[/caption]
“Because people say it is too long, it is boring, you don’t get the numbers you used to have. Again, had you not been having all those fetes it would have been featured highly. So there’s some merit in giving (the national events) a separate window and not competing with the big fetes. Because when you have a Kes, a Machel Montano coming down on the same night as a Soca Monarch, who do you think people going to?”
Helping Teddyson John with Stripped
Antoine was visiting Trinidad
