Chutney Soca Music & Monarchs


Some have said that the original Soka music created by Lord Shorty was indeed the beginning of today's Chutney Soca music. Of course, we are talking about Indrani. That created much controversy and confusion when it was released. However, thanks to Lord Shorty, and the innovations of the Indian community, we have this addition to Soca music. The Chutney Soca music industry is booming today!

In 1987 Drupatee Ramgoonai named her first album "Chatnee Soca" and gave birth to a genre of music called "Chutney Soca" today. In 1988 she had her smash hit "Roll up de Tassa" which literally created a market for this new style of music. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that Chutney Soca would be what it is today with its own monarch competition. The competition has grown and become a major show that is now moving to "The Savannah" in Port-of-Spain for Carnival 2012. 

This competition has talent/winners from Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, and soon we should have talent from Canada and the US. The growth of this show will soon rival the traditional Power and Groovy Soca Monarch Competitions.

Wikipedia article stated the following:
In Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana & Suriname Chutney-Soca music is a crossover style of music incorporating Soca elements and Hindi-English lyrics, Chutney music, with Indian instruments like the dholak and dhantal.

The term chutney soca was first coined by Drupatee Ramgoonai of Trinidad & Tobago in 1987 in her first album entitled Chutney Soca, with both English & Hindi versions of the songs. The current style of the spelling of the term was not established then & she spelled it as " Chatnee Soca". The following year her mega-hit "Roll up de Tassa" was instrumental in creating a commercial market for this type of music internationally.

Drupatee has spoken about the blending of Afro & Indo melodies & rhythms in songs like Chatnee Soca & Hotter than ah Chulha". Chutney is a melody & soca is a beat. Drupatee used an ancient Indian melody called a 'lawnee' with the soca beat in her rendition of "O Tassawalley" & has released a legacy of Chutney Soca music.
via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Chutney Soca Monarch Winners
The following list is a look at the past winners of Drupatee's "Chatnee Soca" better known today as "Chutney Soca"!

1996 - Sonny Mann - Song #1 Lotay La | Song #2 Roll Bhowjie
1997 - Heeralal Rampartap - Song #1 Basmatie | Song #2 Nacho Ray
1998 - Rikki Jai - Song #1 Dulahin | Song #2 Jara Lage La
1999 - Rikki Jai - Song #1 Rosie Balena | Song #2 Galeekay Morah Godinaa
2000 - Rooplal Girdharie - Song #1 Goriya Ray | Song #2 Sweet Dulahin
2001 - Rikki Jai - Song #1 Kanhija | Song #2 Ah Coh Show You
2002 - Rikki Jai - Song #1 She Leave Meh and Gone Away | Song #2 Rock-a-by Baby
2003 (Tie) Rikki Jai & Heeralal Rampartap
  • Rikki Jai - Song #1 River Lime | Song #2  I’m a Trini
  • Heeralal Rampartap - Song #1  Mai Pyar Ho Gaya... | Song #2 Raat aur Din Mey Tarsat Rahelay
2004 - Rooplal Girdharie - Song #1 Dulhanya | Song #2  Nobody eh going Home
2005 - Heeralal Rampartap - Song #1 Kay-Paharie | Song #2  Run For Meh Life
2006 - Rooplal Girdharie - Song #1 Dholak Bhajayai | Song #2  The Last Jump Up
2007 - Rooplal Girdharie - Song #1 Oh Mere Piya | Song #2  Here Now
2008 - Rooplal Girdharie - Song #1 Aaye Sajanee Peeya Moray  | Song #2 Crazy For You 
2009 - Kenneth Salick - Song - Radica
2010 - Ravi B - Song - Ah Drinka
2011 - Rikki Jai- Song -White Oak and Water
2012- Kris Veeshal “KI” Persad- Song - Single Forever
2013- Raymond "Showstoppa" Ramnarine - Song - I Ain't Marridin' No  More
2014 - Kris Vishal "KI" Persad- Song - Runaway
2015 - Ravi B & Rikki Jai- Song - CSM20
2016 - KI (Kris Veeshal Persad) - Song - Same Gyal Twice
2017 (Tie) Ravi B & Omardath Maraj
  • Ravi B - Song entitled: Budget  
  • Omardath Maraj - Song entitled: Ramsingh 
2018 -  Nishard Mayrhoo and Neval Chatelal- Song - Masala
2019 - Nishard Mayrhoo and Neval Chatelal- Song - Fyah
2020 - Imran "GI" Beharry - Song - Anna
2021 - *****
2022 -  Imran "GI" Beharry - Song - Wa We Go Do
2023 - Ricardo "Daddy Chinee" Melville - We Are One