International Soca Monarch Winners


The Soca Monarch Competition is the most popular singing competition that takes place in Trinidad and Tobago during the celebration of Carnival. The show is held on Fantastic Friday (Friday before Carnival takes to the streets). The standard was based on two competitions on that night.

The Groovy Soca and Power Soca Monarchs were crowned that night. However, starting in 2016 only one Soca Monarch is crowned! The two sub-genre competitions were cast aside.

It is difficult to understand how a Groovy Soca Song can compete against a Power Soca song taking into consideration that the Power Soca song creates so much energy during the actual performance by the artist. What is your opinion?

We have prepared this listing from our Soca Music Post as a quick reference guide to the Soca Monarch winners from 1993 to the present.
Trinidad/International Soca Monarch
1993 - Superblue - Bacchanal Time
1994 - SuperBlue - Flag Party
1995 - Ronnie McIntosh - On The Road
1996 - Superblue - Bounce
1997 - Ronnie McIntosh - Ent
            Superblue - Barbara (Tie)
1998 - Super Blue - Ato Party
1999 - Kurt Allen - Stampede (Dus Dem)
2000 - Super Blue - Pump Up
2001 - Shadow - Stranger
2002 - Bunji Garlin - We From de Ghetto
            Iwer George - Gimme Ah Bligh (Tie)
2003 - Iwer George - Ah Home
2004 - Bunji Garlin - Warrior Cry
2005 - Bunji Garlin - Blaze de Fire
2006 - Shurwayne Winchester - Ah Can't-Wait
2007 - Iwer George - Fete After Fete
2008 - Bunji Garlin - Fiery
2009 - Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez - Meet Superblue (First female winner)
2010 - JW & Blaze - Palance [2]
2011 - Machel Montano - Advantage
via http://www.socamonarch.net/new/ (1993-2011)

2012 - Machel Montano - Pump Yuh Flag
2013 - Tie Machel Montano - Float | Austin "Super Blue" Lyons - Fantastic Friday
2014 - Machel Montano - Ministry of Road
2015 - Machel Montano aka Monk Monte - Like Ah Boss (this was MM last year of competition!)
2016 - Aaron St. Louis a.k.a. Voice - Cheers To Life (Year of One Soca Monarch
2017 - Aaron St. Louis a.k.a. Voice - Far From Finished (Year of One Soca Monarch)
2018 - Aaron St. Louis a.k.a. Voice - Year For Love (Year of One Soca Monarch)
2019 - Power Soca Monarch: Hollis Mapp aka Mr. Killa (Grenada) - Run Wid It
2020 - Stage Gone Bad - Iwer George (ft. Kees Dieffenthaller of KES the Band)
2021 - No Carnival/No Competition (Covid-19 Pandemic)
2022 - No Carnival/No Competition (Covid-19 Pandemic)

International Groovy Soca Monarch 
2005 - Michelle Sylvester - Sleeping In Your Bed
2006 - Shurwayne Winchester - Don't Stop
2007 - Biggie Irie - Nah Goin' Home
2008 - Shurwayne Winchester - Carnival Please Stay
2009 - Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez - Heavy T Bumper
2010 - Shurwayne Winchester - Murdah
2011 - Kes Dieffenthaller- Wotless
via http://www.socamonarch.net/new/ (2005-2011)

2012 - Machel Montano - Mr. Fete
2013 - Machel Monatno - The Fog
2014 - Kerwin Du Bois - Too Real
2015 - Olatunji Yearwood - Ola
2016 - 2018 - No Groovy Soca Monarch Competition
2019 - Groovy Soca Monarch: Marvin Davis aka Swappi (Trinidad) - Party Start
2020 - College Boy Jesse - Happy Song
2021 - No Carnival/No Competition due to the World Covid-19 Pandemic
2022 - No Carnival/No Competition due to the World Covid-19 Pandemic
2023 - No Funding/Competition Cancelled

bmobile TSTT People's Choice
2006: Bunji Garlin
2007: Shurwayne Winchester
2008: Bunji Garlin
2009: Fay Ann Lyons-Alvarez
via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

There was also the Tenth Ragga Soca competition that first started in 1999 according to tntisland.com. However, because of sponsorship issues the competition never took hold. Ragga-Soca music with an emphasis on Jamaican-style lyrical delivery is still going strong with Bunji Garlin leading the charge.

Ragga Soca
1999 - Iwer George - Iwer And Ah Half
2000 - Bunji Garlin - Chant Down Babylon
2001 - Bunji Garlin - Licks
via http://www.tntisland.com/

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