The International Soca Monarch Competition is Rigged! | Trinidad 2015

Sigh, I am so disheartened with the way this Soca Monarch competition is turning out. Anyone who watched the show should have been disappointed with most of the performances. However, the artists who made it to the finals leave me wondering if this entire show is a farce and the finalists are selected to ensure a packed stadium/get the best ratings. 

Like most people who perused the list of the finalists I have to conclude that the Soca Monarch Competition is rigged!

I am not just upset with the judging/Soca Monarch organization,  I also am upset with some of the 'big name' performers and their performances on the night of the semi final competition. Take Skinny Fabulous as an example, he performed in the Groovy as if he was in the Power Soca category and made it to the finals (not deserving) but did not make it to the finals in the Power Soca category (his natural style). Lyrikal was out of breath during his performance in the Groovy and made it to the finals... both big name artists! Leadpipe and Saddis are very lucky to make the Groovy finals - they sucked! They have a wonderful song entitled "Ah Feeling Nice" but their performance was terrible. At the same time Second Sta who deserved to move on to the finals was left out... 

Fya Empress competed in the Power Soca category and  I thought her performance was deserving of a place in the finals considering all the shouting that took place by the majority of artists for the semis - she is out! Then came Granny... the crowd went wild but that does not mean that the song was good or that her performance deserved a place in the finals. Maybe it was the comedic effect and the diaper she wore that had the crowd laughing so much and calling for more! After all crowd response is but a small portion of the points awarded by the judges. So why did she make the finals? I guess it was because the crowd liked it ... what does that say about the judging?

How can one expect the foreign artists coming to Trinidad for this show to feel like they have a change to win anything? I would believe that the show was rigged to favor the Trinidadian Soca Shouters! Something does not feel right regarding the selections made for the finals. So what should be done to somewhat level the playing field? Here is an idea, the scores for these shows should be posted (digital screen) immediately after the artist performs! Later on a breakdown of the scoring should also be published or made available to the artists (all contestants scores/breakdown of points). Some people are talking about kick backs and other corrupt activities. Make the judging process transparent!

I understand that regardless of the method used some artists will feel that they were robbed. However, if the scores are posted immediately after each performance then no one can state that the scores were rigged a day later. This is not just a sore aspect of the competition but also one of its greatest weaknesses. The sad thing is that it is so easy to fix but is never addressed... I wonder why!

We can analyze each performance and make an assumption regarding who did well and who did not. We can state that this person should  have made it to the finals and that artist X should not have made it to the finals. The problem is the Soca Monarch Organization and their absolute control of the system. Transparency of the judging process will help but the artist also need to help themselves. How is it that the recordings sound so nice but he live performances become a turn off? Some artists are just good for studio recordings while others have their voices auto tuned by the recording engineer. Others are just not good on the stage with live music. Voice training is needed because I am fed up of the shouting on stage. Running back and forth on a stage will leave you breathless and unable to sing! Somebody please pass that on to Lyrikal and the others who were breathless on stage!

Damn....

Here are the listings for performers/songs scheduled to compete in the International Soca Monarch competitions: Groovy and Power Soca. The listing was provided by the International Soca Monarch Show producers and sourced from the promoters Facebook home page.

Here are the artists that will compete in the finals for the now vacant Groovy Soca Monarch title. Last year's winner, Kerwin Du Bois will not defend his title:
 Sobriquet/Name of Singer
Darryl Henry | Farmer Nappy
Destra Garcia | Destra
Devon Martin | Lyrikal
Dexter Stewart | Blaxx
Erphaaan Alves | Erphaan Alves
Gamal Doyle | Skinny Fabulous (SVG)
Kendrick George | Chow Chow
Nadia Batson | Nadia
Nicholas Sealy | Fadda Fox (Barbados)
Olatunji Yearwook | Ola
Osvaldo Reid/Reshawn Ince | Leadpipe & Saddis (Barbados)
Ricardo Drue | Drue (Antigua)
Rodney Le Blanc | Benjai
Roderick Gordon | Chucky
Name of Song
My House
Lucy
Cloud 9
Moving Up
Tanty
Anywhere We Step
Saga Boy
Cooler Fete
Ducking
Ola
Ah Feeling Nice
Vagabond
Phenomenal
Doh Take It On

Here are the artists that will compete in the finals for the International Power Soca Monarch Title. Machel Montano is the defending Monarch:
Sobriquet/Name of Singer
Dexter Stewart - Blaxx
Heaven Charles - Snakey
Hollice Mapp - Mr.Killa (Grenada)
Kernal Roberts - Kitch
Keshorn Hazzard /S.Marshall - Squeeze Head/Shal (TT/GDA)
Kris Persad - KI
Machel Montano | Monk Monté- (Defending Monarch)
Neil Iwer George | Iwer "King" George
Nikki Crosby - Granny
Patrice Roberts - Patrice
Shurwayne Winchester -Shurwayne (Tobago)
Name of Song
Badness
Cyah Rhyme
Panty Dropper
Excitement
Turbo Charge
Flags
Erupt
Red
Go Granny
Drink
We Pumping
Check the Order of Appearance for the finals scheduled to take place on Fantastic Friday at the Haseley Crawford Stadium in Trinidad at a the following link: Soca Monarch Finals 2015/Order of Appearance.

2 Comments

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Vushung said…
Yes Santi!

Like you, I too am disappointed that Ann G didn't make the cut.

It's a travesty!
Santiwah said…
Yuh know something... she did perform better than most of the 'so called' Soca singers/shouters.

I would put her ahead of most of the local artists... isn't that interesting!

You and this Ann G ... salt in an open wound.... play yuhself Vush!