2021 Soca Monarch through my lens

I know I’m a few days late with this blog/review, but would I really be Gabriella if I were on time? Hehe…

So here’s my little review on the Soca Monarch Competition that went down on Saturday evening, virtually. Or in my case, at the National Cultural Center, since I was there with a wide angle view from the balcony. 

Before I proceed, lemme just point out that due to the nature of this review, I'll be bouncing between creole and standard English. Lmao!

And I must also state, that these are my pills that you are not obligated to swallow. I understand that each person will have differing opinions and favourites, and that’s okay. But this blog is being written through my lens. 

First and foremost, hats off to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for hiring the most efficient team to execute the virtual show. I’m not sure of the exact people and their responsibilities, but from the stage setting, the lights, the screens, the sound, the musicians, cameras, everything was exceptionally well put together.

There were a few minor glitches during the performances, but overall it was an excellent production and appreciated effort to keep the culture alive, even as we’re going through a global pandemic.

NOW… Let’s get to the actual competition...starting first with the top four contestants. 

I personally knew from deep within my soul, that for varying reasons, Samuel Medas was going to be the 2021 Soca Monarch. He deserved it because: 

1. I believe he brought a fresh and different taste of Soca Music to the local competition, and a much needed controversy on whether or not a man of faith should be part of something so ‘ungodly’. (This controversy I’ll address in a separate blog. Let’s keep this strictly about Saturday night.)
2. His song, for me, is so invigorating and uplifting. I don’t know if it’s the God in him, because it appealed to every part of my being, and made me feel good! As soon as that steel pan starts at the beginning, boyy ya does feel like ya transcending. My feeling about this can also be tied to the fact that I was always a huge fan of Sammy’s music. I start most of my days with his music because of how uplifting they are and you’re guaranteed a rejuvenating start of the day. 
3. Outside of that though, throughout this competition, Sammy did the most to push his entry. I guess he sorta had the upper hand given that his fanbase, compared to the other artistes in the competition, was the biggest. His social media presence everyday was incomparable! I feel like he made sure every person in Guyana was familiar with his entry. And that’s something, most artists in Guyana don’t do properly. They don’t promote and push their music relentlessly. 
4. His performance, because the song is so infectious and well known, he didn’t need to do much. Automatically, everyone started jumping and singing. Regardless, he brought creativity, energy, and excellent stage presence. How he incorporated his live audience on the screen, his dancers dressing to represent different people in society, and of course, his freestyle segment and how well he worked the stage…
5. The Monarch culture in the Caribbean and by extension, Guyana, will get so much positive mileage out of Sammy as the King as he will expose it to a wider audience... All those and more, are reasons he breezed through the competition.

Howeverrrr, Diana Chapman is a name that will always be remembered from this competition. And I’m not only saying this because we have the same surname and she’s probably my cousin, but Diana came so close to running away with that Soca Monarch title, that I got an indescribable rush of excitement that night! 

Just about two weeks before the competition night, I heard Diana’s song and I said it has the ability to space if she performs this right.

On the night, when Casual (the Emcee) announced Diana Chapman, the few people in NCC, who were the family and dancers of the other contestants, barely said “woo”, and I heard like 2 claps. But when Diana took the stage, every single one of them started to scream. I for one, got slightly hoarse! Midway her performance when she started dancing, all, but a few were on their feet. She moved the audience… Imagine if there was an actual audience! 

After she performed, I had some bit of hope that she won the Soca Monarch. In my humble opinion, her performance as an artiste was unmatched. At least from where I stood on the balcony. She had a few technical glitches that were not her fault, but she surely made up for them. Her costume, the choice of colours and fabric worked well with the lights. And boy, oh boyy, the CHOREOGRAPHYY! Most contestants jumped and moved around the stage while their dancers carried on the show. So you’re splitting your attention and moving your eyes between the artiste and their dancers.  

BUT DIANA WAS THE SHOW! Lemme tell you, meen see her dancers yet! She took the spotlight from start to finish, you really couldn't take your eyes off her, and she was absolutely right to play that move. It secured the second place spot so firmly. Which brings me straight to the point I wanna make about Nekeita (Third Place Winner). She was hands down one of the better vocalists in the competition, and her song is a winner! However, I was expecting more from her during the performance. 

In my opinion, I believe she focused so much on singing the song perfectly and hitting all the notes right, that she forgot she had to perform the song too. And in this competition, it never really is about the vocal ability, but rather, your performance on stage. (Take Jumo’s four time win as perfect examples. He’s not so much a vocalist, but an exceptional performer). 

I’ve always been a fan of Nekeita, since she was little Tennicia DeFreitas in the Junior Calypso Monarch. And she grew to become such a vocal powerhouse and excellent performer. There were several Soca Monarch Competitions I’ve been to in the past at the National Park, where I would have witnessed first hand, Nekeita opening the show with the Heatwave Band, as the lead vocalist, alongside Carlvin Burnett. And in my view, her performances as the opening act, surpassed her competing performance. She would usually dance and was so into the songs she performed that you felt the vibes to kickstart a pumped night with soca music.

But competition night, to me, the ‘backup’ dancers were too much to the fore that your focus was more on them, than the artiste. Especially too, she had two of Guyana’s most skilled and experienced dancers (Paul Charles and Travis Bowen) and two young prodigies (Jasmaine Assanah and Omaiah Hall). I love them all, but for me, in this case, the spotlight wasn't for them, it should have been on her, and have the dancers just compliment her. She was supposed to be the star. And to add to that, I knowww she is an AMAZING dancer! So I was expecting more in that area. 

That is what I believe caused Diana to be placed over her… the performance! Tied with the few glitches like dropping one of her steel pan  mallets and not getting to play the pan smoothly. The animation at the beginning, I wasn't feeling it... nor the first outfit.  

Nonetheless, her song is still really amazing, she did well and she placed third! 

Fourth place however, came off a bit like a pity placement to me. I LOVE JUMO, but his performance had me like “THAT’S IT??” And I would have honestly put Malo or even Brandon over him if I were judging. Now I understand the concept of his song is to encourage people to stay inside during the pandemic, and he wanted to reflect just that, by dressing like ‘he inside he house’, and dressing his dancers just the same. But it came across (to me) like a very poor and low budget presentation. Especially too, he couldn’t adequately transform the stage of NCC to make it feel like he’s indeed inside his house. The one chair and the two plywood doors behind just weren’t cutting it for me. But he really tried making up for it with his dancing and wining, and his signature split. 

I feel like my expectations of his performance were so high, because I know he always brings it! Anddd, he was the reigning Monarch, so he needed to come so hard to defend this year, he needed more than average. Especially with the stiff competition that was evident. But he didn’t. And muh hand fall mann, but I love him same way. 

I love Brandon tooo, and he won me over with that song, and he has such a unique sound. But in order for him to place again, he has to put more effort into his performance. He has the ability, because I’ve seen him do it twice before! Winning both competitions, hands down! So he has to work on getting his performance back where it used to be. 

I really don’t know much about Malo… I feel like his stint was before I got into the soca realm. (Yeah I was a staunch christian) I know probably like one song from him, and I didn’t even know he was a Soca Monarch before. But regardless, his performance was great! And I would have given him fourth. Geeze this is becoming such a long review!! I’ll be quick with the other contestants.

I feel sorry for Vanilla. She too, had the ability to space, but her mishaps were beyond her, and made it quite impossible to place. Come to think of it, that would have been so amazing if all three of the women placed in the competition. But the technical glitches, her costume malfunction, her wings that couldn’t fly, and all the other things that went wrong. I trust that next year will be a bigger and better comeback. 

And that goes for Vintage as well… he is a really great artiste, with voice, looks, lyrics, and onstage personality! But his performance was average compared to what the artistes brought. They really need to understand that Soca Monarch competition night, performance is EVERYTHING! You gotta move people. Win them over. 

As for Tropical and B52, there’s not much I can say other than they were not ready for the competition they were up against. 

I have one question though… What ever happened to Steven Ramphal this year?