15 move onto Soca Monarch finals

DPI, Guyana, Sunday, February 9, 2020

Soca fever filled the Linden/Georgetown Municipal Bus Park on Saturday evening as nineteen contestants battled for a place in the 592 Soca Monarch finals. At the end of the night, fifteen stood triumphant.

With her high energy performance of her song ‘Calling meh’, Lisa ‘Lisa Banton’ John set the stage for what was to follow. Next up was Rudolph ‘Sweet Kendingo’ Kendall and his tune ‘One Day’ took the temperature up.

Kady Kish performing her song ‘Soca My Religion’.

Diana Chapman backstage after performing her song ‘Man Shortage”.

(flashback) Stephen Ramphal and his back-up dancers at the 2019 Soca Monarch semifinals in Linden.

The backup band ‘Heatwave’ warming up the audience.

Lisa ‘Lisa Banton’ Smith performing ‘Calling meh’.

A section of the audience at the 2020 Soca Monarch semi-finals in Linden.

Lindeners’ excitement nearly reached fever pitch when hometown bit and last year’s runner up Steven Ramphal took to the stage to spread his message of love and unity.

As expected, the event’s regular hype man, MC Malcolm “Wickedy” Perriera kept the crowd engaged with his inimitable humour.  A high point of the evening came when he invited 2020 Junior Soca Monarch Relon Sumner on stage to perform his piece. So good was Sumner’s act that many in the audience were left amazed when Perriera disclosed that he was visually impaired.

Those going through to the finals are 2020 Junior Soca Monarch Relon Sumner, Diana Chapman, Rudolph ‘Sweet Kendingo’ Kendall, DJ Avalanche, Kady Kish, Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts, Osbert ‘Vintage’ Cain, Steven Ramphal, Lisa ‘Lisa Banton’ John, Joseph ‘Hot Ras’ Smith, Johnathan ‘Lil Red’ King, Adrian ‘Cardic’ Lewis, Shaundell ‘JP’ Alleyne and Jumo Primo. This includes the reigning Soca Monarch Brandon Harding.

The 592 Soca Monarch will walk away with $1.5 Million, while the runner-up will win $750,000. The third and fourth place winners will receive $500,000 and $250,000 respectively. There will also be a prize of $100,000 for the ‘Best Newcomer’.