Bringing the love
― Steven Ramphal ready to defend his 2019 Chutney Monarch title
DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, January 21, 2020
The 2019 Chutney Monarch Steven Ramphal is ready to defend his title. The 27-year-old is confident he will dominate the competition this year with his song ‘Jo Sangeet Main Gaata’ – a message of love and unity.
“I decided to sing about love, peace and harmony. I am here to share a message which Guyanese and the entire world can benefit from. Also, this time I am letting the people know who Steven Ramphal is – just a regular guy who happens to be the Chutney King,” the reigning monarch told DPI
2019 Chutney Monarch Steven Ramphal.
While 2019 was the first time he competed in both the Chutney and Soca competitions where he took the crown and placed second respectively, Ramphal’s songwriting began way before that. His style he noted was largely influenced by various genres of music.
“I always say, the different flavours of cultures always make things better… it does not matter the genre of music… I was inspired looking at the old folks who back in the day had stage shows…going to those shows I saw the influence they had on the young people – and I wanted influence not only young people but the world at large with my music,” Ramphal relayed.
Using performances from local and international performers as inspiration, Ramphal has crafted his ‘larger than life’ stage presence. Recalling his crowning moment last year, he noted that it was the result of years of hard work
“What I am doing now as a young artiste promoting love, unity, harmony among us, Guyanese that is what I love to do,” he added.
Aside from this, Ramphal is also a photographer and videographer – the proud owner of SR Photography. He assisted in the successful shooting and directing of his fellow chutney competitor, Pooran Seeraj’s ‘Roti and Dhal’ music video which was recently released.
This year, Ramphal will again be competing in both the Chutney and Soca contests. Fans can sneak a peek of his other song ‘Be the Same’ during Soca rehearsals at the Seawalls bandstand on January 26.
The Chutney Monarch and Carib Soca semi-finals will be held on February 7 and 8 at the Skeldon Heritage Park and Linden Municipal Bus Park respectively.