From Bacchanal Bay to Victoria Park, 26 named for Soca Monarch finals

The pool for the 2025 Soca Monarch has been narrowed down from 197 entries in both the ragga and soca competitions, to 44 semifinalists and now down to 26 finalists who will battle it out at Victoria Park on July, 5.

The announcement for the finalists was made yesterday, June 23, 2025 during a press conference at the headquarters of the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC). Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) Rodney Small, described the upcoming event as “historic”.

The semi-finals event, dubbed ‘Bacchanal Bay’ was held on Sunday, June, 22,2025 at the tarmac of the decommissioned E.T Joshua Airport, attended by a reasonably sized crowd which featured a Fire Zone, fireworks and a regional guest judge and performer, Teddyson John out of Saint Lucia.

The Soca Monarch competition featured many young artistes, including crowd favourites Angelique “Angie Maya” Garraway; Derron “Magikal” Rouse; and Collins SuhRaw & GEO. Three rural Soca monarchs have secured a spot in the finals. They are Angelique “Angie Maya” Garraway; Shannan “Kelly J”; SuhRaw and GEO.

The youngest performer in the competition, 12-year-old “Lexi”, has been listed as a reserve for the Soca monarch.

CEO Small lauded the participation of younger artistes in the competition.

“When you look at the age group of our participants… we have some of the youngest and baddest artistes in any Soca monarch in the world and we must appreciate that because means that there is continuity….”

Small disclosed that the CDC made a decision to increase by two, the number of semi-finalists in both the ragga and power soca categories.

For the ragga soca finals, 10 will go up against reigning monarch, Hance John who copped the crown in 2024 with ‘Spectacular’. In the power soca finals, 12 will compete to dethrone reigning monarch, Delroy ‘Fireman’ Hooper who nearly capsized Victoria Park with ‘Bad Company’ in 2024. If he claims a win in this year’s competition, this will be his 14th Soca monarch title. Both competitions have one reserve each.

The Ragga Soca Finalists are:

Utamu Rose -Bongo Prime (“MardiGras,Trouble in town”); Rajiv William Amron Sutherland- Suh Raw (“Fete we fetting”); Claydon Roache & Elrico Hunte-Dymez x Dapixel (“Doh hold back,Overdose”); Angelique Garraway- Angie Maya (“No owner”); Nimroy LaBorde- Zeron (“Vacation”); Maralis Wilkins- Moralis (“Sideman’); Tyrique Deondre Thomas- Dfusion Mission, Giovanni Anthony Collins- GEO (“Gimme that wine dey”); Delroy Hooper Fireman Hooper, (“Mash me up”); Raeon Primus- Maddzart (“Rain”); Gregory Cato- Pekos Jr. (“Looking for Sober”).

Reserve: Chewalee Johnson Chewalee- (“Feeling fuh liquor”).

Reigning monarch, Hance John (“Spectacular”).

The Soca Monarch finalists are:

Utamu Rose- Bongo Prime (“Maddest place on earth”); Jamarie Romel Stepleton- L. Pank (“ Love yuh bad”);

Hance John- Hance John (“ Party like we”); Lornette Yoland Nedd- Fya Empress (“Acorbat -Show me”);

Angelique Garraway- Angie Maya (“Curry”); Rajiv William, Amron Sutherland & Giovanni Anthony Collins- SuhRaw & GEO (“Shellings’); Lee Jace Gerald Bullock- King Jace (“Til Morning”); Justin Cambridge, Collin Marshall & Jahiem Pitt -Spyout Boxamoney & Voltage- TBG (“ No sleep”); Kendel Burke- Chow Minister (“ Cya bowl me”); Shannan John- Kelly J (“Start Again”); Derron Jamal Rouse- Magikal (“Count yoo days”); Claydon Roache & Elrico Hunte- Dymez x Dapixel (“Mas Forever/ No Cap”).

Reserve: Princess Alexia DeShong- Lexi (“LITTY”).

Reigning monarch Delroy Fireman Hooper.