Battle royal for soca monarch

The popular phrase ‘Let’s Get Ready to Rumble’ is usually thrown around when boxers prepare to square off in championship bouts.

Put 20 heavyweight soca artistes in the ring that is the Victoria Park, and soca fans are the ones who will be throwing themselves around, in what is expected to be one of the greatest Soca Monarch Finals in the history of the competition.{{more}}

Considered the most anticipated event on the CDC calendar, the show is expected to pull a record attendance, despite lackluster crowds at other CDC shows since Vincy Mas got started here about one week ago.

As expected, all eyes will be on crowd favorites, the likes of Skarpyon, Icon, Maddzart, Problem Child and multi winner Fireman Hooper, as they attempt to dethrone reigning champion Skinny Fabulous, and secure a place in the International Soca Monarch Competition slated for Trinidad next year.

Skinny Fabulous, born Gamal Doyle, is hoping to repel the competition with his offering ‘The Beast Let Go’- one of his many hits released for Carnival 2009.

Meanwhile, former monarch Fireman Hooper, who will be performing ‘Rags Invasion’, told SEARCHLIGHT that he will once again be crowned soca monarch when the dust settles.

“I will be winning. I will be making it seven this year.”

Keeping his game plan close to his chest, he said that the fans can expect the unexpected from him as he goes for his seventh title.

According to Icon, the 2009 New Song winner and the reigning Road March Champion, lots of surprises are in store for tomorrow night, as he urged persons attending the show to ‘bring something green’ to the park.

Skinny Fabulous will also have to fend off a number of newcomers, veterans and those who are not entirely new to the soca monarch stage, in what may be the biggest battle of his career.

Although with the intention of knocking down and out ‘the beast’, popular first timers Recka, with ‘Gimme Room’ and Top Notch Swift singing ‘Nobody Can Talk to Me’ just intend to do their best on the night.

“I just want to do my best and hope people respect me and give me the recognition after the carnival is over,” Recardo ‘Recka’ Wilson indicated, while Kellon Belgraves (Swift) claimed that “I want to give the best performance ever, and even though I am aiming for number one, I just want to be accepted by the soca fans”.

Not forgetting the ladies, Shaunelle McKenzie, Fire Empress, Tamisha Nichols and Sharlene Samuel are hoping to become the country’s first queen of soca since the competition began more than a decade ago.

No stranger to the Finals, McKenzie indicated that she was ecstatic about being in the finals again and said that she expects to put in a great performance when she comes up against the ‘big guns’ tomorrow night.

Fans can also expect stellar performances from Derron ‘Full Clip’ Dennie, Dalpin, Alla G, DJ 20, Splendid, D- Tector, The Man Stone and Demus, who all have a chance of being the next king.

Tomorrow night’s competition may well set the tone for the winner of the Road March title, which has not been won by the same artiste since Bomani did so with ‘I am Soca’ in 2004.(JJ)