‘Wah Deh’ Magikal ready to defend his soca monarch crown

THIS COUNTRY’S reigning Soca Monarch is ready to work his magic once again and take home the title after a two-year COVID induced hiatus on the competition stage.

Derron ‘Magikal’ Rouse, in an exclusive interview with SEARCHLIGHT this week, said he is 100 per cent confident that he will come out on top in the 2022 Soca Monarch competition, come July.

“…Knowing is half of the battle and I know everybody coming to win. I going with one mindset; to win. So I’m a 100 per cent confident that I’m going to win and everybody who taking part in the competition should be 100 per cent confident that they are going to win. You’re not supposed to have no second thoughts because what’s the reason and purpose for you to enter the competition? It’s to win,” he said.

In 2019, the then newcomer dethroned veteran soca artiste and 10-time Soca Monarch, Delroy ‘Fireman’ Hooper.

He was also the winner of several rural soca monarch competitions that year.

Rouse described the past two years since taking the title as both a good and bad experience, with “more positives than negatives”.

He noted that 2019 was an exceptional year for him but the momentum quickly died with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and inability to travel.

The “Bloody Hell Crazy” singer said however, that the time gave him the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the music industry, from the business perspective and production.

He added that he was able to meet persons who helped him make a lot of progress in his career.

Rouse, who does music full-time, released several songs throughout the pandemic, including ‘Problem’ and ‘System’.

But it is the live backings and punchy lyrics of his latest song, ‘Wah Deh’ that has many Vincentians pumped to journey to carnival city, Victoria Park for the night of competition.

“This happened from the pandemic, which led me to think, what can I create to stand out? Researching and going back to history…back in the days we had clash of the bands…and the elder folks, they still talk about that,” he told SEARCHLIGHT.

He noted that any time he performed with a live band, “the vibe is just different” so when producer, Super K sent him the riddim for the song, he suggested that they touch base with a band, who played each instrument live to create the “masterpiece” that is now “Wah Deh”.

As it relates to the lyrics, the 2019 Soca Monarch said he penned the song after people kept debating whether he would be able to hold on to his title.

“I just used it, took all the talks, picked out the good out of all of them and said this is it…most people when they hear it now, they could relate to it because they know they meet me and they does ask me that,” Rouse said.

He told SEARCHLGHT that he expects this year’s Soca Monarch competition to be exceptional as many artistes, himself included have worked hard to create music this year.

“I think this year will be one of the best years. Coming out of the pandemic, this is probably the energy we needed going into the competition because we wouldn’t want that after two years, the competition have one or two okay songs. If you picking 10 or 11, you have to make sure you get 11 bangers. Give the judges them headache! Make the judges have to think and say whoa boy, things tight,” the reigning Soca Monarch said.