By Naomi Marshall

COMING out of Linden, Guyana’s first-ever Junior Soca Monarch, Dexter Copeland said he has been humbled by winning the Junior Soca Monarch Competition.
Last Saturday, Copeland performed his winning song “Feel the Vibes” which captured the hearts of the audience and judges at Square Park Fun City, Mahaicony.

He stated that the message of his winning piece is “that music is for everyone, and anyone can feel the vibes, don’t matter what ethnicity you come from. Music brings people together and that’s what I intended for the track, to embrace unity through music.”
The 19-year-old told this newspaper that he was confident of copping a position in the competition, excluding the first position, however, “the judges’ decision was great and accepted by the public”.

“I was in disbelief, I know I did my best, so when I heard my name Dexter Copeland, excitement hit me because me, and my team of dancers and backup singers worked hard so it payed off, what you sow you shall reap,” Copeland explained.
The Lindener’s entry into the competition was inspired by his challenges of being a rapper all his life and was motivated by his family and friends.
“I was inspired by the challenges with me being a rapper all my life, I had to come out of my comfort zone to prove that Dexter Copeland aka `3D’ is versatile in all genres as an artiste,” he said.

Copeland told the Guyana Chronicle that preparation for the competition was great as it pertains to his band, but “was kinda rushed with my dancers because of the time span but they pulled it off very well”.
Nevertheless, he enjoyed socialising with some of the artiste in the competition “and learning about them”. “They are all very talented,” he said.
Copeland, who got engaged with music at only 10-years-old, said that his favourite soca artiste is Machel Montano because of “his energy and way of making people feel his music without even singing, only using instruments”.

Copeland said he has been humbled by winning the competition and is grateful for the win.
“I’m humbled by it, the other competitors brought their ‘A’ game but I’m grateful for the win, we all had fun and that’s what matters,” he expressed.
What is next for Copeland? Well his future consists of many more energetic performances that he is excited and ready for.
Coming in second was Jovinski Thorne; Towana Scott gained third place, while Roderick Allicock, who is also a Lindener, secured the fourth spot.