– in 2019 Junior Soca and Calypso monarch competitions

JOVINSKI Thorne and Jamal Stewart have taken the Junior Soca and Calypso monarch titles, after edging past the other participants in the keenly contested competitions, held at the Bartica Community Centre Ground on Saturday night.

Thorne won in the Junior Soca competition after beating Faith Corrica, who came in second and Dexter Copeland, the third place winner. Jada Harry followed behind the lot, in fourth place.

In the Calypso competition, policeman Jamal Stewart sang his playful, innuendo-filled “Miss May Old Car engine” to the coveted title. He edged Thorne who was awarded second place. Jada Harry placed third and Keziah Henry copped the fourth position.

There were six participants in the Soca segment. Each artiste, literally and figuratively, brought out their best in the fiery performances,. Towanna Scott, 17, kicked off this segment with her “Bacchanal in meh vein”, but it was Jada Harry with her “Hotter than hot” and Kevon ‘Soca’ Roach with “You’re on fire” that got the tempo going.

Following these performances was Dexter Copeland, who was the inaugural junior soca monarch. The Linden youth,backed by a complement of dancers, performed his song “Energy” very energetically. In fact, by this time, there was a large contingent in front of the stage who seemed possessed by his performance.

Just when one thought that Copeland had his second Soca monarch title in the bag, Jovinski came out in full command on the stage. The young man, acting as a magician, sang his upbeat song “The Stage”, in which he made it known that “… I’m the magician, I am in command… I control `The Stage’.”

Like Copeland, this Linden youth was backed by skilled dancers and persons in the crowd were observed setting off fireworks and blowtorches in support of him.
Faith Corrica followed the two elaborate performances and hers was modest. But what she lacked in overall ‘hype’, the granddaughter of the late, famous calypsonian Lord Canary, she made up with her immaculate vocal skill. The chilly breeze coming from the nearby Essequibo, could not even raise goosebumps as Corrica did, when she hit the high notes in her performance.

Last year, Jovinski had won the Junior Calypso monarch title but came second for the Soca segment. This year, his odds were switched, as he placed second in the Calypso competition, relinquishing his crown to Stewart, though he unseated Copeland.
First-time contestant from Moruca, Region One, an aspiring nurse, Keziah Henry, was one to look out for in the calypso competition. In her smooth voice, she sang her song,“Our future is in your hands” and it was loved by the crowd.
Aside from Stewart, each of the other contestants sang well-meaning Calypso songs about social ills and social justice. But, it seemed that Stewart’s clever lyrics and theatrical performance just about sealed the deal for him.

Before Stewart and Jovinski could perform their winning pieces once more for the Bartica crowd, it was Big Red; reigning Senior Soca Monarch, Brandon Harding; and veteran Soca artiste, Jomo Primo, who got the crowd on its feet.

Harding and Primo were almost going head-to-head, as they prepare to battle it out in the senior leg of the Soca Monarch competition.