THE highly anticipated grand finals of the Chutney Soca Monarch (CSM) will go down tomorrow night (Saturday) at 21:30 hrs., with a ‘Queen of CSM’ being selected for the first time in the competition’s history from among the female contestants with the highest score.
Four Guyanese artistes, Vanita Willie, Vicadi Singh, Prince JP and Remesh Brijnauth, known as ‘Tony Cuttz’, have made it to the finals of the competition; a competition that continues to “break new ground even with a raging pandemic”, according to Producer George Singh.
At a virtual press conference recently, Singh explained that for this year, five women will be participating and that the new title that will be up for grabs came as part of recognising the great impact women have made on the competition since its beginning in 1996.

The new feature of the competition will not require the women to do anything additional and will be a permanent fixture for future CSMs.
In a social media post a few days ago, popular musician Terry Gajraj congratulated the four Guyanese who are pressing on to the finals and expressed that he was happy to see the direction in which Guyanese chutney music is progressing.
“You are an inspiration to other talented Guyanese performers like Bunty Singh, Nishal B and so many others. This has given hope to other struggling artists in Guyana,” Gajraj said, adding, “Just remember not everyone can win but all of you can find success in many different ways.”

Gajraj, known as the original ‘Guyana Baboo’ advised the team to learn from the experience. “This is an amazing experience and it is super easy to get carried away but always try to stay humble. Countless talented artists have let egos destroy their careers. Please do not fall into that trap. My heartfelt congratulations…I know you will make Guyana proud,” he said.

CSM prides itself in being the “most important and largest Indo Caribbean event, presenting a unique and exciting celebration of the fine arts of Chutney Soca music, a gathering of music enthusiasts and industry professionals.”
According to the CSM Facebook Page, through the staging of this event, pathways have been created for the development of culture and opportunities for artistes to expose their talent internationally, for the likes of audiences all over Europe, USA and Canada.

“It remains one of the most colourful productions on the annual Carnival Calendar in Trinidad and Tobago and ranks itself amongst the four prestigious events, the International Soca Monarch, the Dimanche Gras and the Panorama Finals,” the CSM page said.
“Chutney Soca Monarch has become an integral part of the culture and an important tool in the promotion of our Trinidad and Tobago and it will continue to hold its place for many years to come,” it added.