WITH a total of 184 points, Vanita Willie was able to outperform nine other competitors and walk away with the 2022 Chutney Monarch title on Sunday night.
Bunty Singh and Vicadi Singh tied for second place with 170 points, while Sonia Singh was named the Best New Comer.
This year’s competition was one with a difference, as it was the first time since the pandemic that patrons were able to physically attend the event, and cheer on their favourite performer. The competition was held at the Guyana National Stadium, at Providence, on the East Bank Demerara.
Defending champion Kevin Satrohan Singh took to the stage first, followed by Bunty Singh, Vanita Willie, Tony Cuttz, Wazir Haniff, Sonia Singh, Chavez Sital, Nawaz Khan, Vicadi Singh and Young Bill Rogers.
Before the competition began, Feel the Beat tassa group took to the stage to warm up crowd.
Satrohan delivered a high-energy performance of his composition, “Dance in Love”. Patrons cheered him and his dancers, as it seemed to be the perfect opener for the competition.
His performance was followed by three-time Chutney Monarch Bunty Singh, who kept the energy of the previous performer going with his track, “Rising On”, which spoke of surviving against the odds despite the naysayers. His performance included several dancers and large ‘props’ on the stage to set the scene.
Throughout the night, the competitors made the stage their own. Vicadi Singh, the second-to-last performer of the night, was a crowd pleaser and a clear favourite to win.
A large ‘prop’ helped tell the story of his song, “Tek another”. His performance began with a mini drama piece that summarised his song, which was about his lover leaving him and taking his house, land and his brother. The crowd was in an uproar, as they laughed and sang along.
At the end of the night, the judges announced Vanita Willie, who is popularly known for her song, “Poowah”, as the winner of the competition.