FOURTEEN persons have been given a shot at being named Guyana’s first ‘Dancehall Monarch,’ after they were selected as finalists for the competition which is set for February 18, 2024, at the 1823 Monument, Kitty Seawall, Georgetown.

Alabama, YoungVilla, Carlvin Burnette, Lady T, Chan Dan, Fame A, Diamond Ras, Shemar Gray, Kautic, Wezzle, Bully Bad, Mattick Queen, Gabyluv, and duo Karizzam and Annada, will be performing in front of what is expected to be a sizeable crowd.

The addition of this new competition to the 2024 Mashramani calendar of events, is the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport’s plan to evolve and enrich the festival, which is an important and unique Guyanese product.

In a January 11, 2024 article in the Daily Chronicle, the ministry’s Director of National Events, Andrew Tyndall, told the media that more can be expected for Mashramani 2024.

He explained that the ministry has added Dancehall to the list of categories for its annual Soca Monarch competition, which is designed to spotlight the diversity of musical talent in Guyana.

Moreover, persons can vote for their favourite artiste in the people’s choice contest by liking and following the ministry’s Facebook page and sharing their favourite artiste’s song. The song with the most shares in each category wins.

These categories are: Soca Monarch, Calypso Monarch, Chutney Monarch, and Dancehall Monarch.

For more information on this year’s Mashramani activities, persons can visit the ministry’s social media pages.