Machel takes Soca Monarch crown
Trinidad Guardian
Published: Sat, 2011-03-05 07:11
After delivering what many fans consider to be his best performance of the season Machel Montano claimed the two million dollar grand prize in the Power Soca category at the 2011 International Soca Monarch Competition at the Hasley Crawford Stadium last night.
A capacity crowd turned out to see the crème de la crème of soca artistes perform but in the end, Montano’s popular song "Advantage", was chosen by the judges and the crowd for the Power Soca title.
Montana’s performance was his first at the competition in 16 years. His nearest rival Neil Iwer George placed second to receive $600,000. Third place went to Bunji Garlin. He will receive $300,000. His wife and past Monarch winner, Fay Ann Lyons-Alvarez placed fourth in the competition and will take home $200,000.
In the other competition, the 2011 Play Whe Groovy Soca Monarch is now Kes Dieffenthaler. He performed the popular "Wotless" to secure the first prize of half a million dollars. The second place went to Benjai for "Trini". He takes home $225,000. Third place went to Destra for "Cool it down". She is now $125,000 richer. Dexter "Blaxx" Stewart rounded up the 4th spot with "Tantie Woi" and will receive $115,000.
SOCA KING: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, right, presents the bmobile International Power Soca Monarch winner's cheque of $2 million to Machel Montano, at the Island People's Outrageous party, at Jenny's Car Park, on Cipriani Boulevard, Port of Spain, on Saturday morning. Photo: CURTIS CHASE
Machel is the Monarch
Kees takes Groovy title
By Wayne Bowman wayne.bowman@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Mar 5, 2011 at 9:29 PM ECT
Hundreds of patrons booed upon the announcement that Machel Montano had won the 2011 International Power Soca Monarch competition making off with the $2 million first prize.
The results were revealed at around 5:30 am yesterday after the marathon show that had gotten on the way at 9:30pm on Friday at the Hasely Crawford National Stadium, Port of Spain.
While many patrons did express delight over Montano’s victory as they exited the Stadium, even more were crying foul saying that Iwer George, who placed second, was the true winner.
During Montano’s performance of “Advantage” a large portion of the audience kept chanting, “Iwer, Iwer, Iwer,” every time Montano instructed the band to lower the music for him to speak to the patrons. The people jumped and waved as Machel sang, but from the moment he began to speak, they started chanting George’s name.
Earlier on George had sent the entire audience wild with his performance of “Come To Me” in which he appeared above the audience in a cherry picker customised to look like an airplane.
The patrons were waving and singing “Come to me” as George was deposited on a platform to the right of the stage where traditional mas characters including blue devils, jab jabs and moko jumbies were dancing.
George had the crowd running from side to side and then to the judges’ platform in the middle of the football field and back to the stage. Surveying the field and expressing delight over how many people were in the stadium, George shouted, “The promoter make a lot of money.”
He then returned to the cherry picker calling on the people to follow wherever it went, which they did. Long after George ended his performance people were shouting, “Iwer.”
Montano came down from the rafters of the stage with guidelines attached to his outfit and was greeted by a cheering audience. Two of his dancers also had guidelines attached to them and they took flight several times during the performance.
Declaring that he will be defending the Power Soca Monarch title next year, Montano sang, “Destra in trouble because she coming after. When I done with Iwer, he have to retire.”
With the audience chanting, Iwer,” Montano then turned his chiding towards Bunji Garlin singing, “Bunji we tired of your fire lyrics, tonight I giving you licks. Bunji don’t know what to do with Fay Ann, is like he is the woman and she is the man.” The crowd cheered over that comment, but some boos could be heard in the mix.
When Destra did take the stage she told the audience Montano’s behaviour on stage was disrespectful and called on the patrons to wave their hands if they agreed with her in saying, “No advantage.”
People began to wave and Destra said, “You don’t come on stage and disrespect artistes. Bunji work hard, Fay Ann work hard and I work hard. No advantage.”
With flames at the foot of the stage and shooting from the speaker towers flanking it, Bunji Garlin who placed third had the patrons jumping and singing as he sang, “Hold A Burn.” Responding to Montano calling him a woman, Bunji said, “Well a woman will beat yuh tonight.”
Bringing a microphone on a stand to the stage Bunji said that it represented his lyrics and what will happen to anyone that comes against him. When a man representing Montano touched the microphone it burst into flames along with the man’s hand.
Bunji had the audience erupting into cheers several times as he freestyled comments such as “Ah go beat yuh bad, see if Anand Ramlogan go help yuh” and “When yuh go by Kamla, give she a CD not one yuh burn,” aimed at Montano who he eventually said he had no more time to waste on.
Fay Ann Lyons singing “Consider It Done” placed fourth. Appearing on stage sporting a mohawk hairstyle and an outfit reminiscent of the movie, Mad Max, Lyons did have the audience singing the chorus of her song when the music stopped every time she got to that part of the song. Climbing one of the speaker towers, Lyons also got some people to move in whatever direction she told them to.
In the Groovy category, Kees Dieffenthaller came out the winner with his performance of “Wotless” in which he was joined on stage by Lord Nelson. For his efforts, Dieffenthaller took home $500,000. Benjai placed second with “Trini,” while Destra took third place with “Cool It Down” and Blaxx came in fourth singing “Tanti Woi.”
HOW THEY PLACED
Power
1st Machel Montano - $2,000,000
2nd Iwer George - $600,000
3rd Bunji Garlin - $300,000
4th Fay Ann Lyons - $200,000
Groovy
1st Kees Dieffenthaller - $500,000
2nd Benjai - $225,000
3rd Destra - $125,000
4th Blaxx - $115,000
My Analysis
The story by the Trinidad Express was much more detailed. In fact, there was no mention in the Guardian’s story about the reaction of the audience. One could have easily got the impression that the results were very well accepted. The Expresse story capsulated the show very well. One similarity was the headline. Both newspapers knew readers would have been curious about who emerged victorious and they used that premise to capture their attention. Both stories also focused mainly on the Power Soca Monarch and only dedicated one paragraph to the Groovy Soca.
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