Rikki Jai: Chutney soca will live on

Six-time Chutney Soca Monarch winner Rikki Jai described yesterday’s announcement of the cancellation of the this year’s competition as a “big blow” to the industry.

Southex CEO George Singh announced the cancellation at a media conference yesterday as the show’s main sponsor, the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB), had withdrawn its financial support.

“I think it’s a big blow for the country, a big blow for culture and a sad day for the people in the chutney soca industry,” Jai said.

“This is the main competitive forum in our genre and to simply have it cancelled because of the reasons put forth is really a sad day for TT on the whole.” But he disagreed with Singh’s assertion that the genre would die, saying the artistes would continue to record and perform their music until the competition’s eventual return.

“I don’t want to agree with statements like that. Chutney soca is a music art form and the players in the game have not been killed, we haven’t been silenced, I guarantee you that I, Rikki Jai, I will continue to make chutney music,” he said.

“I will continue to push forward and I suspect the younger ones and all the other players in the game – we are going to continue making our music until the competitive platform of Chutney Soca Monarch comes back on stream, which I have a strong feeling that it will,” he said. “And I am also confident that chutney soca will not die.”

In full agreement was Chutney Foundation president Dr Vijai Ramlal, who said the foundation was the officially recognised body to promote the industry.

“No, not with the foundation around. It will not die, because we are the official body to enhance and create the art form. It is a short season this year, but we will consider 2019 as a revamping of the event and look at ways to have it come back in competitive form,” Ramlal said. “We still continue to have the junior version – Schools Chutney Soca Monarch – which is going on for about seven years.”