Defending Chutney monarch keeps title, fire officer crowned Chutney Soca Queen

HISTORY was created on Saturday night when Nisha Ramsook won the first Chutney/Soca Queen title and two brothers copped the first and second place in the Chutney/Soca Monarch competition.

Reigning monarch Imran “GI” Beharry singing in the last position, successfully defended his title. His brother Master Saleem placed second.

A total of 24 artistes competed for the two titles in the 2021 competition, including Damian Sookram and Prince JP from New York and Vanita Willie, Vicadi Singh and Tony Cuttz from Guyana.

Willie placed second in the Queen’s category, while Singh placed fifth in the main competition.

Ramsook also tied for sixth place with Jairam Dindial.

A fire officer attached to the Chaguaramas station, Ramsook brought heat to the stage as she performed a song she penned called Fireman.

She said the lyrics was influenced by her boyfriend who is also a “sexy” fire officer.

The show was recorded at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts last Thursday and aired on local television and streamed across the globe on various platforms on Saturday night.

Results were announced around noon on Sunday and Ramsook who was viewing with her 15-year-old daughter and sister said they all broke into tears of joy.

“At the same time my boyfriend came through the door with a bunch of roses and I asked him if he knew I had won and he reminded me it was Valentine’s Day.”

Ramsook said she has been knocking on the Chutney/Soca door for 14 years and this is her second time in the finals.

Confident she would have won, she congratulated the other four competitors whom she said all brought their “A” game to the show with their own special strengths.

She said this victory is for all women and girls who have had challenges to realise their goals. She said her victory was saying to them, to never give up.

Promoter George Singh thanked the artistes who agreed to compete without knowing if there would be prizes.

“Not one artiste here today has been guaranteed any prize money. They don’t even know what the prizes are. That shows their commitment, dedication and the love people have for our genre.

But there would be prizes. We are still negotiating,” he told the Newsday on Sunday.

“From the bottom of my heart I want to thank all the artistes and the industry for stepping up and supporting me.”

San Fernando mayor Junia Regrello who attended the recoding declared, “This is a beautiful show.”

He congratulated Singh for keeping the culture alive and giving it the opportunity to present itself around the globe in such a tremendous way using innovation and technology.

He commended the artistes, saying covid19 did not stymie their creativity.

Queen of Chutney Soca

1. Nisha Ramsook

2. Vanita Willie

3. Reshma Ramlal

Chutney Soca Monarch

1. GI Beharry

2. Master Saleem

3. Veejai Ramkissoon/ Daddy Chinee

4. Navin Prabhoo

5. Vicadi Singh

6. Jairam Dindial/ Nisha Ramsook

7. Adesh Samaroo/TonyCuttz

8. Vanita Willie

9. Reshma Ramlal

10. Cherish Ragoonanan

11. Neeshad Sultan

12. Rasika Dindial