Canadian, Americans among 32 Chutney Soca qualifiers

FOUR artistes representing Canada and the US are among 32 singers who have qualified for the semi-final rounds of the Chutney Soca Monarch contest 2022.

They are Ganesh Boodoo, from Canada, along with Ranjeev Ramdeen, Prince JP and Damian Sookram from the US.

They will compete against 28 local artistes who were selected from among 60 who submitted entries for the competition. There were eight foreign entries – two from Guyana, two from Canada and four from the US. Neither of the Guyanese artistes qualified.

Twelve of the 32 will move on to the grand finals, carded for Carnival Saturday, February, 26.

No live audience will be allowed, and instead the show will be viewed via social media platforms.

George Singh, CEO of Southex, the show’s promoter, said the goal is to reach more than a million viewers during the two-week semi-finals.

Chutney Soca is one of the limited activities approved by Government for Carnival 2022. The pandemic caused Carnival activities to be suspended in 2021.

Imran "GI" Beharry is the reigning 2020 Chutney Soca Monarch. who was crowned before a live audience for his hit song, Anna Anna – Squeeze Meh Banana.

Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell announced on Wednesday that approval has been given for concert-type shows such as soca and calypso concerts, calypso tents, extempo and chutney competitions, steelband concerts, Carnival king and queen shows and Carnival theatre.

All these activities will be held in predetermined and pre-approved safe-zone venues and will be restricted to fully vaccinated artistes, patrons, service providers and other cultural workers.

Instead of a live audience to view the semi-finals, Singh explained, “The semi-final round will be recorded at a sterile location with no audience present.”

Judges will view the performances, which will be recorded on January, 27.

Video clips of the 32 performances will be subsequently released through social media platforms YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, and through its official TV provider, TTT.

Singh said the criteria will include the number of views across the platforms, and there will be a text-voting element through the contest's telecommunications provider, TSTT.

Semifinalists:

Ganesh Boodoo – DollyBoy (Canada)

Ranjeev Ramdeen, Prince JP and Damian Sookram (US)

Representing TT:

Vishnu Ramkaran

Sajivan Gayadeen

Kendel Jaggernauth

Kenneth Salick

Nisha Ramsook

Denesh Sookaran

Sangeeta Harrypersad

Shazeena Ramsumir

Russel M

Ricardo Melville

Visham Balkissoon

Rohanie Ramdass

Kumar Sieunarine

Navin Prabhoo

Vishan Mohammed

Ricky Khandoo

Mario Jitman

Veejai Ramkissoon

Ramrajie Prabhoo

Neeshan Prabhoo

Saleem Beharry

Raquel John

Michael Salloum

Jairam Dindial

Shiva Lakhan

Raju Lalo

Robin Jagdip

Avinash Sookraj