[UPDATED] Daddy Chinee takes Chutney Soca Monarch

The 2023 Chutney Soca Monarch (CSM) winner, Daddy Chinee (Ricardo Melville), has lauded his team for believing in him and vowed to continue in the music industry until death.

He copped the first prize of $400,000 before an appreciative audience at Skinner Park, San Fernando, with the song, We are One.

The song was a composition that celebrates and represents the various cultures and people in TT.

“My team believed in me, and I knew I had a good song. I am doing what I love to do, and I am glad that people like it,” Melville said as he broke down, unable to contain his joy after the results were announced around 2.40 am on Saturday.

The song was written by Melville and Lewis “Tempo” Rowans. Musician Rishi Gayadeen arranged, produced and mixed the song.

Melville dethroned Imran “GI” Beharry, who placed third with his song, Ten Wheeler. Beharry’s production included two massive trucks as props, several moko jumbies as well as Tan Tan-like characters.

Melville praised several people for their input, including his manager Tricia Ramdhanie, his wife Sangeeta Melville, and his co-writer Rowans. He also thanked Southex CEO and CSM promoter George Singh for believing in him.

Apart from chutney and chutney soca, Melville, also known as the Xross Over King, sings different genres like soca, reggae and soca parang.

Melville has been in the chutney industry for many years. He recalled he was focusing on his soca when Gayadeen, his producer, encouraged him to get back in the chutney. He has made the CSM finals four times and won for the first time this year.

“I am chutney soca – chutney and soca coming together for the people – and I like doing that. I will do that until I die.”

Hugging his wife as well as his manager, Melville referred to them as the two major people who keep pushing him.

He added, “No matter what people say about TT, we are one people. All over the world, have problems. In TT, we come together for religious events like Christmas and Divali. We are the representation of people. I am glad I delivered it, and people loved it.”

His performance started with a live band, an array of dancers, and carnival characters like the red Devils, who spat fire and moko jumbies.

Entertainer and comedian Kenneth Supersad placed second with Moonilal D Man with D Big Dhantal, referring to Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal as a lion, a champion, a fighter for the people, and a man who treats everybody like family.

Rick “Rick Ram” Ramoutar placed fourth with Leave and Gone, while the youngest competitor Katelin Sultan came fifth with Tell Dem Ah Ready. The student of Warrenville TIA Primary turned nine on Friday.

The second prize was $75,000, $50,000 for the third, and $25,000 for all the other contestants.

Sultan, a first-time competitor, won the Queen of Chutney Soca, dethroning veteran chutney singer Ramrajie Prabhoo.

Dressed like a princess, she made her way onto the stage, seated on a throne carried by two men. She then wowed the audience. She told the audience she felt like a queen.

On winning the queen title, she later told Newsday that she was excited when it was announced.

“I was really happy. My pores were rising, and I was trembling. It was like a surprise for me,” Sultan said as her parents and other people congratulated her. Her victory also came as she celebrated her ninth birthday and got a special surprise when Ravi and Nisha B sang Happy Birthday to her.

Sultan said she looks forward to re-entering this competition and other competitions.

A statement on Saturday from Southex said Melville was crowned in front of a crowd of about 6,000. His win was unanimous among the judges, as every one of them had him ahead on their score sheets.

It added that history was created at the show, as this was the first time a non-Indo Trinidadian walked away with the title.

Sultan, who beat Prabhoo into second place, was also the youngest to ever win a major title in one of the mainstream competitions in TT’s Carnival.

Prabhoo sang Picture on D Wall, a collaboration with calypsonian Edwin “Crazy” Awong.

Shazeena “Shazzie” Ramsumair of Indian Walk, Moruga, placed third in the Queen of Chutney Soca segment. She sang Monster-in-law Pressure.

Apart from the prize money, Sultan also won two Caribbean Airlines tickets to any destination they fly to, an all-inclusive weekend at the Tropikist Hotel and Beach resort which made up part of her prize package.

This year’s theme is Legends and Icons.

The show was dedicated to singer and radio presenter Anil “The Vocalist” Bheem who died on February 4.

The organisers presented Bheem’s family with a posthumous award for his contribution to the Indo-music industry.

One of his daughters, Pritivi Bheem, collected the award. She also performed and paid tribute to him.

A total of 13 people competed in the show, including Avinash “Climaxxx” Sookraj with Order in the Court (Chung Chung), Rick “Rick Ram” Ramoutar with Leave and Gone, Kendel “Captain Kendel” Jaggernauth with Two is Better Than One, Nari Raghubir with Some Action, Edward Ramdass with Dougla Wedding, Jairam Dindial with Big Traffic Jam and Nigel Gobin with Reviver.

As part of a special feature titled Legends and Icons, several top artistes from TT and the region were honoured for their contributions to the Indo/Caribbean music industry.

They were singers Samraj “Rikki Jai” Jaimungal, Drupatee Ramgoonai, Rooplal “Rooplal G” Girdharie, Herralal Rampartap, and producer Zaheer “Big Rich” Khan of the Pungalunks Factory as well as Terry “Terry G” Gajraj from Guyana.

There were live entertainments from several people like the band Karma with Ravi B and his sister Nisha B, Boodram Holass, Neval Chatelal, Rasika Dindial, Satnarine Ragoo and many dancers.

This story was originally published with the title "Daddy Chinee wins Chutney Soca Monarch" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

Daddy Chinee (Ricardo Melville) has won this year’s Chutney Soca Monarch (CSM) title.

Before an appreciative audience at Skinner Park, San Fernando, on Friday night, he sang We are One, a composition that celebrates the various cultures and people in TT.

The song was written by Melville and Lewis “Tempo” Rowans. Musician Rishi Gayadeen arranged, produced and mixed the song.

When the announcement was made early Saturday, Melville, of Pleasantville, cried tears of joy, saying it was very emotional moment for him.

He praised several people for their input, including his manager Tricia Ramdhanie, his wife Sangeeta Melville, and co-writer Rowans.

Melville dethroned Imran “GI” Beharry, who copped third place with his song, Ten Wheeler.

Entertainer Kenneth Supersad placed second with Moonilal D Man with D Big Dhantal, referring to Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal as a lion, a champion, a fighter for the people, and a man who treats everybody like family.

Rick “Rick Ram ” Ramoutar placed fourth with Leave and Gone while the youngest competitor Katelin Sultan came in the fifth. The student of Warrenville TIA Primary turned nine on Friday.

The youngster, a firs-time competitor, won the Queen of Chutney Soca, dethroning veteran chutney singer Ramrajie Prabhoo.

This year’s theme is Legends and Icons.

The show was dedicated to singer and radio presenter Anil “The Vocalist” Bheem who died on February 4.

The organisers presented Bheem's family with a posthumous award for his contribution to the music industry.

One of his daughters, Pritivi Bheem, collected the award and performed and paid tribute to him.