Calypso buzzThe missing monarch?

JOAN RAMPERSAD

THERE is a big buzz on as to which past national calypso monarch will join four young monarchs of the recent past on the Monarch Riddim produced by Jabz Music.

On Monday, Devon Seale released a photo of four monarchs, himself included, along with Roderick Chuck Gordon, Duane O’Connor and Karene Asche and a blank figure in the middle that teased people into curiosity, leaving them guessing as to who can that fifth and missing monarch possibly be.

The songs on the riddim have already been written by Kevin Dodds from Showtime Empire Studio and Nigel Lopez of Sincerity Studios, and Seale, National Calypso Monarch 2016, will record Not Missing It, Chuck the 2014 and 2015 monarch will do Best Friends, Karene Asche (2011 monarch) is down for In Love with Soca and O'Connor (2012 monarch) will produce Legacy.

The fifth monarch’s song is titled We Own, and some say it fits the Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco), while others feel it might just be Machel Montano or Neil Iwer George. But though both Montano and George have won multiple Soca Monarch titles, neither of them has ever won the calypso crown, leaving people to speculate some more. And among the names that are buzzing are Gypsy (Winston Peters), David Rudder, Pink Panther (Eric Taylor) or Scrunter (Irwin Reyes Johnson).

When contacted yesterday all Seale would say with a laugh is, "all will be revealed at the launch of the Monarch Riddim at the end of November.