Four women are in line to score an upset over their male counterparts in this year's 2013 Lotto Plus Chutney Soca Monarch final.The field of 17 finalist features Drupatie Ramgoonai, Sally Sagram, Michelle Xavier and Hemlata Dindial. Xavier told the T&T Guardian that she is excited about making her debut in the final on Saturday at Skinner Park in San Fernando.
Performing Indian Man, Xavier said she plans on making chutney music a frequent offering on the musical platter she dishes out annually.Simone Ragoonanan, manager and publicist for 55-year-old Drupatee Ramgoonai, said his client is very confident that her song of choice Indian Gyal would take her to the top spot.
Drupatee has been in the music business for the past 35 years. She shot to fame with the 1988 song Mr Bissessar.Also entering the competition after a lull of more than a decade is Raymond Ramnarine who topped the semifinal rounds at the Rienzi Complex, Couva, on Friday with I Ent Marriding.
Ramnarine, 38, said the song tells the tale of a marriage gone sour. He said he last entered the competition when he was around 16 and was spurred to enter by thousands of fans who sent him messages through the social networking site Facebook asking him to take part.Anil Bheem and Adesh Samaroo are glad that the finals are headed back to the South. Bheem, however, said he preferred the finals to be judged by a panel rather than the current method using text messages to cast votes.
This, he said, reduced the competition to a popularity contest.Samaroo said he is giving it his best shot with 21, a song about people escaping the chains of bondage, physical and otherwise to party.Samraj Jaimungal, alias Rikki Jai, who has won the crown seven times said he plans on taking it for the eighth time with Ent Yuh Know. Jai said he, too, was happy that the finals had returned home to the southland and was looking forward to coming up against the "big guns" in the art form.
Comedian and radio broadcaster Kenneth Supersad is making his ninth trip to the finals. Supersad said his offering Bad Talking Women puts a spin on the wave of songs that promote "singleness" and bachelorhood.He said the offering is humorous and is sure to get a lot of votes.
Devon Samuel, also called Prophet Benjamin, of Point Fortin, said he was well-received with an outpouring of love from the fans at the semifinals when he sang No Lokani.Benjamin, who is making his first trip to the final, said the song was written in conjunction with Pearl Massey.
Finalists
The following performers are bidding for the $1 million winner's prize:
Saleem "Stinky" Beharry
Omadath Maharaj
Adesh Samaroo
Drupatee Ramgoonai
Sally Sagram
Hemlata Dindial
Veekash Sahadeo
Michelle X
Kenneth Supersad
Prophet Benjamin
Rick Ramoutar
Rikki Jai
Anil Bheem
Raymond Ramnarine
Hunter & Junjeezy
Roger Hinds–(Guyana Chutney Soca Monarch)
KI Persad–Defending champion