Jackie Hanover
Jackie Hanover is one of two newcomers who made it through to the final.
“I really did not want to do the Monarch but Bonny Alves [of Ssignal Music] saw me sing and he said he loved my voice,” Jackie said, “so I joined the competition for the experience.”
Jackie is enjoying the experience so far and said it is helping her to completely get rid of her stage fright.
She is 19 and hails from Bagotsville, West Bank Demerara. Jackie said she plans to take her singing more seriously this year.
While Soca is not her chosen genre, Jackie told The Scene that she has learnt a lot about it so far. She aspires to be an R&B and pop singer.
“I am not here to win this year,” she said, “but I am here to learn and have fun.”
Tiele ‘Tele Cruz’ Thorne
The other newcomer who made it to the final, Tiele ‘Tele Cruz’ Thorne is a Trinidad-based Guyanese who has been promoting Guyana through performances in other countries.
“I decided to enter Soca Monarch 2010 in Guyana for many reasons,” Tele Cruz told The Scene in an email. “But the main reason being the word home; I always carry my Guyana flag with me to different countries where I’ve performed, and am always looking for the right time to bring it back home to my people who know and love music best.”
He has been living in Trinidad for 10 years but is originally from Vergenoegen. Before he left Guyana he was a member of the Slingerz Family. This promising entertainer is currently in Trinidad preparing for the final.
Tele Cruz is convinced that the competition will be greater this year and he is really looking forward to bringing back his vibes where they started.
Pierre Da Silva
Pierre Da Silva hails from Agri-cola, East Bank Demerara, a community that has been in the news a lot recently in terms of crime and violence. Promoter Stan Gouveia said Pierre began his musical career as a way to stay out of trouble.
He wrote his first song called “Things” at age 14. Pierre is currently signed to CocoStick Productions in Jamaica and is in St Vincent performing alongside Anthony B. He will return on February 17 to begin preparing for the final at the National Park. Mad! Mad! Mad! is his first Soca single.
He was encouraged by Gouveia to enter the Carib Soca Monarch competition this year.
Tomeeka Thomas
She is heavily pregnant but this did not stop Tomeeka Thomas from stealing the crowd’s heart during the semifinal. This is her second year in the competition and she plans to hit the stage and have fun entertaining at the National Park come February 20.
Though it is a possibility, Tomeeka has not given much thought to what would happen were she to deliver her baby on or before the final.
“I am due very soon,” she said, “but I just haven’t thought about the possibility of the delivery clashing with the finals.”
The Carib Soca Monarch competition is very competitive, she said, but it’s usually the same set of people competing annually. There are hardly any newcomers.
It’s not easy being on stage pregnant, Tomeeka told The Scene. She said she has to get up two hours before rehearsals and have her mother massage her legs which are often swollen. Tomeeka said she just wanted to go on stage and do her best at semifinal. She even commented that there are people who don’t believe she’s really pregnant.
Tomeeka said she was in Antigua before she returned here for the competition.
“There are some media persons who have reported that I am a carbon copy of this Trinidadian woman who competed pregnant in that country last year and there have even been implications that I got pregnant for this competition,” Tomeeka said. “But this is not true.” Tomeeka was referring of course to Trinidadian Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez, who competed while heavily pregnant in 2009 and won not only the Carnival Road March crown, but also the International Soca Monarch, and Groovy Soca Monarch titles.
Barbara ‘Lady Barbara’ Nedd:
Barbara ‘Lady Barbara’ Nedd is encouraging everyone to promote the finalists and their music. The singers, she reminded, are not only competing for themselves but are marketing Guy-ana in the pro-cess since the Carib Soca Monarch is recognized internationally.
This is Lady Barbara’s second year competing. It is the most challenging musical event in the country as well as the most rewarding, Lady Barbara said.
“It’s getting better all the time,” Lady Barbara told The Scene.
Over the years, she said, the monetary reward offered to winners has increased, rehearsals are better and faster, and everything about the competition is more professional this year.
“Although we’re competing against each other we’re all excited and living together like a family,” an excited Lady Barbara explained.
Every singer, she believes, is affected by the crowd’s reaction to their performance. Whether that reaction is positive or negative, Lady Barbara stated, it affects the performer. When the reaction is positive then it often prompts singers “to give more than they thought they had to give”.
Lady Barbara also agrees with most of her fellow finalists that it is important to stay fit. An effective singer, she stressed, is one who can perform what they sing.
She will be performing “I Want a Man” at the final. Lady Barbara’s song had sparked a row with calypsonian/poet Precious Pearl Lewis, who claimed “I Want a Man” was her property. Lady Barbara’s response was spirited when The Scene questioned her about the ownership of the song. “It [the other artiste’s objection] was intentional and she wanted to be negative…but the woman is helping to promote me more. I made the song. I sang it. I paid to get it done,” she stated. “Allow Lady Barbara to do what the hell she wants to do. I am using the same song in the final.”
Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts
This dark beauty has been competing for four years. Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts is one of the more popular competitors and is working harder this time around to bring a better performance to Carib Soca Monarch 2010.
“I think the competition gets more competitive every year,” Vanilla told The Scene recently. “The biggest competition comes from year round singers and you can’t overlook the newcomers either.
It is around this time of year, Vanilla said, that artistes make the most money and the competition is important in getting their talent out there. Many people, according to Vanilla, look forward to this competition.
Every year, Vanilla explained, artistes have to improve their skills and bring something better to the competition. She believes that the fact that she works three times as hard makes her better in the competition.
Vanilla does not think being physically attractive is important to winning the competition. Everyone, she said, wants to be physically attractive. Carib Soca Monarch is all about going out there and performing for the people.
However, fitness is very important to performers since they need a lot of energy when they’re on stage. Vanilla is committed to health and fitness, exercises all year around, and doesn’t miss a workout.
“I aim for early morning exercising but if it clashes with anything on my schedule I try to fit it in somewhere else. I cycle from home to gym and back again as a warm-up. I am a high-energy person and before rehearsals I warm up a lot and they have started to call me ‘hyper lady’.”
In fact, Vanilla is so committed to fitness she is starting V Fitness in next month. Persons interested in sessions can contact her on 663-2121.
She has high hopes for next weekend’s final. Banks DIH, BK International and Regal Stationery are jointly sponsoring Vanilla.
Orlando ‘Bonesman’ Johashen
Bonesman, Vanilla’s and B52’s Kross Kolour colleague, has been participating in the Carib Soca Monarch for four years as well. This year he aims to be one of the performers who market Guyana.
Over the years, Bonesman told The Scene the competition hasn’t really changed. The judges and the people change, the prizes are getting better but nothing else. However, Bonesman stressed that more needs to be done to improve the competition.
“We need to import the judges,” Bonesman said listing one of the areas which he thinks should be improved, “or there needs to be more training sessions for judges.”
There is a lot of favouritism on the part of judges, he said. When judges are being selected they should be chosen especially because of their expertise in music.
Since the last competition, Bonesman said he has grown lyrically and competition-wise he is stronger now because he knows what the people want. The most important lesson Bonesman has learned over the years is not to take anyone for granted.
“You might hear a song that someone composes and it might sound a bit calypso but that person might be the hit of the night,” Bonesman explained. “The semifinal was a little bit of smoke and I’m expecting everyone to turn up the heat and I’m going to do my best at the final.”
His performance, Bonesman further said, is fuelled by crowd’s reaction.
Wilbur ‘B52’ Levans
Wilbur ‘B52’ Levans has been in the competition a bit longer than the others. This is his fifth year and he plans to keep at it until he becomes the Soca Monarch.
“You see for the past four years I’ve been getting second or third so I want to make it to the top. I just have to get the first,” B52 said.
In the beginning, B52 said, the music was good but now it is at another level. Artistes, he said, are now applying themselves more, lyrics have improved and it is a big advantage that the songs are now being aired on the radio.
Any entertainer when they go on stage wants the crowd to be alive, he noted. It dampens a singer’s spirit if they crowd isn’t moved.
“I feed off the crowd’s energy,” he told The Scene, “but if the crowd isn’t up then I have to find a way to get them up an alive. A technique I use is to look for the nice ladies and drop a few compliments.”
B52 looks forward to the competition every year because people come from all over for it. You never know what can happen at a Carib Soca Monarch competition, he said.
He warned artistes against underestimating their opponents.
“When I first went in the competition people used to underestimate me a lot. I never boasted and people wanted to know what I could do,” B52 recalled, “When I get on stage it is a whole different thing. I don’t underestimate anyone.”
Beverley ‘Little B’ Williams
Singing started since childhood for her Beverley ‘Little B’ Williams said and she hopes to become the next Soca Monarch with her party song “Back Wine”.
This is her second time around in the Carib Soca Monarch and she believes that the music has risen above the level of last year.
“You have to listen carefully to it to know its Guyanese singing,” Little B said.
Winning the competition, Little B believes, is all about pleasing the crowd and the judges. Last year she sang one of Bonny Alves’ songs but it was “too Calypso” and Little B later learnt the crowd wanted something to make them gyrate while the judges were looking for something more upbeat.
“When I was doing this song I imagined myself at a party,” Little B said.
She has corrected her faults but even if she is not successful this year she will return until she is. Carib Soca Monarch, Little B said, is a package deal. There must be all-around talent. She also believes that fitness is very important for a performer but isn’t one of those people who work hard to keep the pounds off.
“I guess I am just one of those lucky persons gifted with great metabolism,” she said.
