Ansa McAl yesterday officially launched its 2012 Carib Soca Monarch competition, offering a $1 million first prize.
The competition was not held this year and at a press conference at the Ansa McAl boardroom at Industrial Site, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, Public Relations Officer Darshanie Yusuff said that the company missed out for various reasons and that it would make up for it come next year.
Competitor Banks DIH had held what it said was an “an inaugural” Groovy Soca Monarch competition in December 2010 and it has been suggested that this may have stolen Ansa McAl’s thunder and contributed to it not hosting the soca monarch competition last year.
In addition to the first prize, the second prize will be $500,000 and the singer who places third will receive $250,000. All singers qualifying for the semi-finals will receive an appearance fee. There will also be a People’s Choice Award and a Best Newcomer Award.
Carib Beer Brand Coordinator Nigel Worrell said that after consecutively hosting the Carib Soca Monarch for seven years the company took a one-year break, but is returning bigger and better than ever. He noted that the competition has always been about the people and Carib is doing what it can by giving back to the people not only through organized events but also culturally and through music.
He added that the company has always been supportive of Mashramani and remains supportive of it and that the competitions over the years have produced top local artistes who have expanded their musical horizons both locally and internationally.
Entry forms for the competition are available at Ansa McAl and the Ministry of Culture Mash Secretariat on Middle Street and must be submitted on or before January 11, 2012.
The requirements for entry into the competition are that the composition of the artiste/singer must be original, not more than five minutes long and must have never been entered into any other song competition. Singers must also ensure that their lyrics do not consist of any scandalous, libelous and lewd materials.
There will be no quarterfinals but competitors will be selected for the semifinals through an in-house screening of all the entries received. They will be judged on lyrics, melody, rendition, diction and musical arrangement.
The semi finals will be held in Linden on February 4 and the finals in Georgetown on February 18; the venues are yet to be confirmed.
Worrell added that they are looking to have 12-15 semi finalists but that depends on the number and the quality of entries received.
