Chutney soca monarch reigns over NCPD fete

Fresh off his Lotto Plus Chutney Soca Monarch win Raymond Ramnarine thrilled fans on Sunday evening as he performed for free at the 13th annual National Centre for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) all-inclusive fete in San Fernando.

Ramnarine, with his band Dil-E-Nadan, whipped revellers into a frenzy as he performed his $1 million winning song, “I ain't marriding no more” at the charity fete.

With hands in the air partygoers sang along with Ramnarine and the popular band as they performed some of their hits.

Hours before, at 4 am that day, Ramnarine was crowned winner of the Chutney Soca competition at Skinner Park, San Fernando. He dethroned KI Persad, who won third place and beat six-time Chutney Soca Monarch, Rikki Jai, to claim the coveted title.

Jai placed second with his song, Ent yuh know. On Sunday evening, NCPD Administration manager and sports co-ordinator Judy Beckles told reporters the NGO was excited when they heard Ramnarine won the top title. She described his win as an added bonus for the event. 

Beckles said for the past six years Ramnarine and his band had been performing at the annual charity event and never charged to play.

She explained that the all-inclusive fete was the main fundraising event for the NGO with proceeds going towards paying for developmental tools to aid the differently-abled. “This is the 13th year we are having this fete and the objective is to help sustain ourselves. We are an NGO and while we get a subvention from the Government it is not sufficient, based on the programmes that we run,” Beckles said.

She said the organisation had an enrollment of 200 pupils at its New Street, and Seukaran Street, San Fernando vocational school which gave people with disabilities a chance to acquire skills to make them employable.