Veteran soca artiste Ronnie McIntosh yesterday called on the artistes in this year's Digicel Groovy Soca Monarch and Play Whe International Power Soca Monarch semi-finals to focus on their craft and ensure they give the best performance they could to the fans.He made the call as they drew for positions at Digicel Imax, St James, yesterday. The semi-finals are carded for Sunday at the Arima Velodrome.
"Quality is my main concern. With me it's still the same vibe, the same energy and the same approach, which is to give the people a real performance. Put on a good show. The results situation is something we will deal with after," McIntosh said.He will be performing his We Bringing It in position 29 in the power category. He said he would have been comfortable with any position he drew.
Asked why he had re-entered the competition after such a long hiatus, he said being a part of the NLCB Tribute to the Classics segment last year got him going again."I mean, the stage was bigger, the lights were brighter."To see new faces in the crowd, enjoying your music and singing along to all your songs is an amazing feeling because I know half of the people attending soca monarch now was not even born yet when I and other older artistes worked that stage.
"So the entire experience just brought back memories of that time and I told myself why not do it again," he added. He said it felt good to have other pioneers like Baron and Johnny King involved too as it proved they were still relevant.He added: "To be here and still be relevant shows that we are and have been paying attention to the level and kind of music that is being produced nowadays.
"We came from the old school where quality music was of utmost importance, so we are well schooled and so you will always find artistes from yesteryear resurfacing because of the kind of schooling we got." One of the younger artistes, Sherwin M1 Jeremiah, formerly Menace of the now defunct 3Suns family, said he felt good to be part of the event for the first time."I feel confident in my music. I have been writing since the age of nine so penning a good song is never difficult for me," said Jeremiah.
Hollice "Mr Killa" Mapp, in the competition for a third time but with a smash hit, Rolly Polly, this time around. He drew position 12."Twelve is a good number. It's all about setting the pace, going hard and I am confident I will make it to the finals," Mapp said.There will be 41 contestants in the groovy category and 36 in the power category on Sunday.
Groovy Soca
1 - 5 Star Akil (To Meh Heart)
2 - Chucky (Blazing)
3 - Tallpree (Jab Nation)
4 - Olatunji (Wining Good)
5 - Austin "SuperBlue" Lyons (Spanking)
6 - Fya Empress (Ah Ketch It)
7 - Cassi (Man in Yuh House)
8 - Benjai (Lick it In)
9 - Kurt Allen Sweet (Sizzling Summers)
10 - Erphaan Alves (Contagious)
11 - Lyrikal (Conquer Meh)
12 - Nadia Batson (Bad Influence)
13 - Mr Famous (Play More Local)
14 - Skinny Fabulous (Behaving the Worst)
15 - Syo (In de Air)
16 - J Angel (Nah Leaving)
17 - RKG (Multi Pumpin)
18 - Patrice Roberts (Doh Rough Meh)
19 - Jo Jo (Shake Dat)
20 - KRich (Go Down)
21 - Shal Marshall (Feel to Wuk)
22 - Preedy (Wining Champion)*
23 - Mr Renzo (Take Control)
24 - Amrika Matroo (My Business)
25 - Tasha (Keep Them Waving)
26 - Baron (Irie Party)
27 - Jahmoun (Party Non-Stop)
28 - Saucy (Chuku Chuku)
29 - Kerwin Du Bois (Too Real)
30 -M1 (Big People Ting)
31 - Biggie Irie (Need a Rhythm)
32 - Destra (First Time)
33 - Johnny King (Doh Over Expose)
34 - Ricardo Drue (Socaholic)
35 - Blaxx (Feting Away)
36 - Santeney (In de Mood)
37 - Devon Matthews (Greedy)
38 - Farmer Nappy (Big People Party)
39 - Ainsley King (Wau Jalguy)
40 - Ravi B (Bread)
41 - Lil Bitts (Roll It)
Power Soca
1 - Sekon (Bag Ah Vibes)
2 - Lyrikal (Lockdown)
3 - Miss Alysha (On D Truck)
4 - Timel (De Soca in Meh Spirit)
5 - Snakey (The Dhoti Song)
6 - J Angel (Do Wah Yuh Want)
7 - Ann-J (We Love Carnival)
8 - Benjai (Come Out to Play)
9 - Hashim (Sittin)
10 - Jadee (Rollin)
11 - Swappi (Run to the Front)
12 - Mr Killa (Rolly Polly)
13 - Blaxx (Brok It Up)
14 - Sherrard Churche (Tizik)
15 - CC (Party Behind Meh)
16 - Skinny Fabulous (The General)
17 - Shurwayne Winchester (Raise it Up)
18 - Candy Hoyte (Paradise)
19 - Shradah (Bad Dis Carnival)
20 - Mr Famous (Hay Lay Lay)
21 - Iwer (Mama Oye)
22 - Destra (Mash Up)
23 - Kurt Allen (Mountain)
24 - Nadia Batson (Rated R)
25 - Patrice Roberts (Feting Di Most)
26 - Anselm Douglas (Broughtupcy)
27 - Devon Moses (We Want More)
28 - KI (We Mad)
29 - Ronnie McIntosh (We Bringing It)
30 - SO King (Pace)
31 - Crazy (Original Madman)
32 - Devon Matthews (Level It)
33 - Chucky (Gyal to the Front)
34 - Erphaan Alves (Hearing Ah Talk)
35 - Prophet Benjamin (The Seamstress)
36 - Boyzie (Mas Everywhere)