Reigning Power Soca Monarch Machel Montano says winning the 2014 Road March title was easy as there was no competition this year.He made the statement at a celebratory news conference on the stage at the Queen's Park Savannah yesterday, after the results of his landslide victory was announced.His soca song entitled Ministry of the Road was played 374 times, the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation stated in release yesterday.
He copped the Soca Monarch crown with the same song and came in second with in the Groovy category with his song Happiest Man Alive.His nearest rival in the Road March race was Farmer Nappy (Darryl Henry) whose song Big People Party was played 59 times. Benjai's (Rodney Le Blanc) Come Out to Play came in third, playing 39 times.Montano admitted his song was a political commentary. "It was a statement that needed to be made, a political statement representing the voice of the people."
He said it was difficult to get ideas for the power soca as many composers are running out of ideas and ways to say the same things. "They are running out of ideas on how to say jump and wave," he added.He admitted that "as early as three weeks before we didn't see any competition. We had extra bullets in the chamber waiting to launch if anything had come up but we did not have a need to do that."
Questioned about the quality of the power soca, Montano reiterated that "power soca has been dying." That term was used very loosely because the situation was changing instantly. "One minute it is good, it is rich and it is ripe and the other minute it is like the desert."He said people now want "something slower, something groovy. Groovy is more palatable, has more potential for the international market because people could relate to it."
Commenting on the low spectator turnout at the Socadrome, Montano said "it did not have much people in here (Queen's Park Savannah) either."He said there were not many people looking at mas anywhere in the country. "If we mind our business they will find a way to make more people come out to watch mas, to make mas run on time, to make mas something disciplined," he suggested.He said if people were getting fed up of his music he would not keep winning as it was the votes of the people who made him a winner.
Montano said he remains committed to working with all artistes, including Bunji Garlin, in the interest of advance the art form. He said he will keep on reaching out to every artiste. "I am being a responsible parent. I am communicating with my kids, it is up to them to respond," Montano said. He said he was not on any publicity stunt as was being claimed in a posting on Bunji Garlin's social media page.Montano said: "Now is the time for us to get together, everybody."