A new international soca competition is set to take centre stage next year, but stakeholders are making it clear that it is not a return of the International Soca Monarch. Rynessa Cutting has the details.
00:00Goodbye, International Soka Monarch. Welcome a new International Soka Competition.
00:07Courtesy the team comprising It's Room, Strictly FX, Lollaby Entertainment and Star Global Production Studios.
00:15And while details like the name and date are yet to be announced,
00:20Jerome It's Room preseer is putting all Soka artists on notice that they're going to want to be a part of the event.
00:27The competition will be open to parties locally, regionally and internationally.
00:33So we are putting all the artists on high alert to get the music ready for submission because we'll be moving fast and furious once we launch.
00:41So over the next couple of days, we'll be meeting with the ministry as we finalize the format of the competition.
00:46And we're letting the younger artists know that there will be a platform for them to showcase their talent as well as the existing artists as well.
00:54So we're looking at a holistic approach in terms of not only showcasing the Soka music, but developing the artists as well.
01:02It's a partnership which the Ministry of Tourism is hopeful will foster greater opportunities for the development and promotion of Soka music.
01:11Given the absence of the International Soka Monarch these past three years.
01:16Trinidad's Carnival is the ancestral home of Soka music.
01:22Calypso and Soka music is the lifeblood of our carnival and our cultural heritage.
01:27And the Soka competition provides a rite of passage for young and upcoming artists looking to make a name for themselves internationally in the Soka space.
01:39So the decline of the International Soka Monarch has taken away these opportunities for Soka artists to really showcase themselves.
01:49And in light of this, the ministry invited interested parties earlier this year for the development, promotion and management of an international Soka competition.
02:03The ministry says the group's role will include creating a financially sustainable model for the event.
02:10Minister Rhonda Mitchell tells TV6 the government's subvention will be in the range of $3 million.
02:17So we are at the ministry excited to partner by offering some limited financial support, leaving the rest to this consortium.
02:29And we look forward to them providing a reimagined platform to showcase the best in Soka music during Carnival 2025 and beyond and reigniting Soka music's place in our nation's rich cultural heritage.
02:50Back in 2023, ISM promoters once again took the decision to cancel the Soka Monarch, citing insufficient funding.
02:58The tourism ministry stated that the request was in the vicinity of $10 million.
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