00:00This is Soka night at Victoria Park and people came out for one of the most
00:05awaited event of carnival season in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Soka
00:09monarch features the best of the best at this carnival genre while everyone
00:14awaits to see who will put on the show that takes the highest title.
00:21I feel really good, I feel really good. I feel as though the delivery was on point.
00:28I mean, I feel like mistakes were made, but I won't let it deter me. I feel like we could only fail
00:33for hours to get better. It's my first year in the competition, so maybe next year we could come
00:38back bigger and stronger in the ragga, but I'm definitely going for it in the power.
00:42High energy is a must in Soka performances and the artists give their all to get a warm
00:48response from the audience, one of the criteria that the judges are looking for.
00:53The energy was great because, you know, getting into the competition early and have that kind of
00:58energy is hard. So I'm grateful for that energy. Then I know my song is doing some wonders.
01:07One of the highlights of the night was Angie Maya's performance of No Owner,
01:12a song speaking of women's empowerment that was cheered on and welcomed by the dancing crowds.
01:17I really do feel like it was needed. A lot of females, artists like myself,
01:32you may be in the social industry or you may be in the music industry in general, and you might feel a
01:38little intimidated because if you're so male dominated still, yes, but you can still come in,
01:43do you think in your form? Because at the end of the day, nobody can perform like you,
01:47nobody can sing like you. So there's really nothing to be afraid about. But it also gives me an edge
01:54because I can come and sing about something that I have experienced in. So it's a bit more relatable,
02:00I can connect with my audience.
02:03The general feeling of liberation and true joy for Carnival was high at Kingstown tonight.
02:09From this corner of the Caribbean, Soka culture speaks of the right to happiness and celebration
02:15through music. And local performers are sure to keep it alive.
02:19Soka is freedom. Soka is freedom. Soka is happy music. I've never heard a Soka song that maybe not.
02:25So you wake up in the morning, you're trying to catch up at night, if you wake up in a bad mood,
02:30today's just not your day. Put on a Soka song, right spirit.
02:34A world without Soka will not be a world, to be honest. And Soka is the music, the type of music,
02:42and of the art form that it doesn't implicate violence, it doesn't implicate bad energy. It's all
02:48about having fun, letting go, be free, loving each other, and just enjoying yourself. So Soka will never be
02:56out of the picture, not as long as we are alive.
02:58Belen de los Santos from Kingstown signed Vincent and the Granadines for Telesur.
Comments