The week, The Scene gives Soca fans a glimpse at seven more of the 17 contenders for the Soca Monarch crown. Come next Saturday at Linden when the semi-final is held judges will select the strongest among them to challenge Malo at the National Park on February 16.

Clifton ‘Passion’ Adolphus

Aiming to please the people, and in doing that maybe to snag the crown, veteran of the Soca Monarch Competition, Clifton Adolphus better known as Passion is by himself with “Coming Alone”.

He wrote the song himself and it is, he explained, a culmination of his experiences in the Soca Monarch competition, which he has entered three times.

The 30-year-old, who started his career during at the age of 15, singing with string bands, told The Scene that it is all about writing hits and “giving it to the people out there”. The chorus to his song goes like this:

“Me alone gonna carry on the session,

Me alone gonna run the celebration,

Me alone gonna mash up the bacchanal,

Me alone gonna carry on the festival,

Wine it up (x4)

Me alone and the Soca family

Me alone gonna mash up the party

Me alone on the big wide stage

Me alone gonna carry on the rampage”

The Georgetown resident declared that, for him, it’s not about winning the crown but the exposure and a chance to showcase his “skill” in writing and creating a song. “My aim is not for the crown but to go out there and please the people,” he declared adding that it is a chance to expose his talents.

The artiste, who has snagged Giftland as a sponsor and with whom he produced a CD, is planning to release an album within the next two weeks. In addition to this, he revealed that he also plans to release a music video.

“I am in my own category,” he told The Scene when asked whether this time around he can come out ahead of current Soca king, Malo and take the crown.

Onikha Joseph

Swinging by from the ancient county, a newcomer to the Soca Monarch competition is hoping to teach the competitors a few things.

When not teaching, Hopetown, Berbice resident Onikha Joseph is singing and while this is her first time in the soca arena, she has been singing for a while, mainly soul and gospel.

In her song “Keep Death off the Road”, she appeals for the users to use the road safely and said that she was immediately attracted to the song when the “friend”, who wrote it, (for the interview she was accompanied by Charmaine Blackman