Except for one, the last of the Soca Monarch wannabes being profiled today are all known in the singing arena to some extent. The novice, who will perform on stage for the first time on February 3 at Linden is Winston Bradshaw.
Winston Bradshaw
Winston calls himself the ‘Big Bad, Mighty Pecky Dread’ because, according to him, he is a “terror” on the stage. Unfortunately, he has never had the opportunity to prove how much of a terror he could be on stage as he has never had the opportunity to perform on stage. He said he has been singing for about 15 years, but was into singing hip hop until he was “wised up” by ‘Lucky B’ who told him in 2004 that Soca is the way he should go. The father of one qualified in 2006 for the Carib Soca Monarch but had no sponsorship and went into the interior to garner some from the miners. Unfortunately for him, the competition went on and he was still in the interior trying to get sponsorship. This year he says he will be on stage in Linden, though he still needs sponsorship as he has only received some help from Dark Brown Tours. Anyone who is interested in assisting can call Winston on 264-2792. In his song “Put Dem Rags Together”, Winston sings:
Rag is not expensive
Rag is not dear
You can get dem rags
here, there and everywhere
So show me a red,
a blue, show me a black
Show me dem rags
and show me dem a lot
Now wave it up
Now wave it up
Wave, Wave
Orlando Johashen
Orlando Johashen or ‘Bones Roots’ as he is often referred to has been singing professionally for the past seven years and he believes that he has what it takes to become the next Soca Monarch. This forest ranger who hails from Tempe Village West Coast Berbice found his voice at the tender age of six and was often to be found singing various tunes under his grandparents’ genip tree. Orlando’s entry “Hands Up” advocates non violence:
Hands up, keep the fire blazing
Hands up, from night till a marning (3x)
Let me see the rags tonight
Mashramani time, till Christmas just don
So everybody lookin forward now to have some fun
Tell de rude boy and the gangsta them put down de gun
Cause we na want no blood fuh run.
Orlando says it is all about having fun after the festive season and putting an end to violence especially during this fun-filled period.
Mark Super Markey’ Harris
Being a chef and a professional singer are not occupations that tend to go hand in hand but for Mark Harris they are his kind of combination and he enjoys doing both. Mark is no stranger to this competition; he competed last year and placed sixth in the final. This 25-year-old has been a full time chef at the Regency Suites in Hadfield Street for just over two years. Prior to that, Mark sang with the Mischievous Guys, Mingles and Jahrusalem bands. He said it was his fans who pushed him to compete in the Soca Monarch competition last year. And he is back this year with “Mash Dem Up” :
Mash dem up with de wining
Mash dem up with de waving
Mash them up with de jamming
Jump and wave and misbehave
Mash dem up with de jumping
Tell them its mass we playin
This Mashramani we shouting
Jump and wave and misbehave
Mark, who will soon launch a new song entitled “Put it on Meh”, said he has had the privilege of working with Michelle `Big Red’ King and Syd Hooper. He is urging all Guyanese to enjoy Mash this year.
Marlon Webster
Marlon ‘Malo’ Webster needs no introduction. He burst onto the music scene about three years ago and he gained more popularity when he competed in this competition last year. He placed fourth in the final and is back again with “Give it to Me”, which he believes has a good chance of doing better:
Give me it now
Give me it hay
Give me it anyway
Give me it quick
Give me it slow
Give me it ay telling yuh
This 21-year-old released tunes on the Koction Rhythm in February last year and several music videos that have managed to hit the local screens regularly. “Wine Baby Wine” and “Junkie Jam” are two other singles that Malo has recently produced.
Wilbur Levans
Fire-fighter Wilbur ‘Lil Man’ Levans is also a veteran. Singing was something he had been doing since age five. It all stared in church and then years later he turned a professional singer. This 27-year-old Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara resident is no stranger to competition. He was crowned Junior Calypso King for several years and last year he placed third at the Soca Monarch competition with the song “Invasion”. ‘Lil man’ who writes all his lyrics said his adrenalin is rushing as he has been getting lots of positive reviews about “One Fuh De Road” his entry for this year:
Everybody everywhere
Put something inside de air
Cause you know that we don
care wha no body say
And you know we comin down
Yes we tearing up de town
If you can’t handle de sound
Then get out de way
The Scene gives ‘Lil Man’ the thumbs-up as “de sound” is really great.
Lasell Duke
Lasell Duke, at 53, is among the older competitors in this year’s competition. He said he chose to sing a song about HIV, titled “Afraid”, which he hopes will send a message to the world.
He is a first timer in the Soca Monarch competition after years in the calypso arena. For Lasell it all started in 1987 when he competed in the calypso competition and was awarded the fifth position in the final. In 1992 this South Ruimveldt resident won the calypso festival here in Guyana and went on to represent Guyana at the CBU song festival in Trinidad, but did not place. He went at it again in 1994 and came in second. “I have noticed that in Soca we have not been sending messages to people,” he said, adding that because he wants to do is sing something of worth he decided to compete in this year’s competition. He said “Afraid” advises Guyanese to go and be tested and get treatment if necessary in order to have a long life.
The Scene is happy Lasell cleared that up because taken in isolation the lyrics of the chorus for “Afraid” paint a negative picture:
Cause I am afraid (2x)
Afraid of de stigma
Afraid of de torture
Afraid society will discard me
Afraid a losing meh dignity
Afraid to tell meh father
Afraid to see da docta
Cause nobody, no, no body
Nobody will be testing me
Cause I am afraid to hear
That I got HIV
Lasell believes that it is not all about one’s age, but what one has to offer.
Carlos ‘Lucky B’ Williams
Carlos Williams is another popular singer and he is urging all Guyanese to wear something red to indicate that they are in favour of stamping out all forms of violence. Famous for his popular Chutney rhythm “Son-in-law Must Never Live
By Mother-in-law”. he has been singing Soca for the last five years. He has entered the Soca Monarch competition four times as well as the Road March competition. His song, he said, was inspired by his new clothing line “Rred” that he will be launching in the next few weeks:
Put on something red
Put on the stop light on violence
(4x)
Stop de killing
Stop de shooting
Stop de violence
Stop de war
Carlos wants the names of judges to be announced at least two days before the finals, so that performers can object to having a particular judge on the panel if they need to. zoisa_f@yahoo.com
