Everything about yesterday’s MQI / 98.1 The One Soca Royale had ‘winner’ written all over it. In the Sweet Soca Competition it was Red Plastic Bag who impressed the judges the most to take the title, the Kia Cerrato Koup customized by Freekz Customz and $7,500.00 Cash, while in the Party Monarch Mikey broke out from the mould of second best (three times) to at last rest the title of Party Monarch, and with that the Kia Cerrato Koup customized by Freekz Customz and $10,000.00 Cash.

Away from the stage there were other winners across the venue as well. The National Cultural Foundation revamped the layout from last year’s inaugural Soca Royale to bring the vendors to locations closer to the crowd and the action, resulting in brisk business. Further back on the mounds over-looking the entire Soca Royale site a multitude of tents showing banners and flags of the countless groups which came, bursting with happy people, ringed the perimeter and danced to the vibrations of the powerful sounds.

This was a special day, there was nostalgia with the Soca Warriors as the veterans dropped BIG tunes like Speedy with Hold Yuh Bam Bam, a Caribbean standard when it comes to party songs, Adonijah with Rock in Ethiopoia, De Devil et al. The rest is history; two new Monarchs and two brand new Kia Cerrato Koups, one for each winner. The Biggest winners on the night were the patrons who enjoyed a fascinating production, good food, liquid refreshment and good company and at the end there were the timely blessings with showers that brought the curtain down on Crop Over’s biggest outdoor party in St. Philip.

Results    Sweet Soca Monarch

Results    Party Monarch