Big respect has to go to Gamal 'Skinny Fabulous' Doyle who repeated on his 2008 feat of taken the crown as 2008's Soca Monarch of St. Vincent & The Grenadines, this past weekend at Victoria Park. Last year, Skinny took the crown with the WICKED tune Head Bad [On The Spot] which went on to make the famed Soca Gold 2009 compilation and did so as one of the, if not THE biggest tunes on the album and you can probably expect a return visit from him on next year's edition as his tune for Vincy Mas 2k9, Leggo De Beast is definitely amongst my favourites from this year altogether. With all of his successes, Skinny has also turned himself into one of the most popular (and most talented) Soca artists in the world, using a style reminiscent of people like Bunji Garlin, Ricky T and others who infuse far more lyrics, Dancehall style, wonderfully into 'standard' "jump and wave" style Soca music.
A bit of controversy has arisen since the competition as quite a few people favoured five (or six) time Vincy Soca Monarch Fireman Hooper's performance over Skinny's but I leaned toward the eventual winner. You be the judge:
For my opinion: In Monarch Competition you need to go above and beyond the normal and both certainly did that but in terms of what it is, and I consider Vincy's to be amongst the most highly contested crowns that exist, the WINNER, whoever he/she is needs to give the viewer something he/she may NEVER forget. What Fireman did was PERFORM THE HELL OUT OF HIS TUNE and I didn't like it beforehand but I think I do now! But Skinny PRESENTED his song so well that I thought he had to get the nod. With a crazy performance and a crazy tune and special effects, a nice speech explaining the proverbial 'Beast' and even a nice bit to the fallen King Of Pop, he just won me over. Of course, I was watching on a NICE satellite feed (biggup my friend Leo everytime for patching me through) and I wasn't there and I know from experience, that can definitely play a role in determining one's choice but of the 8 or so people who I've since spoken to who did attend, 5 of them said Skinny clearly won, 2 could go either way and only one said highway robbery took place to Fireman Hooper.
Regardless, it was a great show and as for Skinny Fabulous definitely keep an eye and two ears out for him in the future. His win here, like it did last year, grants him a pass into next year's big show in Trinidad, the mecca of Soca music and Soca Monarch competition and he may very well improve on this year's performance of Head Bad.
I was there to see that and I didn't see three finer performances than Head Bad, I though he definitely deserved to place and I predict that should Skinny stay on his current roll, he MIGHT actually one day win the Trinidad crown as well despite the always present reported fuck-ups behind the scenes. I'm not a judge AT ALL but the man just does really great performances to my opinion and his songs (especially Head Bad) are popular to a degree in Trinidad.
Skinny's older brother, Problem Child, took 3rd in the competition after Skinny and Fireman as one and two despite having some health problems he still gave a strong effort with his tune Mad House and Demus took forth with Rum Junkie. And after that it was a LARGE drop off in my opinion including someone named Dolpin who I've never heard of and looked like he was about 400 years old singing some song you would hear in a loose cabaret. He actually had less cheers than the gap between the previous performer, as it started to rain and the crowd cheered and went MAD (and we wished we were there) (and we will be next year) for just the rain alone.
Also biggup Alpha who took St Lucia Groovy Monarch (I thought QPID deserved to win) despite a problem with his vocals and I will be there to see him try (and fail) to take the Soca Monarch crown from Ricky T (QPID did place second and TC Brown was third I believe).
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