Results at a Glance:
Soca Monarch: Delroy ‘Fireman’ Hooper
Second – Gamal ‘Skinny Fabulous’ Doyle
Third: Godwin ‘Gao’ Oliver
Fourth: James ‘Jamesy P’ Morgan
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent — Gamal ‘Skinny Fabulous’ Doyle had undoubtedly hoped that he could have for once and for all shut up in “The Cave” the soca “Animal” that is Delroy ‘Fireman’ Hooper.
However, Fireman had something else in mind, after a three-year dearth during which Skinny Fabulous ruled at as Soca Monarch and attempted to expand his reign to Trinidad and Tobago and the Eastern Caribbean.
Fireman had made his message clear: “This carnival we tu’ning animal.” And with Victoria Park murky from the intermittent but heavy shower, Fireman’s fans did “root like a hog”.
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Patrons “kick up like a donkey” and “climb up like a monkey” as the artiste showed Vincentian soca lovers that he still has what it takes to once again dominate the art form.
Patrons went into a frenzy when Skinny Fabulous — who a soca fan, who has followed the competition closely, said had an “innovative” performance — was announced as having placed second.
The announcement by the emcees just formalised what the crowd had already concluded: that Fireman had won the Soca Monarch title for a seventh time.
However, Miss SVG Aviar Charles came on stage crown in hand in vain. In typical Fireman style, the artiste did not show up to go through the formality of being crowned.
His fans continued to celebrate as his track was played shortly after the results were announced around 3:40 a.m. Sunday.
“The people matter. It is for them that we do what we do. When I am not crowned, it is no disrespect to them, for they know that they have crowned me already,” Fireman had told The Vincentian newspaper in 2005.
“They know I am ‘The Chosen One’ [of soca]; they have made me so by supporting me through four Soca Monarch crowns out of six tries. And I promise them twelve crowns before I retire. They will have to rename Victoria Park after me,” he said then.
Back then, he had also said that he was still awaiting “an invitation to be part of an overseas promotion team on behalf of SVG”.
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He is certain to have that chance since the soca monarch in Kingstown now joins all the challengers for the crown in Port-of-Spain.
Fireman, having failed to retain his Ragga Soca monarch crown, which he lost to Shernelle “Skarpyon” Williams a week ago, has a chance to add the Road March title to his 2011 takings.
Third in Saturday night’s competition was Godwin ‘Gao’ Oliver while, James ‘Jamesy P’ Morgan was fourth in the competition that included three former Soca Monarchs.
The other competitor were Lawrence ‘ Koyaba’ Jack, Montgomery ‘Demus’ LaBorde, Jamaal ‘Fimba’ Jardine, Lornette ‘Fya Empress’ Nedd, Godfrey Dublin, Edison ‘Lively’ Mc Dowall (Tek dat), Hance John, Raeon ‘Maddzart’ Primus, St Clair ‘Donkey Man’ Lewis, Armstrong ‘Strong’ Williams, Dennis Bowman, Shertz ‘Problem Child’ James, and Travis ‘Wiz Kid’ Lynch.