Soca Monarch Show
Interview with Soca Monarch 2011

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is expected to have a new representative at the International Soca Monarch competition scheduled for Trinidad early next year.
This comes after Delroy ‘Fireman’ Hooper singing his 2011 hit ‘Animal’ dethroned Gamal ‘Skinny Fabulous’ Doyle at this year’s Soca Monarch competition which was held at Carnival City Victoria Park on Saturday July 2nd.
Doyle who represented this country three times at the International Soca Monarch in Trinidad (2008, 2009 and 2010) managed a second place spot in this year’s competition with his song ‘The Cave’.

During an interview with Fireman Hooper who has won the soca monarch competition seven times now, the energetic performer said that he would like to thank sponsors LIME, friends Recardo Dover, ‘Kench’, ‘Lloyd’, Rondy ‘Luta’ McIntosh, stage manager Nicola Craig, the Avenue Dancers, Jean Johnny Findlay and Ricky ‘Birds’ Grant, a few person he said were instrumental in his success.
Fireman Hooper and his song ‘Animal’ (which has an uncanny effect on revelers) was judged the best from among 17 other performances on competition night.

When asked about the inspiration behind the ‘Animal’ song, Fireman Hooper explained that in 2010, he and a group of friends were playing mass with the costume band ‘Ahdrenalin’ when a woman observed their behavior and called them animals.
This short interaction between Fireman and the unknown lady set in motion the artiste’s vivid imagination causing him to pen ‘Animal’.
Evidence of his interaction with the woman can be heard in the song as Fireman sings, “just because we jumping up in the Carnival they calling we animal”.
Fireman Hooper, despite winning the crown for the seventh time can still be easily described as, “humble and down to earth”. He said during the interview that he “more or less feels the same” having won back the Soca Monarch Crown.

“Win or lose, the judges’ decision is final”, said Fireman who also used the opportunity to apologize for not appearing to collect the crown when his name was called on competition night.
“The Carnival season had me running up and down since April and that was stress; on the night of the show, I had flu like symptoms and I went home after my performance; it had nothing to do with just leaving, it was just that I was not feeling well and when I heard I had won I turned around and came back to Victoria Park”, said Fireman.
On seeing him returning to the park on the night of the show, fans of the singer lifted him onto their shoulders and took him back into the venue.
“I want to just say sorry; I was real disappointed that I was not there to receive what was rightfully mine at the time; I apologize to the media and to the Carnival Development Corporation”, said Fireman.
The artiste who released three songs this year, “The Girls them Whine’, ‘Mad and wild up” (by Chrystal Clear Studios operated by Alex Humphrey) and ‘Animal’ said that he would like to advise up and coming artistes to, “maintain discipline in relation to the art form and be respectful to the other artistes”. He encouraged them, “stay in school if you are going to school and be discipline because to me that is the key”.
Fireman also revealed that he is currently working along with a number of young artistes like Hance John (Four time junior soca monarch) and Danielle Veira.
“We are all learning from one another and although it’s hard to build a family with people who you did not grow up with we are trying our best as the Soca Dans”, said Fireman.

When asked about rumors that he and Skinny Fabulous are not friends, Fireman said that these rumors are false.
“There is no animosity between me and Skinny; anytime I meet Skinny I talk to him and he talks to me good; sometimes he calls me and we talk; I don’t have anything against Skinny and I don’t believe he has anything against me, that’s how I see it”.
Skinny also expressed the same sentiments during an interview on IKTV which was aired last Sunday night.
Fireman who placed first in the Ragga Soca Monarch competition last year admitted that he was not prepared for the competition this year. Singing ‘Rum’, a song never heard before the night of the Ragga Soca finals, Fireman did not place in the competition.
“I did not have plans to enter the competition this year because Ragga Soca is not really my thing but I entered for my own reasons”, said Fireman.
When asked to respond to the criticism that he cannot properly represent this country at the International Soca Monarch in Trinidad, Fireman commented, “to people saying I can’t represent in Trinidad I have no response as some things are better left unsaid but what I would like to say is all who have been supporting me keep supporting and to my enemies try and come over and support me”.

Fireman first won the soca competition in 1999 with ‘Firewood’ and again in 2000 with ‘Anaconda’ and in 2001 with ‘Spiritual’. He again took the crown in 2005 with ‘Madder than You’, 2006 with ‘Wukie Wukie’ and 2007 with ‘Charge’.
Fireman said that persons hoping to see him perform can also look out for Fireman Hooper at the Canadian Thousand Island Picnic this Saturday July 16th while he also has a number of tours scheduled for Europe and North America.
For winning the competition, Fireman will get EC$22,000 from the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) while TT$100,000 comes with the invitation to the International Soca Monarch competition.
Placing third in the 2011 Soca Monarch Competition was Godwin ‘Gao’ Oliver with ‘Noon’ while first-timer in the competition ‘Jamesy P’ James placed fourth with ‘No Prisoners’.

The other competitors were Lawrence ‘ Koyaba’ Jack (Granpa Cocoa), Montgomery ‘Demus’ LaBorde (Dis is Madness), Jamaal ‘Fimba’ Jardine (Me nah eat), Lornette ‘Fya Empress’ Nedd (Delinquent), Godfrey Dublin (Any number cud play), Edison ‘Lively’ Mc Dowall (Tek dat), Hance John (Jump), Raeon ‘Maddzart’ Primus (Flock up di place), St Clair ‘Donkey Man’ Lewis (Georgetown mash up), Armstrong ‘Strong’ Williams (Tie me), Dennis Bowman (Do what ah want), Shertz ‘Problem Child’ James (We miserable), Shernelle ‘Skarpyon’ Williams (Like it) and Travis ‘Wiz Kid’ Lynch (Hype up).

08,07.2011 - Story by Lyf Compton