Patrons like it hot and spicy Monday, February 7 2011
TRINIDAD NEWSDAY - By SEETA PERSAD -THOUSANDS of persons who attended the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) Chutney Soca semi-finals on Saturday demanded a hot and spicy show from the contestants and got just what they wanted.
Rienzi Complex in Couva was packed to capacity by chutney soca lovers who fed all night on the spicy music and red hot performances by the 41 contestants vying for a spot in the finals. The chutney soca feast lasted until 4 am yesterday.
Among the top named entertainers who had the crowds moving to chutney music were Bajan soca star Allison Hinds, chutney veteran Drupatie Ramgoonai, former chutney soca monarch Rikki Jai (Samraj Jaimungal) and Heeralal Rampartap and also Guyana’s top recording artiste Terry Gajraj. The reigning Chutney Soca Monarch, Ravi Bissembhar appeared as a contestant in the semis in a bid to qualify for the grand finals. Ravi appeared on stage at 1.30 am as he openly pledged to spend his winnings this year to work towards taking Chutney Soca Music to the MTV Awards in 2012.
The task at hand for the promotion company of Southex is to choose 14 for the grand finals. The judges for the semi-finals were: George Maharaj, Carl Beaver Henderson, Surujdeo Mangaroo, Hemant Saith, Indira Mahatoo, and Renold Bassant. One contestant will be chosen by the bmobile Wild Card text-voting system.
The finals of this top Carnival competition which will take place on February 19 will see all 15 stars battling for the first prize of $2 million. Drupatie, dressed in short white shirts came on stage at about midnight to do “Meh Lover”. Allison appeared at 1 am on Sunday morning to do her first ever chutney song, “Ah Want on Indian Man”. Wearing a black outfit the soca artiste thrilled the audience with her Indian dance moves accompanied by the the reigning Mastana winners, the Xtreme Breakers Dance Group. Terry Gajraj on the other hand, came on stage early to do a song called “Sumatie”. The show started shortly after 9 pm with the bmobile Wild Card winners, Ameer Chattergoon, Kamu Skerrit, and Nathanniel Jude.
The other competitors of the night include: Anil Bheem who claims to give the quarter of a million dollars to the Children’s Life Fund if he wins.
Former National Chutney Foundation Monarch Adesh Samaroo who was a chief performer on the PNM platform in the lead up to last year’s general election, had nothing but high praise for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for her offer of $2 million as the first prize for the competition. He appeared as contestant 34 to do “Much Much Much”.
