Trinidad Carnival may be over and we may be into the Lenten season, but we’re sure you will agree, calypso and soca are undoubtedly “in” all year long. So who took home the 2018 Calypso Monarch and Soca Monarch titles? In case you missed it, it was Helon Francis and Aaron “Voice” St. Louis.
Calypso Monarch
Francis was crowned as ‘Calypso King of the World’ when he captured the 2018 National Calypso Monarch title at Sunday’s Dimanche Gras at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain.
Singing his thought provoking, nation building song “Change,” Francis earned 442 points to take the crown ahead of Aaron St. Louis (Voice), 433, and Rondell Donowa with 427.
His song called on citizens to make change their duty, singing:
“Change the change within the society, otherwise we have a bandit factory, but things wouldn’t change despite all we do, if change doesn’t start with you.”
International Soca Monarch
Voice brought home the soca monarch crown after singing “Year of Love.” The 24-year-old crooner is one of the youngest among his colleagues in the business and he’s also on a very clear path to success.
Voice’s closest competitors were Dexter “Blaxx” Stewart, who took home second place with his song “Hulk,” and Orlando Octave, who won third place after performing “Love You So.” Each winner took home a cash prize with first prize receiving TT$ 300,000 for first place, TT$200,000 for second place, TT$150,000 for third place. Voice also went on to participate in the Calypso Monarch but did not place.
Related: Machel, Iwer & Patrice Roberts top contenders for Trinidad Carnival Road march win
Machel and Superblue Win Road March/Panorama
The results are in and Machel Montano and Austin “SuperBlue” Lyon’’s “Soca Kingdom” received the most plays this year around the Savannah.
BP Renegades Steel Orchestra also took home its 10th win as National Panorama Champions. The band’s selection was performed the 2018 Soca Monarch Voice’s “Year For Love.”
