TNT Soca Monarch Renews Itself

International Soca Monarch that's held in Trinidad every year has before got a lot of criticism because of the non-existing rules and bias judges. New they going to shape up and hopefully this can bring more credit to the show. I don't know how good idea it is to bring celebrity judges thou.

Update: Yes, it's Danny Glover from films like Lethal Weapon and Predator 2 whos heading the celebraty judges panel. "I am Danny Glover and I am soca."

Finalists of the 2009 International Soca Monarch (Power) competition will have to deliver million, dollar performances to cop the championship on February 20 when it comes off at either the National Stadium or Queen's Park Oval.

At the October 29 launch of the competition at the Oval, Caribbean Prestige Foundation executive president Gregory Fernandez announced that the purse for the 2009 International Power Soca Monarch and Groovy Soca Monarch was in excess of $3 million. The winner of the Power Soca category will receive $1 million. The first prize of the Groovy category has not yet been announced, but Fernandez said he is aiming at it being $500,000 in 2010.

Several changes have been made to the format of the competition, including the use of one band only for the finals. After consultation with regular participants in the competition the decision was made that although all competitors will have to perform accompanied by the band provided by CPF, each act will be allowed two of its own musicians.

The musicians will be required to rehearse with the house band and there will be at least one mandatory full dress rehearsal prior to the final. Fernandez said this move is part of a series of moves towards tightening the production, which is scheduled to be broadcast worldwide across 31 territories, including other Caribbean islands, North America and Britain. The show will also be seen on the Internet on a pay-per-view basis.

Winners of soca monarch competitions in the other islands during this year have been seeded into the final of the International Soca Monarch. Thus far four of these acts, including Claudette Peters of Antigua, Skinny Fabulous of St Vincent, have been seeded into the 2009 finals of the International Soca Monarch. Fernandez said competitors will have to adhere to the stringent performance duration and presentation rules as the show can only run for three and a half hours in keeping with the broadcast requirements.

Calling on the corporate sector as well as the Ministry of Culture to get involved in the production of the competition that is now in its 17th year, Fernandez said to produce the event in 2009 will cost $14 million. The expenditure will go towards fees, transportation and accommodation for a number of Hollywood celebrities and international recording artistes who will be coming to be a part of a celebrity panel at the show.

Leading this panel is Danny Glover who sent a recorded message confirming that he is on board the project and stating, "I am Danny Glover and I am soca." Fernandez said the other member of this celebrity panel will be revealed in the coming months. The judging panel will consist of five judges from the other islands and three from Trinidad. The highest and lowest scores will be knocked out and the remaining scores totalled.