Ragga Soca 2014: Battle of the Groovy

Vincy Mas 2K14 is about to climax this weekend and one of the most anticipated shows will be the Soca Monarch competition. Again this year the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) has combined both the Ragga (also known as Groovy Soca) and the Power Soca segments into one show. (I'm not a big fan of this!)

This year nine artistes will come up against reigning Ragga Soca Monarch Lornette 'Fya Empress' Nedd. Here's a look at the competitors and what they will bring (along with a few predictions),

1. Skarpyon - Raw Curry 

The reigning Calypso Monarch bring a chutney flair to this year's Ragga Soca Monarch. On the heels of the success of 'Hammer & Conch' from 2013 and the bitter sting of being relegated to second place, we can expect a performance like no other by Skarpyon as he goes for the crown again this year! 

2. Johnny Rebel - Thunder 

No one can deny Johnny Rebel loves the Soca arena. His presentation this year is actually a great fusion of old school with new beats. This tune is actually quite catchy and takes you back to a time when you were young and innocent to Soca messages. While we know this tune will be a hit with an older crowd, We aren't too sure if the performance at Victoria Park will be able to move the crowd. 

3. Fireman - Rum Meeting 

This year Fireman presents his best chance for taking home the crown in the Soca arena for years. This song has not only a captivating beat but also resonates with the entire cross section of Soca listeners from young to old. While we await the presentation on stage Saturday night, we know the crowd will be moving from beginning to end. We shouldn't be surprised if Saturday night, the rum meeting takes home the crown. 

4. Vincy Marshall - Faith 

This song has been making its lyrics felt for this Carnival season. While still relatively unknown, Vincy Marshall is having waist lines moving for this Carnival season. We anticipate that this song will have an impact in Victoria Park on Saturday night but will that be enough to secure a top three spot? We are not too sure!

5. Demus - No Problem

Another of this year's anthem, we know this song will have Victoria Park moving. This is one of the songs with the best airplay for this season and its catch beat and lyrics have endeared Soca lovers of all ages. We hope Demus can however brig a great performance to help propel him up the ranks this year. One thing we can say however is that we have 'No Problem' with this song! 

6. Wiz Skid - Fettologist 

It is hard to deny that this song has been one of the most popular for Vincy Mas 2014. With the new catch phrase for this year's Carnival, 'Fettologist' resonates with any party animal who can identify with the lyrics. We know that patrons at Victoria Park will be dancing to this tune but will the performance be one to wow the judges? Let's  hope it's not as disappointing and stiff as the music video. 

7. Shaunelle - Champion

A veteran to the Carnival business, Shaunelle enters her 21st year with 2 good songs. While we know that she can perform, her music has not been beating the airwaves as much as we think it should and this may make the crowd not as involved as it would normally would. We expect nothing but a stellar performance from Shaunelle but will it be enough to take her to the top three? We'll just have to see!

8. Hance - Wasted

One of SVG's up and coming Soca artistes, we enjoyed his 2013 presentation. This year Hance brings another great track to the table with 'Wasted'. With a great beat and cool lyrics, this is actually one of the best Raga Soca tracks for 2014 in my opinion. Hance always brings a great performance to the stage but is his son popular enough to get the crowd moving? We're not too sure but still Saturday may just surprise a lot of people!

9. Piece ah This - Keith Currency

This year Keith Currency brings another catchy hit to the stage with 'Piece ah This.' This song has been garnering airplay and is another of the favourites for Vincy Mas 2014. With major improvements in his craft, we look forward to a great performance by Keith on the stage and maybe a break into the top three for this year's competition. 

Fya Empress - Drink Ah Juice

This year, Fya Empress brings another crowd moving hit which we expect to rock Victoria Park. She will bring her 'A' game to the stage to defend the crown and it may be hard to beat her. This song has the beat, the lyrics and essence of Ragga Soca. We look forward to what the Empress brings to the stage on Saturday night. 

So my prediction: My top three in no particular order are Fya Empress, Fireman and Keith Currency. 

We'll see what happens on Saturday 5th July at Victoria Park but one thing we know is that the Ragga Soca segment this year is filled with hits that will have you on your feet from start to finish. It's the Battle of the the Groovy!