Female singers shine at Chutney Soca

DESPITE the male dominance at the 2004 Soca Chutney Finals, with male singers grabbing the top three places, it was the female performers who had the massive crowd begging for more. Singing sensation Sarika Mahabir wowed the audience wearing an exquisite design of gold and green as she performed “Koyal Bin” and “Meh Neighbour Man.” Soca diva Denise “Saucy Wow” Belfon, making her debut in the finals of the Chutney Soca competition, lived up to her status as the country’s premiere “winer girl” and had the crowd eating out of her hands with her songs “Chutney Hot” and the crowd favourite “Indian Man.”

Top performer and front line singer with cross-over band JMC Trevini, Carlene Wells, appeared first dressed in a red sari in a slow paced rendition of “Suno Suno Mere Beti” as she appealed to young women to respect themselves and her second song “Food For So” where she begged anyone to eat her food. Another first time performer, Francesca Allard, who is the Parang Queen of Vistabella, pulled off a beautiful performance with “Chunkey the Dhal” and “Barey Desh Mein.” Both Rasika Dindial and Phoolmatee Ramjattan gave the audience a dose of traditional chutney with their tunes “My Bowgie” and “Bhuje The Lawa,” respectively. Policeman Rooplal Girdharie copped first position, while Nigel Salickram and Adesh Samaroo, placed second and third respectively.