Oh brother!

The moment it dawned on the boys that they were both winners, Stefan jumped on the back of Sergio and the celebrations started with Sergio dancing as he carried his little brother on his shoulder.

Singing in position six, Stefan came on stage with a mission.

With perfect diction he gave a strong performance of ‘Back on de Road’, a song advising youths to free themselves from drugs and alcohol and get back on the road to studies and eventual success.

There were no back-up singers on stage but his fellow students from Sacred Heart Boys’ School in the audience vociferously sang his refrain.

It was a strong performance.

Shouts of ‘Stefan! Stefan! Stefan!’ continued after his winning performance. In Sergio’s case, the Fatima College student was great on performance of ‘Daz Yuh Business’. His dancers in red, white and black come out to fete as he stated once the party start.

And as with his brother earlier there were also shouts of Sergio! Sergio! after his performance at the Queen’s Park Savannah.

Speaking with the media afterwards Sergio thanked everyone for their support, especially the Camejo family. Asked what was their first reaction on hearing that they were winners Stefan said: “When I first heard my name, I was standing up by the band waiting to hear the results and I ran on this same stage all the way to the next side and run back and jump and fall down on the ground, for spite! I was so happy because the years before that I came second twice and after that it has been a winning streak up to now. It is just amazing” This is Stefan’s fourth consecutive win. It is the first time any competitor in the Junior Soca Monarch competition has ever achieved that feat.

For elder brother Sergio, the moment he was named winner he said: “I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting it. I am in shock. I really thought that there were some other performances that were excellent, some of them really great, and I didn’t know what was going to be the result. So when I heard my name, I was like, what? So it was excellent. I still have the energy pumping, I’m still in shock.

I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what to do, I don’t know who to talk to, I don’t know who to hug up again. Daz yuh business,” he said with a laugh.

Their father, Dexter, a guitarist with the Asylum Vikings couldn’t hide his emotions. “Daddy don’t know what to say except that these boys of mine…and to tell you the truth, I didn’t really push them in this.

They grew up in the band room and wanted to do this, I didn’t push them in this.” He then turned to his younger son Stefan and said “You have SE A now, I hope this motivates you to pass for your first choice...Fatima College, so next year they will have two defending monarchs.” Anthony Garcia, Minister of Education in his welcome address told the audience that his Ministry is always happy to be associated with events such as the Junior Soca Monarch. He said culture is an important part of our development, adding: “Events like these, we will always lend our support.” He noted the hard work of the finalists which redound to their reaching the final, and added that chutney, soca, calypso all form part of our culture and that it was important to keep our culture alive. Garcia also said that the students’ participation and the effort put into their performances ought to be more important that the prizes they may win.

Primary Schoo l Soc a Mon arc h
Name................................................schoo l.......................................song
1 S tefan Camejo...................................................Sacred Heard Boys’...........................Back on de Road
2 N’Janela Duncan-Regis...................................Eshe’s Learning Centre.....................Rise
3 Terry Perez........................................................Arima Boys Govt..............................Choose.
4 S harla Grant......................................................Lower Cumuto Govt.........................Proud Trini
5 Jason James........................................................Arima Boys’ Govt..............................Victory Road
6 Yirah Mc Intosh................................................Arima Boys’ Govt..............................Eagle’s Eye
7 S u-Yen Pantin...................................................Arima New Govt...............................Why
8 Zakima Grant...................................................Lower Cumuto Govt.........................Ah Want to Go
Secon dary Schoo ls Soc a Mon arc h
Name.................................................schoo l.......................................song
1 S ergio Camejo..................................................Fatima College...................................Daz Yuh business
2 Osei David.........................................................St George’s College............................My Way.
3 Denisha Martimbor.........................................St Anthony’s College.........................Feeling The Vybes
4 Desle Julien.......................................................St Mary’s College...............................We Lit
5 Tsahai Corbin...................................................St Joseph’s Convent...........................Too Much Pressure
6 E than Webb.......................................................San Juan South Secondary...............True Love
7 Jenelle Ross........................................................Tableland Secondary........................Come Back Again
8 S hernifa Gibbs..................................................Guico Government Secondary.......Wet Meh Down
9 Oduduwa Aluko...............................................St Benedict’s College.........................Time of the Year
10 Tyrese Williams................................................Holy Cross College...........................Not Too Young