Japanese singer in Soca Monarch.
By Joan Rampersad (Newsday).Minmi, a 29-year-old Osaka-born Japanese hip-hop, reggae and soca singer, is among the 107 entrants for the Groovy Soca Monarch competition, and also one of the 110 artistes registered for the International Soca Monarch competition.
Locals will remember Minmi when she mesmerised the crowd while performing her 2006 soca hit “Summertime” at Machel Montano’s Alternative Concept 4 concert last year.
Patrons didn’t know what the exact lyrics were whether it was jump, wave, wine, in Japanese but the performance was one of high energy and when shouted to the crowd to “Put your hands in the air”, patrons went wild.
She started her career back in 1996 at clubs in Osaka performing both hip hop and reggae. She then released her first album in August 2003 and has since released four albums and eight singles. She has a big following in Japan as well as in Jamaica and here in Trinidad Tobago.
For 2007, she has recorded “Shanananana Japanese Wine” featuring Machel Montano, and on her own, “Step By Step”. The latter song is currently enjoying heavy rotation on local cable stations.
Among other Groovy Soca Monarch entries that were judged by the three-man panel yesterday at the Cascadia Hotel came from seasoned artistes such as Crazy, Rootsman, Blackie, Panther, Rikki Jai, Sanell Dempster, Michelle Sylvester and Tony Prescott. Also registered were newcomers Nadia Batson, Chucky, Fireball and from Grenada, Nnika Francis. She, like Minmi and a number of other artistes has entered in both category competitions.
For the International Soca Monarch, entries include those from former monarch Iwer George, Denise Belfon, Young Marcel, Ms Alysha, Rikki Jai, Chinese Laundry, Patrice Roberts, Olatunji, Zan, another former title holder Shadow, reigning National Calypso Monarch, Luta, and Fay-Ann Lyons. However the newlywed’s husband, Bunji Garlin has kept his promise to stop competing after last year’s show.
From the Caribbean, Cupid and Ninja Dan from St Lucia, Barbadian Barry Callender and Baby Killer from Grenada have also lined up for the Soca Monarch title.
A panel of five judges were expected to work late into last night to come up with a semi-final list. Those charged with that task are Chris Seon, Musical Director at Power 102 FM, Joel “Signal to Noise” Morris, former Production Manager at 96.1 FM, Mr. Q. of i95.5 FM, Roy Edwards who holds a diploma in theory of Music from Trinity College in London and Chief Judge, Roland Gordon, who holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music Education and Music Special & Coral Training, as well as a Post Graduate Degree in Arts and Cultural Enterprises.
Judges for the Groovy Monarch are John Barry, Documentarian in TT Culture, Nubia Williams, who holds a certificate in Music and a Bachelor of Arts Special Degree with Honours, and Marilyn Hunte, jazz vocalist and writer of calypsoes for juniors.
Making an appearance at the judging session was the man who created the competitions, William Munro. He predicted: The days of big names are about to dwindle. What you are getting now is good composed songs from all walks of life.”
