Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 10/Jan 10:40

Glimmer of hope for Ultimate Soca Champion

JUST days after CEO of the Ultimate Soca Champion (USC) Jerome “Rome” Precilla warned the competition could not survive without government backing, Culture Minister Michelle Benjamin has provided a tentative lifeline for the fledgling but impactful soca platform. Speaking with Newsday on January 9, Benjamin confirmed she had received feedback from the committee usually responsible for the event and revealed that discussions are ongoing. She explained that the 2025 edition of USC was facilitated through a tendering process, and a contract has been drawn up. She said members of the committee were expected to meet with her later on Friday to make a final determination on whether government would support the show for Carnival 2026. That assurance, though not yet definitive, represents the first substantive indication that USC is still under consideration, following its conspicuous omission from the National Carnival Commission’s (NCC) 2026 calendar of events released on December 16. The omission sparked concern among artistes and stakeholders, particularly as USC was launched in 2025 specifically to fill the void left by the discontinued international soca monarch competition. Rome, who led the revival effort through Star Global Productions, has been vocal about the uncertainty surrounding the competition’s future. In an interview on January 7, he confirmed that while he had written a letter to Benjamin which was copied to NCC chairman Peter Kanhai, the NCC vice chairman and NCC CEO, only Benjamin acknowledged receipt. “No, we have not heard from the government as yet,” Rome said at the time. “We cannot do it independently without the government support. At this stage, we could never do that on our own.” According to Rome, the financial demands of staging the competition which includes auditions, semi-finals and a grand finale make government partnership essential, especially with Carnival now just five weeks away. “I would say the latest we can wait is by next week,” he said. “Carnival is just five weeks away. We must have auditions, semi-finals and the finals.” Rome’s appeal to the State has gone beyond finances, stressing the wider cultural, economic and developmental value of the competition. He pointed to USC’s role in nurturing young and emerging talent, expanding the Soca art form regionally, and contributing to tourism and foreign exchange earnings – an increasingly scarce commodity. “This competition and its predecessor, the soca monarch, helped develop artistes by giving them exposure and opening doors that can positively change their future,” he said. He used his own career as an example, recalling how the Soca Monarch platform gave him opportunities even when his songs were not in heavy radio rotation. “I was that artiste,” Rome said. “I went up against artistes who had high-rotation songs, twice, with songs nobody knew, and I placed well. I put on a great show, and I got opportunities after that.” The 2025 debut of USC appeared to validate that vision. Grenadian artiste Akim “Blaka Dan” Ogiste emerged as the first Ultimate Soca Champion and went on to tour internationally. Youth Soca Champion Nkosi “Sucre” Joseph secured a $200,000 prize and has since performed in St Maarten, opened for Morgan Heritage, and collaborated on projects that earned him a Road March win in Guyana. Other participants, including Kristina James, Anika Berry and Yung Bredda – who placed second – have since secured band placements, recording deals and heightened visibility on the regional and international circuit. Rome argued that without USC, it is the younger artistes who would feel the impact most. The post Glimmer of hope for Ultimate Soca Champion appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.