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Bunj Garlin is the 2004 International Soca Monarch. And this time he does not have to share the title with anyone, having had to do so with Iwer George in 2002. Bunji came very close to another tie though, beating Shurwayne Winchester into second place by just two points.
Defending monarch, Iwer, was soundly trounced into 11th place and just may have to hand over the keys for his Lexus to Bunji. Iwer announced last week that if he lost the title, he would hand over the keys to his Lexus to the winner.
The 12th final of the annual competition took place on Friday at the Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, and featured 21 artistes seeking to dethrone Iwer.
Bunji scored 455 points with his spellbinding performance of "Warrior Cry." The stage lights were cut as soon as the MC introduced Bunji. Appearing on a giant screen at the back of the stage was a phantom mask that morphed into an image of Bunji as the crowd cheered loudly.
Smoke screens appeared and then out of the darkness several canned blowtorches erupted across the stage as moko jumbies, jab jabs and dancers covered in body paint moved around. Mayhem broke out, as Bunji then appeared dressed in an ornate red and gold Japanese kimono.
A huge fire-spitting dragon mounted the stage further intensifying the crowd's frenzy. Bunji then proclaimed that he was the keeper of the flame and he was going to show the people how he controlled his pet dragon. Donning a special effects glove, Bunji stood at the edge of the stage and shot his right hand into the air as fire blasted from his fingertips.
Several minutes after Bunji had exited the stage, the audience continued to sing the song's chorus, causing the MC to resort to begging them to be quiet so that the next act could be introduced. They eventually quieted down, but the noise erupted again when they were told that the next performer on stage was, Shurwayne Winchester. With drums thundering and the blast of a trumpet heralding his coming, Winchester appeared singing the intro of his Road March contender, "The Band Coming." Again madness took control of the crowd and fireworks blasted from on stage as an assortment of Carnival characters including jab jabs, bats, sailors and other individuals cavorted around the stage.
Winchester even brought an entire pan-round-de-neck ensemble on stage, as well as a large king of the band costume to parade across the stage as he worked the patrons, having them eat out of his hands. For his efforts, Winchester scored 453 points to claim second place
Iwer George, by the time he arrived at the Oval, seemed to have resigned himself to the fact that he was not going to retain the title. He took the stage bare-backed and, accompanied by a crew of shirtless men, sang "Carnival Come Back," jumping, waving and gyrating throughout his performance, which was devoid of any type of special effects or coloring. Scoring only 362 points, this was the entertainer's most lack lustre presentation ever at the competition.
Destra, one of the favorites for the title, scored 435 points to place third with her own Road March contender, "Bonnie & Clyde." Visibly exhausted, probably from her hectic schedule, Destra gave her all, but her vocals came across as hoarse and strained. She seemed to be having difficulty making the high notes of the song, but managed to execute a commendable performance without any problems.
Fourth place went to Denise Belfon who performed "Indian Man," for which she earned 422 points. Appearing from beneath the stage on a hydraulic lift, Belfon was dressed in a blue and silver sari. Accompanied by an East Indian dance troupe, Belfon performed a routine that rivaled that of any professional dancer.
Belfon then ripped off the sari to reveal a form-fitting outfit and she proceeded to thrill the audience with her wining and gyrating skills. A rather skinny man joined her on stage and attempted to out-wine her, but he was quickly disposed of much to the delight of the audience.
Six-time Soca Monarch, SuperBlue, and his daughter, defending Road March Monarch Faye Ann Lyons, failed to impress the judges and most of the patrons. Performing "Clear The Road," SuperBlue and Faye Ann had no synergy on stage. A crowd of people accompanied them on stage, further confusing things and creating problems for the stage and sound crew. In the end, they scored 350 points to place 14th.
The event attracted more than 5,000 patrons who were treated to free drinks and food throughout the night. As promised, the drinks flowed liberally throughout nearly the entire night, although the crowds at the two main bars left the bartenders overwhelmed. There were also no incidents of violence reported and the night generally passed without a hitch. The results were, for the most part, pleasing to the majority of patrons who started to sing Bunji's song, "Warrior Cry", after he was declared winner minutes after 3 a.m.
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