Once upon a time Soca Artists got on stage, strutted their stuff and at the end of the night someone was named Soca Monarch or Chutney Soca Monarch. Ask Ronnie McIntosh or Sonny Man or Superblue, the latter would climb the nearest scaffolding to address the jury.
Now the contest starts before contest day. With full fledged ad campaigns including radio, press, TV and online. So are we seeing the early days of Soca Elections, where what happens on the day is really determined by what happens in the weeks and months before the day. And like elections of political representatives, who wins is largely determined by one’s ability to get your voters to come to the polls. And they can come to the polls without leaving home via texting.
So the Soca Artist now needs a Campaign Manager as much as his Road Manager. And one key battleground is radio airplay. That’s why Iwer’s placing is especially commendable given that he’s not played on 96.1. (who has the largest audience among soca target)
The Carnival Competition is evolving and it’s as much about marketing strategy as it is about art. These days, either by itself is not enough to bring home the crown.
