Scotiabank Junior Monarch Competition gears up for exciting finals

The Scotiabank Junior Monarch competition is being seen by the organisers as an avenue for the development of young talent and keeping the spirit of Crop Over alive. With the summer festival now in its 50th year, the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) believes that investing in youth competitions is crucial for the event’s future.

“We are in our 50th year of Crop Over [and] in order to ensure another 50, an investment in Junior Kadooment and Junior Monarch is vital  . . . So it is important at the NCF for us, as part of our mandate of development, that we bring along the future generations,” Toni Yarde, the NCF’s corporate communications specialist, said at a ceremony on Wednesday where the 16 finalists drew for their positions for the Saturday, July 20 finals at the National Botanical Gardens.

Yarde explained that the programme builds talent and preserves the island’s artistic heritage through song, pointing to the successes of many past participants who graduated to the senior contest, the Pic O De Crop competition, or who had become professional entertainers.

However, she stressed that the Scotiabank Junior Monarch competition was more than just an event to showcase Barbados’ emerging musical talent and offer young artistes a chance to shine on a national stage; it was a complete package that allowed the participants to develop life-changing skills.

“For individuals who have benefited from the Scotiabank Junior Monarch [this programme] is all important because they get exposure to financial literacy workshops and other workshops; it’s not just about singing and vocal training. The participants develop camaraderie, they get to be part of a team, a larger goal and have a larger perspective as opposed to functioning in silos,” Yarde told the ceremony at the Scotiabank Broad Street, Bridgetown branch.

Scotiabank’s Andre Marshall highlighted the bank’s commitment to supporting youth development and promoting Barbadian culture through this platform, stating that the event allowed the bank the opportunity to throw its support behind the development of young Barbadians.

The Scotiabank Junior Monarch finals will feature two categories: calypso and soca. N’kyla will open the calypso category, followed by Hailstorm, Trinity, Potent, Sakarah, King K, Khaleesi and Bit Bit. John Boss will kick off the soca performances and will be followed by Leilani, Ranesha Stewart, Kari, Zarie B, Mr Showman, Jayden Inniss and Lil Stathis.