THE popular Party Monarch competition will be a night-time jam this year.
That move was announced by Minister of Culture Stephen Lashley during the Crop Over Sponsors’ Breakfast and Launch at the Barbados Hilton this morning.
The move to a night-time show was hinted at by former minister Steve Blackett when the Soca Royale competition, which includes the Sweet Soca and Party Monarch competitions, was moved to Bushy Park, St Philip last year.
Party Monarch Anderson Blood Armstrong, who was present at the launch, welcomed the move.
“I think that is grand news. That is fantastic news. It is what the guys have been asking for, for a long time. There should be some interesting things happening for the Party Monarch this year, you will definitely see some fantastic things,” he told the NATION.
Terencia TC Coward, who has won both Sweet Soca competitions held so far, thought the sundown battle was “fantastic” as well, but queried why the Sweet Soca competition was not been given the same treatment at the Party Monarch.
TC, who said she will be coming strong in her hattrick bid, wondered why the slower competition was being treated as a “second cousin”.
TC said the sun drains both performers and spectators and, given that it was the groovy tunes that were exported out of Barbados, it deserved the same attention the Party Monarch was getting in terms of a later start.
“It should be all the way not one foot in, one foot out,” she argued.
