Trinidad and Tobago is not the only country to remove the popular Soca Monarch competition from its callendar.
Barbados has also made a decision to drop the event.
The discontinuation of the Soca Monarch competition was among the changes for the 2023 Crop Over Festival, announced during the launch by officials of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) at Ilaro Court
Chief executive officer of the NCF Carol Roberts-Reifer said they met with stakeholders before the decision was made.
She said: “We, being the NCF and all relevant stakeholders, are generally in agreement that the Soca Monarch competition model no longer truly benefits the soca artistes in pursuing a sustainable livelihood. So, we have agreed that we will mount a joint campaign and project to assist artistes and producers with the production of soca tunes that can hold their own in any market.”
Roberts-Reifer said a concert featuring the best songs of the season would be held on August 6.
Crop over is one of several activities in the Season of Emancipation which gets under way on April 14 and climaxes on August 27. Among the new additions is a National Heroes Day Community Volunteer Project, Africa Day on May 25, the celebration of Cuffy, Marcus Garvey Day and Jackie Opel Day.
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