VICTORIA Cooper-Rahim, who sings under the sobriquet, Queen Victoria is new South Calypso Monarch.

Queen Victoria won the competition from among 11 competitors on Tuesday night at a keenly-contested show held at City Auditorium, San Fernando.

Many of her competitors are members of the Kaiso Showkase Tent where she had been performing nightly for the season.

In fact she dethroned one of her cast members, Nicholas Lucas, who won the last competition before the pandemic.

Lucas, who performed his patriotic song, Since Dr Williams, placed sixth.

Second place was awarded to Lynette Steel, better known as Lady Gypsy, for her rendition of One Moment of Glory.

Joanne Gibson, who sings under the sobriquet Queen Voice at the Divas Cabaret, placed third with a social commentary on the Venezuela crisis called, You Squeezing We.

There was a tie for fourth place between Eunice Peters, who sang Shine Some Light and Rivaldo London with his social commentary, What If.

In an interview after her win, Queen Victoria said she was overjoyed.

“I am overjoyed because this is my last competition for the season and I ended with a bang.

“Tonight it makes me feel wonderful. I have been entering the South Monarch for a couple of years. I won the junior title multiple times, but to have the senior title now means a lot.”

Queen Victoria, performed a political commentary called Good Advice.

There was no crowning of the Queen or any prizes awarded, due to the lack of subvention from the National Carnival Commission (NCC).

Mayor Junia Regrello who commented on the high standard of the competition, said there was no commitment nor subvention, one week before Carnival.

Commenting on the funding issue, reigning Monarch, Queen Victoria said. “One week before carnival and for San Fernando yet to receive its subvention is sad, very sad. This is the city and I expected things would have already been in place for carnival. It is disappointing, and I am waiting, anxiously to hear the way forward and how they plan on dealing with this.”

Owing to the lack of funding contestants had to perform with their music tracks as there was no money to hire a live band.

“I can’t remember the last time I had to use a flash drive or tracks to perform. The unavability of a live band was challenging for me because the band gives you energy, it creates that perfect effect, but I did what I had to do.”

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