Winners of the the Bmobile International Soca Monarch competition could earn as much as TT$5 million (BDS$1,579,778.85) in another three years.
This is more than twice the TT$2 million (BDS$626,959.30) being awarded this year.
Competition founder William Munro said the funding for the competition came from sponsors and the Government, and that the current Kamla Persad-Bissessar regime was much more cooperative than the previous administration. He said he was happy with the cooperation from regional governments as well.
“We are working with them to take the prize money to $5 million…. That is my goal and my vision,” he said, adding that he would want to see the contestants finishing in the lower order bagging about TT$500,000 (BDS$156,739.81).
He said it was entirely possibly if they continued to get the sponsorship that the Soca Monarch had the potential to develop like Twenty20 cricket, where the profits did not come from the gates but from “the electronics”.
Meanwhile, the idea mooted by Munro last year to have a roaming competition has not moved beyond the discussion stage.Speaking after last year’s competitions, Munro said he would like to see the semi-finals of the power and groovy competitions taking place in different countries with the finals being held in Trinidad as usual.
Then chairman of the National Cultural Foundation Ken Knight said the foundation would be “amenable” to discussions on the issue and that they were willing to sit down with Munro to discuss the issue.
Munro was hoping to start the roaming from this year and he and Knight were of the view that it could start in Barbados. The semi-finals were held in Trinidad last Sunday as usual.
Last Thursday, Munro said he was still committed to the roaming concept.
“Sometimes you, the journalists, and me speak but when you have to get the authorities like the people, sometimes it’s difficult with the prime ministers. It has to be a ministerial decision. I have no problem with it,” he said.
