Utamu ‘Bongo Prime’ Rose came with one goal in mind when he took the stage in Victoria Park last Saturday, July, 5, 2025, and that was to bag the Ragga Soca Monarch crown.
He executed as planned when the results were announced around 6:00 a.m, on Sunday. Bongo Prime took the top spot with ‘Trouble in Town’, dethroning last year’s monarch, Hance John, and was also awarded second place in the Soca Monarch competition with ‘Maddest Place on Earth’. The win is a welcomed gift for the artiste who recently lost his father, Conley ‘Chivambo’ Rose.
Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT after the announcement of the results, Bongo Prime described this year’s competition as a “step up” on previous years, adding that he and the team set the intention to raise the standard on performance night.
“I felt like this year was a year that we really have the opportunity to take it to another level and that’s how I approach the song writing for this year- the production, everything, that was the goal… we tried to let everything match that goal in terms of the dancing, the production, how we would use the stage, and how we would really present ourselves. We really tried to go as big as possible.”
Bongo Prime has been inching his way up the placements in the Ragga Soca competition over the years, having not placed in 2017, to placing third in 2022 with ‘Chemistry’ and then coming in at second place last year with ‘Special Invitations’.
He told SEARCHLIGHT, after four years competing, a win feels like a tremendous achievement.
Bongo Prime said his second place in the power soca segment behind soca legends, Fireman and Skinny Fabulous, was a historic moment for his musical career.
“… to pull out to the gates, make it through the prelims, make it through the semis, and to make it all the way to the final and still place second, right behind the two legends for Vincentian music, that in itself, is a historic moment. I feel so great and humbled to be like a part of that conversation.”
Commenting on both results, Bongo Prime said, “… this morning is confirmation that we are on the right path. We are nowhere near finished. We want to take this thing as far as we possibly can. I have every intention to represent my country. I have every intention to represent my culture. That’s what I stand for.”
Second place in the Ragga Soca competition went to Dymez’ and Da Pixel’ with ‘Doh hold back / Overdose’, Dfusion placed third with ‘Mission’.
Angie Maya placed fourth with ‘No Owner’.