YES Productions celebrates Caribbean soca queens

The Queens:

• The Toco lass, Patrice Roberts, who is a cousin to internationally-renowned Bunji Garlin, has been capturing the hearts of music lovers at home and abroad from a very tender age. At age nine, she was crowned winner of the 1995 Sangre Grande Junior Calypso Monarch; in 2001, she won the National Junior Soca Monarch, National Library Calypso Monarch and National Junior Calypso Monarch titles, repeating the latter in 2002. After being a runner-up in the International Soca Monarch Competition, she teamed up with Machel Montano to win the 2003 Road March title with Band of the Year. One of Patrice's biggest hits, Mind My Business, that soared internationally, was adopted by celebrated Nicki Minaj.

• Destra Garcia, also fondly known as Lucy and Queen of Bacchanal, was born literally in the bowels of culture as her birthplace is next to the original Desperadoes panyard, up Laventille Hill. Doors to the big stage were opened for Destra when, at the age of 21, Dr Roy Cape invited her to front for his All Stars band, following which she had a meteoric rise in soca, both as a composer and artiste. Despite Destra having never won a major calypso title, she’s respected and adored as an icon of the art form.

• Nadia Batson has been a professional artiste for almost 20 years. She was a songwriter, producer and background singer, before opting to step out into the limelight as a solo artiste. Starting with Kes The Band in 2005, and touring the Caribbean and North America, in 2011, Nadia formed her own band, SASS Nation, now renowned as the only established female Soca band on the planet. Nadia has had several hit songs including So Long, Fatt, and Catching Feelings. For 2024, Nadia's much-in-demand single, Market, is ruling the airwaves. Her other releases include Everytime, No Clothes, My All, and I'm Yuh Lover.

• Terri Lyons, Calypso Monarch 2020-‘22, stepped into the 2024 Carnival season, crowned, having retained the title Regional Calypso Queen of Queens, in December of last year.

• Called the Princess of Soca, Nailah Blackman was BET’s 2018 Best New International Act nominee; Jamaica’s Your View Best New Soca Artiste awardee; and International Soca Awards Groovy Soca Female of the Year awardee. Blackman’s 2024 Jam of the Year and Take Yuh Time are currently sparkling the airwaves.

• Barbados Queen of Soca, Allison Hinds, famed for her Roll It Gal (2005), is Barbados’ first female and two-time Road March winner (1996,’97), and was also first female to win the Party Monarch (1997). For 2024, Hinds brings Fine Wine.