Vanita Willie wins Chutney Monarch title with “Live In Harmony”

The final of the Chutney Monarch was held on Sunday evening and 10 competitors vied for the coveted title, but after a spectacular performance by former queen Vanita Willie, not only did she top the judges’ scoresheets but she also won the hearts of those who were present at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
Her tune, “Live in Harmony” featured the traditional chutney with a touch of Soca, and dressed in a traditional Indian outfit, she rocked the stage. For the first time in the competition since its existence, there was a tie for second place.

Sharing that position was former Chutney King Bunty Singh with his song “Rising On” and Vicadi Singh with his tune, “Tek Another”. The best newcomer prize was given to Sonia Singh, who performed “Shake Yuh Waist”.
After she was announced the winner, Willie and her dancers stormed the stage to perform her winning entry. This time with less pressure, she had the crowd on their feet. She was also joined on stage by the two second-place winners.
In addition, the queen thanked Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr and her supporters leading up to competition night.
The competition saw several young and first-time performers including Sonia Singh and Nawaz Khan, who did their best. Young Bill Rogers, who performed “Mere Pyaree Dost” was one of the veterans who did not place.
Nevertheless, their fans and supporters were gyrating to the music. Meanwhile, in an interview with the new Chutney Queen, she was elated to have won the competition twice and believes that being a role model comes with respect. “The respect you get is a great feeling,” she added.

However, heading into the competition brought on a lot of preparations which comprise sleepless nights.
“I work as well and I tried my best to avoid time off… so indeed it was hard on me.” The winning entry was written by her and produced in the Shakti Strings Studio by Avinash Roopchan.
“I wanted to do something positive for this Mashramani celebration and after brainstorming, “Live In Harmony” came to mind.” After that, it was full steam ahead to get the song composed and produced for the competition.
She believes that on competition night, everyone brought their A-Game which made the battle more competitive. “Anyone could have won the competition… I was a bit nervous even though I’m in this for a few years now… even when I finish singing, I was still afraid that I didn’t perform well enough for the judges,” the Chutney Queen added.
Now that she has won the competition for the second time, it does not deter her from her responsibilities as a mother, wife, entertainer, and employee. She intends to make more music for her fans and now that she has to think about defending her title, she will start to plan for the next competition.
Finally, she thanked her sponsors and family for their tremendous support leading up to and on competition night.