
The newly crowned Ragga Soca Monarch, Utama Bongo Prime Rose, is giving thanks to the Almighty and his team after capturing the prestigious title on Saturday, July 5th, dethroning defending champion Hance John and defeating 10 other contenders.
In an emotional interview with ANN, Rose dedicated the win to his late father, Chivambo Rose, who he described as a passionate supporter of his musical journey.
“If Dad was alive, there would’ve probably been over a hundred posts on social media celebrating this victory,” Rose said. “He knew this song well. He believed in me.”
Rose shared that his winning song had been written two years ago. He recalled his father encouraging him after previous strong showings:
“You got third and second before, so now you should be aiming for first.”
That message stuck with him. When Rose approached his producer about entering this year’s competition,after his father death his producer told him they could wait until 2026. But Rose insisted they go forward.
“I said no—we’re doing this one for Dad. He wasn’t a quitter, and I’m not one either.”
Performing last on the night, Rose delivered a commanding performance that earned him the crown with 395 points. Dymez & D Pixel followed in second with 354 points, D Fusion was third with 333 points, and Angie Maya finished fourth with 332 points.
On Monday, Rose admitted that the magnitude of the win was still settling in.
“I was in a daze when they called my name. I didn’t even realize I had also placed second in the Power Soca category—my producer had to tell me.”
A consistent presence in the soca scene, Rose says this victory motivates him even more to continue elevating soca music and representing St. Vincent and the Grenadines with pride.
