Faye Ann Lyons, the new Soca Monarch 2009

Despite some rather uninspired and flat moments, the International Soca Monarch 2009 Competition was a smash!

Taking place at the Hasley Crawford Stadium in Trinidad & Tobago, the event saw the crowning of the first woman to take all three titles: Groovy Soca Monarch, Power Soca Monarch and the People's Choice all went to Faye Ann Lyons.

And she performed with her very preggers self - you go, girl!

Commandeering the crowds with rousing renditions of her 2009 hits - Heavy T Bumper & Meet Super Blue - Lyons performed with her usual moxy and verve, garnering the best crowd response of the night.

Past winner and hubby Bungi Garlin conceded his performance to her, saying that he was just there to 'have fun.' By the way, his Clear the Road tune is a surefire hit for the Road March title, as far as I'm concerned!

Even little 'Junior' made an appearance for Lyons' performance, singing a naughty verse from within her belly; watch the clip above to see. And of course, Faye Ann couldn't sing Meet Super Blue without her Pops, the legendary multiple Monarch & Road March winner himself making an appearance!

The performance was a reminder of the glory days of the Monarch competiton; anyone remember Kurt Allen doing his Bees performance, and flying in over the crowds with a swarm of glowing bees in tow? And how can we forget Super Blue scaling the scaffolding to sing to the crowds, or the year when his teeth dropped out, and he simply popped it back in his mouth and continued to sing?

After seeing a spastic intermission showing from Destra Garcia, Denyse Belfon, and Alison Hinds (Why, Alison... Why!?) I was about to sign off on the show. Really, I didn't need to see Destra prancing around and flaunting her 'Destra-ness' in the face of two industry veterans, leading them in a match of 'who could shake-it-like-it's hotter than me.' What's the title of the song they sang together?

Others tried to wow the crowds, but as Ronnie McIntosh - another Soca Legend - so aptly observed from his vantage point of the commentary rostrum, the singers just weren't translating their 'hype' into relatable stage performances.

Case in point: Barbadian Khiomal's lackluster 'monster' performance (God bless his heart for trying) left the crowds standing death-still, and even Trinidadian Patrice Roberts' frenetic showing couldn't move the masses.

Sitting with a patched-together panel (if ever there was one) McIntosh was the only person who lent a credible tone to the banter of main host Lisa Wickham, past Ms. Universe winner Wendy Fitzwilliams, Olympian Ato Boldon, and Hollywood actors Danny Glover & Chris Tucker, who both seemed to be enjoying the action.

McIntosh, along with the brass band Blue Ventures, was the man who would have the entire Barbarossa Mas' band jamming on the roads back in the 90's, so when he talks, you listen. Otherwise, most of the between-performance chatter from the group had an air of "Oh my! I'm in the presence of real, actual 'Hollywood' celebrities!" to it, which wore on after a take or two...

All in all, a fantastic way to get into the Carnival weekend!

L.M.N. Harris