No Filter in Paradise

Is a SOCA crown about artistry or popularity?? | EP 230

• No Filter in Paradise

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 51:56

Send us your Questions

What was supposed to be a celebration of Carnival in Aruba turned into one of the most controversial finals nights we’ve seen in years.

In this episode, we walk through the events step by step. From a playful, nostalgic soca track that started as an online joke and unexpectedly became an island anthem, to a surprise wild card added after the hype was already at its peak. The night escalated into a public standoff on stage, ending with a judge stepping down and the entire competition restarting from scratch — something many of us have never seen before.

We zoom in on the question everyone is quietly debating but rarely saying out loud: Is the crown about artistry, or is it about popularity?

We break down the alleged judging criteria — melody, arrangement, satire, stage presence, performance — and why the lack of transparency around scoring undermines all of it. Artists invest months of work, money, dancers, costumes, and storytelling, only to face opaque judging, unclear rules, and a playbook that seems to change in real time. If other competitive industries can publish scorecards, credentials, and conflicts of interest, then a national music competition should be able to do the same.

We also address the elephant in the room: Groovy vs Power soca competing for one crown. That’s not drama — it’s a design flaw. These are different energies, different purposes, and different audiences. Asking them to fight for the same title creates confusion, frustration, and unnecessary controversy.


Our proposed fixes are simple and constructive:

• Bring back separate Groovy and Power Soca crowns

• Add a permanent Road March or People’s Choice title so the streets have a voice

• Turn the wild card into a real, clearly defined rule with set parameters

• Lock the rulebook for multiple years and publish it online

• Be transparent about judging criteria, conflicts of interest, and final scores


This episode is not about attacking artists, judges, or organizers. It’s about accountability, respect for the craft, and protecting carnival culture for the next generation. Aruba’s carnival is too important to be clouded by rumors, confusion, and silence.

If we want better, we have to be willing to talk about it — with facts, not feelings.

👇 Join the conversation. Disagree respectfully. Carnival is ours.


SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: / @nofilterinparadise
INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/nofilterinp...

Radio Announcement & Kickoff

SPEAKER_00

Before we start today's episode, we just want to let you know that Shark and I are finally going to the radio, which means every single Saturday, you can tune in on XFM 102.7, hang out with us, play some good music. We got a bunch of giveaways and just an overall good time and vibe. So tune in Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Enjoy the episode. Peace.

Viral Song Sparks Islandwide Debate

SPEAKER_03

Curisau was making fun of it. Curisau was like, that's how it started. It was Curaçao was like, yo, what the what's what the fuck is going on in Aruba? What is this? I had a pop, yeah. Okay, we don't try to sit.

SPEAKER_00

Segmental with put our hats on, thin foils.

SPEAKER_03

Like people are bashing them all over Facebook.

SPEAKER_00

I saw the lizard painting the game.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, they're they're they're gam on this. It's the same song. He performed it with the same melody. Y'all didn't like it. Y'all were not fing with it. The moment it went viral because of Kira's out. Now all of a sudden y'all love the song. It's the best thing ever since Break Juice. I remember.

SPEAKER_00

It's fine if he won. No problem. We're cool with it. Show us why he won. Stuff being popular, or do you win because of the art tonight? We wanna know. Again, if he's sneaking in into the finals, I'm not sneaking in. And what the fuck did he do?

SPEAKER_03

But I don't know if he's a rule that I don't know. I'm not no judge, my nigga. What's up? I'll like chemists. Shut up. Stop. Stop.

SPEAKER_00

Whoa, that's um some deep voice. Fuck off. Baby lock them doors and turn the lights down. Damn, for a second if I close my eyes like a man in front of me.

SPEAKER_03

Sam, shut the fuck up.

SPEAKER_00

Guys, welcome back to the AVC Island's favorite podcast. No filter in Paradise. They show about anything and everything between two friends. One is straight and the other more manly than he is. You know what I was gonna say? I was gonna say, just for today, like wait, hold up. That's not gonna work because it makes me Yeah, no. The gay omen. No, not today. No, never actually. None. His words. What happened to your voice?

Finals Format And Band Qualifications

SPEAKER_03

Aza, keep that in. Um I was screaming. Yeah. The finals. I was screaming. Yeah. My it was the finals and I was screaming. Well, my band was performing.

SPEAKER_00

Who's your band?

SPEAKER_03

Groove Masters. Okay. It's Groove Masters until the Wheels follow off.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

But I was screaming for everybody. I was like definitely dancing for everybody. It was a good time.

SPEAKER_00

What what was uh what place was Groove Master in? Like, I I mean I didn't follow anything with this last weekend, the carnival.

SPEAKER_03

Um okay, so I don't know when they started doing this, but um, they have a top 10 now. Yeah, I know. I was like, what? I don't know. Maybe it's been going on for a few years now. I didn't really like this year. I was like, okay, at number 10, I was like, what happened to like, you know, first runner up and second run-up, and you know, the winner done.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

But yeah, no, they have like a top 10.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, wait, how many bands were there in total? 10?

unknown

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00

Or kind of eight places. 11 or 12, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03

So imagine imagine it's like top 10, and you're like, Yeah, but like each band, like tsunami had like six or seven people like participant singing.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, so half the competition was like tsunami, for example.

SPEAKER_03

Um, they qu they they got a qu they qualified.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, this is by the way, this is somebody from the outside looking in. As as you guys know, I am not the most local person here. Yeah, no. So that's why I'm like, so no, it's just like from from tsunami, seven people. If they have four lead singers, they all can each participate on their own. So that means you have four people from tsunami participating.

SPEAKER_03

That's that's not really how it works, no. I okay, so this is go ahead. Because you I know you're looking up the list. So, yeah, so this is the list of the like the pre-finals. Yeah, look at this shit. Let me just show you.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, read it, read it, read it.

SPEAKER_03

I'm not gonna read the whole thing, but I'm just gonna show you just a little bit. So, like, we had like Duro, they had two performers. That's a song. No, that's a band. Okay. That's the one that Casper's in. Then you have Hot One's band. They had three performers. Okay. Um, Groove Masters, they had through three, four performers. Uh, tsunami had let me see here. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight performers. Were they even were they even a top five? I believe so. I mean, it was like it was like a mixed in. But this is like pre-final. So this is like before they have to sing and then we see who gets qualified. So from this two list of pre-final days, um, these were the people that made it to the finals. Let me see this.

unknown

What?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, tsunami has like half the fucking roster.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, they only had one person that didn't qualify, which I believe was Big Reckless.

SPEAKER_00

No way.

SPEAKER_03

He was the only one that didn't qualify for tsunami. Why? Oh, for tsunami. That's the judges. I don't know, I'm not no judge, my nigga. What?

SPEAKER_00

Well, speaking of judges, we're gonna get to that too. I'm getting my information from from Facebook, and then I bring it to you, and then you you like Kai at the pop, yeah. Okay, so okay, so now I now I understand.

Wild Card Twist And Public Vote

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. So this becomes if you're not a uh fanatic person, this becomes a concert for the whole night.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

But if you're coming for like a specific group, then you only care for when your group is on. Where where is the lizard man? He is in Hot Ones Band Lord Lally. I don't see it. Let me see. Oh, because he didn't qualify. This was who qualified. Okay. Um, then they made the whole voting with the wild card thing so he can get qualified in.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay. So these are you who qualify and people who qualified. He was the people's choice, and then they moved him in.

SPEAKER_03

Correct.

SPEAKER_00

Just to come in and get beaten by the wild card. This is interesting because now it becomes like do you win based off being popular, or do you win because of the art? Is this so that that that becomes a question now?

SPEAKER_01

This is what we want to know.

SPEAKER_00

Guys, two opposite people here. I'm not much in carnival. I like watching and enjoying.

SPEAKER_03

I am obsessed with I know.

SPEAKER_00

That's why I get my information from a source. I don't go nowhere because I know everything comes to you and it funnels through me. I'm like, perfect.

SPEAKER_03

Don't make it seem like that.

SPEAKER_00

I'm like, I don't have to waste my time. I just wait for Monday when we record like sharks. I got patience. Tell me the story. Because I think half of the show today is gonna be about this.

SPEAKER_03

I mean, this is what the whole island is going on right now.

SPEAKER_00

So by the way, guys, do you think we should bring um Lord Lally? Lord Lally. Lord Lally onto the show. We've talked about this. We do want to bring him, but what do you guys think?

SPEAKER_03

I think a lot of people are not using and abusing, but like, you know, like they're like Yeah, that that's why I'm like very much on yeah, I'm I'm kinda out of it. Like, I'm like, you know what?

SPEAKER_00

I I'm on the I'm on the fence of like I don't want to do it because everybody's milking this guy. Correct. And it's like almost sad, you know.

SPEAKER_03

Like I don't, yeah, I don't like it.

SPEAKER_00

I hope, like for I some I saw him in Attackabell ad. I hope they paid him well.

SPEAKER_03

You know, I think they did. If I'm not mistaken, I believe from from what I've heard, they actually paid him.

SPEAKER_00

Good, good.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And so like I hope everybody who's taking advantage of him give him a cut, whatever. We've talked about this in the past episode. Yeah, yeah. But so that's why I do want to bring him because no, I don't think anybody or most people can't talk to him the way we would talk to him. Yeah, you know, we will bring the other side of like, hey man, like 50, like 50 plus years you've been doing this, first time you made it. But he's just such a humble spirit, like that's the thing. But that's why I want to talk to him, you know. That but I think we agreed to wait until carnival is over. Yeah. When that's all done, the whole charade is over.

SPEAKER_03

Let's bring it up.

SPEAKER_00

Sit here and tell us your experience.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. I'm very much down for that. I'm very much down for that.

SPEAKER_00

Now let's go back to the drama.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

So so, so yeah. So again, it goes back now to like, okay, do you win because you're it's it's popular? I'm like, what made it popular? Like, was it because they like the song was like funny or like they were kind of making fun of it? It started off as they were making fun of it, and then it jokes on everybody else now.

SPEAKER_03

It really, it really was. It really was.

SPEAKER_00

Because I saw in a few groups like I'm like, I'm like, what the f I'm like, what is this? It took over.

Popularity Versus Artistry

SPEAKER_03

Okay, it definitely took over. And like it it's the nation's thing, you know, like it it became huge. Yeah, we can't deny it, but people aren't like too happy about it. Why? Tell me, give me it's it's it's mixed reviews. So right now you have one half that is, hey, you know what? I love the fact that this man is finally getting celebrated, you know? He's finally reaching his potential capacity, he's doing all these type of things, and then let him, you know, like it's like he won fair and square.

SPEAKER_00

He's been doing this for 50 plus years, never made it to the final ever. So why take that away from him?

SPEAKER_03

Correct.

SPEAKER_00

You know, this could be his last time. Like, was that I made it? I'm stepping away at the top, and I'm gonna stay there.

SPEAKER_03

Like, so he's like that that's one side of the people that you have. Yeah, but then you have the other side, that's a lot of Facebook people, which is on some okay, but it is still a competition. I brought my best foot forward. I did all these type of things. So clearly, the wild card was set so he could come in.

SPEAKER_00

Was the wild card always something part of it?

SPEAKER_03

It's no it popped up this year. Out of nowhere. Hey, I've seen wild card like since when. It popped up after everything on social media was transpiring when the song was blowing up. Hold up. So okay.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, so you see why now people are not like um So like so this was never a It was never like a we always have a Wild Card. When this thing started, there was never a wild card until the whole sensation happened online, and like, hey, let's do a wild card because we're guaranteed people are gonna vote for him, which means people will come to Carnival Village for him in order to get more sales. Am I wrong? Leave in the comments again, guys. I'm outside looking in. I'm not a very careful person. I just evaluate and give my opinion on it. Point blank, period. Okay, good.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, damn. So now you have these two people that are like, and mind you, these aren't mad that he won. They're mad at how the system played the game because to benefit one person. You didn't, you didn't, so what's the point then? Are we done? Everybody should run on popularity because if it's not even to say like the wild card came and was like, okay, you know what? The wild card is for everybody that had like maybe missing 10 points to qualify. So the top 10 people with the highest points are the ones that are are gonna be able um eligible for the wild card. It wasn't even that. Yeah, they put all 30 participants on a list and be like, okay, you could choose who's the wild card from there. 7,000 voted for him. 7,000? About 7,000 people.

SPEAKER_00

That's more than some political. Imagine this guy bronze. I mean they're not political. Damn. So yeah. But again, guys, I don't want to take away that he won.

SPEAKER_03

No, at all. Let's just make something very, very, very clear. Okay, the man already won. It is what it is. Yeah. My personal opinion on it, I would have I said, I feel like the it is not his fault. And I I feel like people shitting on his name right now, I don't like that. Yeah, I really, really don't like that because it's really not his fault. But if this is his timing, this is his timing, this is when it happened for him. If I have to blame something on somebody, I would have to blame it on the organization.

SPEAKER_00

For the lack of who's who's the organization?

SPEAKER_03

Stehtei Musica. Okay. For the lack of how you maneuvered, you knew that doing this wild card was put him in that position.

SPEAKER_00

It worked for him.

SPEAKER_03

It was there was no other person you did the wild card for. We saw the sensation. So, with that being said, I felt like they should they we know that they did the wild card for him. He got qualified. He's now officially in the running with everybody that originally got qualified. Fine. Two things should have happened because you're the wild card, it's either you could perform, but you won't be scored, you won't get points, or we're gonna have you then open the show. As the wild card, you have the open, you're gonna open the show.

SPEAKER_00

So you don't participate in the winning the actual crown.

SPEAKER_03

You never got the points for it. Yeah. Respectfully, I understand the island loves it. Y'all can still y'all love it so much, you can still come and see it.

SPEAKER_00

That thing lives rent-free in my head, man. Like randomly, I'm like, kick, kick, kick, kick.

Judging Criteria And Transparency Gaps

SPEAKER_03

But so it's relatable, it's relatability. Yeah, but then, or I I would have put it in him like halfway through the show as like uh you're gonna be our main halftime performance, and we're gonna give you a viral award, like honorary award or something. Because you know what? Like, you got the most sensation or you caused the most thing. Give the man some type of rec, some sort of recognition, and I'm pretty sure that man would have been equally happy and satisfied. I don't even think that man gives up about winning. I don't. I don't because he doesn't care to win. I think he just really enjoys the momentum of what it is, and I feel like it's people that aren't really big fanatics of the competition itself is who have the most to say.

SPEAKER_00

What do you mean?

SPEAKER_03

So, like so commentary is the okay.

SPEAKER_00

People who are commenting on Facebook aren't even a big fan of the competition. Nah, this is button and book up, that's just who we are.

SPEAKER_03

That's just what's going on. And it's like, well, are we if we're playing a fair game, then it's we're playing a fair game. We're talking about a competition. If we're playing that, y'all want to run on pity and be like, oh no, Pika, pero they change the story into the he's been doing this for 50 years. That means you're playing a pity, it's a pity narrative you're playing. So then now it's not it's not a fair game anymore.

SPEAKER_00

So how do how do they judge? Based off what? Is there do we have a person? Like we have it, but it's like so they can get mad of like it's a competition. Okay, then tell me how do you score each band based on performance, based on crowd's energy, based on stage present, based on your lyrics, based on based on what?

SPEAKER_03

It's based off of all of those satire, I believe, melody, um, composure. I mean, come what the fuck, anyways, arrangement and all of this. So they're doing yeah, they're doing all of that. They're going through all of these type of things. So there's different credentials, but and I guess the person that scores the highest and the lowest, they automatically get removed, and then the general is what stays.

SPEAKER_00

So that's how do they put do they put these scores on the public? They don't.

SPEAKER_03

Why? So apparently I've asked as well. It's like the scoring of the reina, where it's available for the participants to see it, but you can't take a photo of it, and nothing is still private.

SPEAKER_00

What my face reaction? You're disgusting. It's dumb. It's like even like in boxing matches, even in UFC matches, they post the screen.

SPEAKER_03

What's the secret? I don't get it. Like, what's the secret?

SPEAKER_00

It's because it's maybe backlash. Ah, Wax Shaka vote the payos in the friends, home DS, yes, yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_03

That's why the DSDS would get quite disqualified. So what if you score like 10 on somebody?

SPEAKER_00

That's why I don't give 10s, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03

You get it's it gets removed. If you score one or a zero on somebody, it gets removed. So the highest and the lowest always gets removed, and if everybody votes in between that, that's what counts.

Judge Conflict And Show Restart

SPEAKER_00

I'm just trying to think, like you want to get math or some like to somebody that yeah, went viral, but you can't show how you're scoring. So it's like, so even if even if he performs or not, like it doesn't like you're now now it becomes a competition of like virality. Because like you can't even show me or tell me what you're scoring on. So I'll just I'm just gonna make a hit that everybody loves, and then I win by default.

SPEAKER_03

So you understand for the competition goers now that we go every year, we're like so. What is what are we scoring on? Like, what's what's what are we judging based off of what exactly? Because if we're sit we're critiquing every year, we're telling the bands like, oh no, you gotta come better, you gotta do better, you gotta come do all these type of things. And I'm not gonna lie, last year we were very critical on Table X on the radio.

SPEAKER_05

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

This year, these bands came so fucking good. I feel like they came so prepared. They had shows, they had costumes, they had everything. I feel like the bands really went all out this year. Just to get beat by to get like beat by the lizard man. A wild card. Not even the lizard man. If the lizard man got qualified originally, then fair game. By all it's fair game by all means. Hey, by Hasibuko.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, then goes back to what I just said. He got he won as being the wild card. So based on what, they to judge his performance.

SPEAKER_03

That's what we all want to, and that's why we're seeing this side is not mad that he won. It's just huh?

SPEAKER_00

Based on what they like based on what did he win?

SPEAKER_03

What are the credentials for a winning song then? Like, how do we make a winning song?

SPEAKER_00

Maybe because Jeeyan polished it and now it sounds better.

SPEAKER_03

It's not again, it's based off of popularity. It's not like Jay Jon is not one of the biggest artists of our island with a big mass influence. Absolutely not. No, Hamas, Steve Andreas, Hamas, Hamas. So, of course, our smart public is not gonna be persuaded. Not these people, not these smart Arubans that are the same people that voted for Hate Sei to be able to go in a debate. You know, no, not them. Absolutely not. But if we say something, we're the critical ones and we're or we're mad that the man won.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. It's not that I guess I guess everything just goes back to score based on what did he win? It's fine if he won. No problem. We're cool with it. Show us why he won. Show. Show us the score. How did you show us the other scores of other bands and show us the score of him? Guys, again, outside looking in, he's in it. So that's a debate back and forth.

SPEAKER_03

I'm just really trying to understand it. That's all it is. Like, it's just like really trying to understand. It doesn't matter who wins, it's just really like trying to do it.

SPEAKER_00

Now it just becomes moving forward. It's not even about the art anymore, it's just about like how can I make the most viral song? Just what I mean by default.

SPEAKER_03

I mean, I don't, that's not that's not what he did. And again, this is why I keep saying, like, it's not his fault. Yeah, he didn't say, Oh, let me go make a viral song and then you know get pity and then let everybody like make me the win.

SPEAKER_00

It's a funny song though.

SPEAKER_03

It's a relatable song.

SPEAKER_00

If you listen to the lyrics, it's fucking it's fucking funny.

Crowd Reaction, Delays, And Fallout

SPEAKER_03

It's relatable, it but that's uh the old school, that's how we grew up. Yeah, it is you always you it's storytelling, it's the things that you would sing about, yeah, but it did not get quality. Just before we forget, every Monday and Friday, it's no filter eats. Link in description so you can find out way more information. Yeah. What do people even sing about in these kind of competitions? Well, now it's very repetitive. That's the boring part. That's why we criticized last year. I was like, everybody sing about the same thing. Hey, feel free, come jump. It's Juve. Um on my way to Carnival. Like, it's there's no creativity anymore.

SPEAKER_00

Like, it's not no more, none of like do you think uh Lali was creative?

SPEAKER_03

I would definitely give him create. He was it was random as fuck. He did what I always keep telling all musicians you need to do. This is the Jayon recipe. Jayon does this all the time. It is you need to make relatable stuff. You have to talk about pop culture, you have to talk about what's going on.

SPEAKER_00

It's the same thing with content. You got if you create content, then just create because it's funny, creating because people relate to the video.

SPEAKER_03

It's relatable. We all have a pega pega either at your house or at your place of business. We'll hear it. We're here. Will you hear it? You know what it is. So anytime that that thing just popping up is like, and he incorporated a carnival into it where he's like, Oh, they're so annoying. So I'm leaving the house and I'm going to a carnival because you know it's just cacking in my ear all the time at home. It's relatable, but it just didn't qualify. It just it became a sensation once Kirisau was making fun of it. Kirisau was like, that's how it started. It was Kirisau was like, yo, what the what's what the fuck is going on in Aruba? What is this? So they were making fun of it. They got that, like they were making fun of it, and then you know, Arubens started. You know how Rubens take nothing serious? Like, so they started getting into it. Yeah, we started getting into it, and then the thing became a hype where they were like, Okay, we're gonna do the wildcard thing.

SPEAKER_00

Then the wildcard thing happened, and that that's the crazy part because that was never a rule. So that so I'm trying to think. When was the last time they've updated this rule? You know, like so, like to participate. Pay to be part of it.

SPEAKER_03

So they have like, okay, so there's like a claw in the contract, if I'm not mistaken. I don't know how true this is, but I've this is what I've heard from musicians. Is like Stechtei Musica has a claw in there saying, umce you sign up to participate, you have to drag bay with whatever the rules are. So whatever rules come up or start at play, then okay, so if I don't apply, if I don't want to do those type of things, you mean telling me I can't participate and sing?

SPEAKER_00

So you first they they first they force you to do it. Second, if they don't like something, hey, just you can go regular thing pop up. No, I said the fair. But feel me contrary. I think I think the rules should be applied before the competition starts, and then what's that's once that is set in stone, you can't not change it. Even the sticking itself cannot change it. Or have a general rule. Hey, for the next five years, these are the fucking rules. Build your song around this.

SPEAKER_03

I don't understand what people have issues with structure. Like I've I've worked at different companies on this or work with different companies on this island, and I just realized that nobody has structure, nobody likes structure, nobody works with. I don't get it. Like, structure is our friend, guys. We love structure, please. God damn. I'm trying to become friends with it. Oh, you should. It's the best thing ever. Um, so now there's like a whole drama the night of because there was like a whole thing with the judges.

SPEAKER_00

I saw on Facebook. Apparently, the guy that wanted the judges was one of his employers or somebody that works with him at the Divi. Correct. So why why why was he even on the panel? Was he always on the panel before he even participated? I believe so. Or did he join in once he got into the finals? Okay, so Kae da Papia. Okay, we don't know how true this is. Segment no, but yeah, we don't know how true this is. Break it down. Okay, came out. Okay, so this is what they're saying. Put our hats on, tin foils.

Structure, Rules, And Fixes Proposed

SPEAKER_03

Okay, so they're saying that what happened was so this guy, Mr. Fado, I believe his name is, he's a judge. He was a judge last year as well. Okay, so okay, so there's no So it's not like clear that part out. He is not like the dude's manager or anything like that. He just works in HR at the Divi. But he's not like, oh, I'm his boss or whatever. But we we just happened to work in the same company. We work in the same company. I work in HR, and so that's what he's saying. All right, cool. Now, I guess the some of the participants saw like what was going on, so they were like, um, absolutely not. So I saw a message, I can't find it right now, but I saw a message that was like, hey, that judge, they sent a picture, they was like, hey, that judge is the dude's like manager or some type of thing. Like, he's over him. So they have correlations with each other, so they know each other, like it don't matter, even if whatever, but they know each other.

SPEAKER_05

Judge from work, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

From work, yeah. So not as an artist, he can't be a judge, so he has to get down now.

SPEAKER_00

Question: Was he a judge during the pre-finals?

SPEAKER_03

No, so he was just in the finals, in the finals, they changed the judges. So pre-finals, two nights had the same judges, and then finals had a whole different panel of judges.

SPEAKER_00

That is kind of a little that's a little sketchy. Yeah, if if he was in the pre-finals, I would have said you guys didn't say shit when he was in the pre-finals, but now it's now it's a thing. So if he's that's not the case, if he's sneaking in into the finals, I'm not sneaking in. What the fuck did he do?

SPEAKER_03

But I don't know if this is a rule that sticking musica has where pre-finals you have certain judges and then finals they change the judge.

SPEAKER_00

Apparently, it doesn't matter what they doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_03

Clearly, you're just come up with a whatever rule.

SPEAKER_00

Hey, you know what, guys? Everybody has to wear a balloon hat.

SPEAKER_03

My people defend the boso. Okay, so anyways.

SPEAKER_00

Hey, stickling musica was a more than welcome. By all means, shout out to the girl at me now. Everybody can come in here and then talk, all right? The show is it's for the people.

SPEAKER_03

Perr.

SPEAKER_00

Let's continue.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, so then now, so they were like, yo, I knew this episode's gonna be all about this. He has to get down, like, he has to get down now. So they're like, um, what the fuck is going on? So I guess they went and handled it, try to handle the stuff. And so they came on stage allegedly and they lied to the public. Yes, oh my god, oh my god. They lied and they were like, oh yeah, just I'm gonna stuck with them. Yeah, no, no, no. So they was like, we're having technical difficulties and yada yada yada. So mind you, Elite is the one that set up this event.

SPEAKER_00

There is no technical difficulties.

SPEAKER_03

What technical difficulties are you doing? You're referring to, excuse me. Yeah, cuz our shit is top of the line. Like, excuse me.

SPEAKER_00

They didn't fuck up.

SPEAKER_03

So it was like, oh, okay, so that's happening. So now people are mad and people are like, what the fuck, Elite? Like, what's coming on?

SPEAKER_00

Like, so they're trying to blame somebody else.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. So, anyway, so they get off stage, now they're trying to handle this thing. So now the judges are like, okay, well, if y'all gonna take him off the judgment panel, none of us are gonna be judges. We're standing with him. The other two judges are like not two judges, just like a group of judges. Oh, how many are they? It's like seven, I think, or something like that. Okay, I guess they each have their own role. I don't, I that's we don't know how this works. I tell you, we don't know how this thing works. So the judges were like, Well, we're not going if he can't go.

SPEAKER_00

So if if Lali's guy has to get off, we all get off. Correct. Damn, this is a good one.

SPEAKER_03

Stop calling him, stop calling him Lali. Yes, okay, so wait, it's not done. Allegedly, I don't know how to say allegedly next week, Shark's not here.

SPEAKER_00

What the fuck happened?

SPEAKER_03

Stop. No, God forbid. God, you know me.

SPEAKER_00

Let's right here.

SPEAKER_03

So then the other side this is crazy. Musicians were like, oh, like that. Well, in that case, if that's how it's gonna be, then we're not singing.

SPEAKER_00

So it's in Obama, but the Eba no so that judge.

Groovy Vs Power Soka And One Crown Problem

SPEAKER_03

That's so they were on that type of standoff. So allegedly, then this was happening on Facebook. What was going on? Okay, I'm like, who's the like who's protestant? Like everybody's like, we're in the crowd. Mind you, we're in the crowd, like, okay, what's going on? Like, we're just waiting. DJ Sky is like just trying to play, like, he's just trying to like kill time, give extra timing, whatever. Fine.

SPEAKER_00

I want to come back to it. What's the whole kick with Thought? They were making fun of Thadi, too, like sitting there. But we can come back to that later because it's very juicy.

SPEAKER_03

So then we could they they come out now. So finally, it's like, okay, the fado guy, he's like, listen, guys, I appreciate y'all want to stand with me, but uh, the competition has to go on. So just do it without me. It's okay. So they had to find a uh replacement judge to come in. Oh, so they did replace him. They did replace him. He's and he's there. They replaced him, he went on. Okay, the other judge went on. Now the competition, mind you, has to restart. We're at band number four about to go on, start their first performance. Now we have to start the whole competition full dinobo. Edwina comes on.

SPEAKER_00

That's why. Okay, because I didn't understand, like Sam. I wasn't there, so the whole thing of like the commercial is de novo, the protest. I'm like, what is what the fuck is going on?

SPEAKER_03

Yes. Okay, so Edwina comes out. She comes on stage now.

SPEAKER_00

Gossip and everybody's taking watching with us.

SPEAKER_03

Mind you, remember, I told you that she said that it's a technical difficulty. So it was never that. She comes back on now. Drama. And here it is. She's like, okay, so um, just like on the competition, asinos be sighi. People in the crowd are like what? Girl, what small issue are you talking about? Like, mind you, all them texts already came to the public. So everybody's already know what is going on backstage. This is when the rubber. It's a big problem.

SPEAKER_00

And we all know. We know. It's better to just come up front about it. It's kind of like saying, like, when the Romeo Sandosk concert happened, Romeo Sandoski trust. Everybody's like, on his story as on the balcony at there. What's called it? What are you talking about? Like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Come on.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

So she's like, yeah, um was Tadek MC in this event? He was MCing. So he was standing next to her. And I guess, I guess, so what had happened was I don't know how true this is. I guess they told Tarek to say that it's a technical difficulty. So that's what he reported. So now he was getting backlash because now everybody's like, Tarik, you're a lie. Why are you lying? Like, that's the call. He called, he called in and he was like, Called in. No, he, I mean, he went on stage after Adwina said that thing. Because she she also said it with like a little attitude. So she was like, I said what I said, like the competition is starting again. And she like walked out. So people were like, the crowd people were like, What are you talking about? Like, what? People they started to get like a little bit uneasy. So Tadek came on and he was like, Hey guys, this is like June. Oh, it was going down.

SPEAKER_00

I was one of them like, I wish we're live streaming this. Everybody can like join in the comments.

SPEAKER_03

I this was going down. So Tadek came up and he's like, Hey guys, I want to apologize. I know we said that there was like a technical difficulty, but that was not the truth. Um, and I we want to stand on the truth. So I was like, Yes, that's how you do it. Yeah, that take accountability and stop fucking lying. Say the truth. So he like cleared that up, he polished it up. So um stick me musical was gonna sit at because he saved y'all asses without so that's that got like okay, and then we had to start the competition all over again.

SPEAKER_00

So like each band takes how long, how long to perform?

SPEAKER_03

So they have to do the switch, so they have to come on stage, sit downs, and then they have to do a warm-up song, and then the performers can start.

SPEAKER_00

And then once that is done, then we have to get each band it's like what takes 10-15 minutes.

SPEAKER_03

It depends how much people is in a band.

SPEAKER_00

I So basically that that thought just was like a whole extra hour. Or more?

Culture, Nostalgia, And Virality

SPEAKER_03

More. Whoa. Because mind you, like the first one, I think I can't remember the sequence right now, but the first one, they had I don't know how many people in in with them.

SPEAKER_01

So juicy thing.

SPEAKER_03

So it was like a whole thing, it was like a whole thing going down. So the judges finally came on, and then okay, the competition started all over again. And I think that played a big role in people's energy as well. Cause like, yeah, you're thinking this thing is gonna end at like 3, 3:30, and now it's 3, 3:30, and we're like at band number six.

SPEAKER_00

And how many bands are there?

SPEAKER_03

I can't remember, but it was a lot. Like I left home after the results. I went home at like 5:30 a.m. I heard that I was there from 8 a.m.

SPEAKER_00

I heard after Lali. Lord Lali. Uh-huh. I heard after he performed, a lot of people left.

SPEAKER_03

Probably. I mean, it was late. It was really, really late.

SPEAKER_00

Like, so you can't blame if people were there for him, it's more like you guys.

SPEAKER_03

Uh I be but like people were there for like different people. And again, this is how it always goes is like when you have a fan antique, they always come to the front and then they leave, they go to the back also.

SPEAKER_00

Just like whenever there's festivals, whenever the main artist plays, whatever comes after it, too bad.

SPEAKER_03

Like that's how it's like that. So we that were we're we're always in the front. We're used to seeing people come and go, people come and go. But like, I don't know how it was for the back, but it was he definitely brought his people all the way to the front, and then they left again, and then you had like wow.

SPEAKER_00

So that is some drama. I do want to give like shout out to Tarik again, like, because it's it's not easy to go in and like own up at a mistake and at first apologize for lying, and then saying sorry for like hey, this is what actually happened. I was just trying to cover it up so things continue normally, but obviously one person messed it up for me, so I gotta go out there and you know, so take the punch. Yeah, so and now there's like a bunch of drama with that's why like people made up him like sitting like this, like I didn't see it. I didn't see it. There's a video of him just sitting like, and then people like this is static right now.

SPEAKER_03

Probably. So now there's drama with Ataniro and and um Puleria and all of them, because allegedly the messages were from them. So the ones that's saying, like, hey, the the the judge needs to come down, so I mean the the judge needs to get down, allegedly that came from Nero Nero and his team Rocco. I that's what the people are saying. I don't know how true it is because we're not backstage, but they were saying like that's who it came from. So now they're getting a bunch of like people are bashing them all over Facebook. Like, no, but Samariko, um Say, Niro, and Nirotaya.

SPEAKER_00

I saw them so the lizard painting Niro's.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, they're they're they're going ham on them, they're going ham, ham, ham. I just got like a screenshot. He's on Evo right now. Who? Um, Nero, as we speak. Like, he's legit, legit on Evo right now. And like, this is a screenshot, but like this is the comments. Don't move because that's my phone. But like, that's the comments. Stop! What are we gonna see? Oh no! Let me see. Shishi with the butt.

SPEAKER_00

Sapo.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, the people are mad. They are mad.

SPEAKER_00

Look, I can understand for him and everybody else, like, you can't have somebody who's connected directly to the person that already gives him an advantage. I understand. But at the same time, if your shit's good, just what's up, by the cut?

Next Steps, Invites, And Closing

SPEAKER_03

But clearly we see that it's that's not what happened.

SPEAKER_00

Wow. It's like this this this this whole drama just like overshadowed Fully Competencia. Like the guy who won and everything, but now now it's about the drama. Like, great, I'm happy you won, bro. But this is an every year thing though. Like, but who's who's like really responsible for this? It's their competition.

SPEAKER_03

This is nothing to do with Smock.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, so Smock is fully out of this.

SPEAKER_03

No, no, Smock does not handle the Kai San Sukamar, because the there were a few years ago, the the musicians they were mad and they had like a strike, and then they stopped going to the so Smock got rid of it, and created their own thing, and then they were like, Okay, you know what? We're the ones that are gonna handle it. Okay, so now it's for the musicians by the musicians competition. So the musicians handle it. So the outcome which and who are these musicians? All musicians. Once you're a musician and you're a band, you're part of Techni Musica.

SPEAKER_05

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So But there has to be like a leadership, like there has to be somebody on top who directs everything.

SPEAKER_03

Edwina is the the head of it, okay. But um, this is where I'm just gonna not let people like sh uh you know, shit pile on her. Cause she said this before. I did an interview with her on the radio, and she said that she does she can't handle nothing with like for the musicians. They have meetings, and most of the musicians don't show up. So at the end of the day, us as the public, we can't defend and fight for y'all if y'all don't even fucking show up to the meetings that matter.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, no, we'll know about being kidding this. It's like the people that don't vote. Like, yeah, shut the fuck up. Yeah, I don't like this. Did you vote? No, then yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So, like it's like mixed feelings with these people, you know what I mean? So it's like, I want to defend y'all, but like at the same time, it's like y'all went to the meetings to defend yourself? Yeah, if you didn't, then how much can we defend you out here?

unknown

Wow.

SPEAKER_03

So, what's gonna happen now? This is just it is what it is. I, in my personal opinion, you know, I'm always the person I believe in. You can't cancel real people. And if that is how these men feel, like they had to defend their title and be like, hey, you know what? Um, that's an injustice because they have a correlation with each other. I have a lot of respect for them because I am somebody that if you see injustice, if you believe in something, you should stand for what you believe in. If you're just gonna sit by and just let it happen, then you're part of the problem. Yeah, and that's what a lot of people are commenting. They're like, see, pero um complaint, beneficio, okay, now complain, or not, not realize I say you can't get mad because they saw something and then called it out.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's also it's also that if he was a judge even last year, the year before that, and the guy who won was also part of the competition, and they weren't mad then, the only reason why I think they'll be mad now is because his song went viral and he has a judge in the panel, so this increases chances he pretty much won. I think I think again, guys, I was looking in the sticking musica should just have his rules. Sagiterlung, aya, single aya, you put like a DS aya, and we make adjustments. Because if you made rules like 10 years ago, um maybe they made it a little sooner than that, but times change and you have to adapt with the times. So now it would be a good time to establish the rules. Here are the top rules, and moving forward, there better be a wild card next year again. Because if you didn't, if you didn't do it next year, then you did it specifically this year for a person. And I'm wondering who came up with a wild card.

SPEAKER_03

Like I guess they saw the heat that they were getting, so they didn't have a choice. They had to do something because everybody was like, no, not a look, how we can qualify. And then people started doing the research, and then they started seeing that oh, he's been participating for so many years. So now the narrative flipped from ha ha ha to oh pika. And then the pity party started. So now everybody's like, oh, he deserves to win because he had so many years performing. Yeah. I don't know if that's a valid reason. If we're talking about competition, you know I'm unsportify. I like I I if we gonna play, we gonna play.

SPEAKER_00

Then maybe there, maybe one solution could be. I remember back in the day, maybe to still do it. Maybe there should be a a winner based on whatever the rules is, because apparently we didn't know what the rules are of winning.

SPEAKER_03

So like apparently they don't even know what the rules are.

SPEAKER_00

So there's a a winning person based on performance, like whatever the the the criteria, whatever it requires. And then there's the people's vote. Now you have two winners like hey, this is the real winner, and then the people's winner. Winners for judge from judges, winners from the people. And and if you haven't been the same person, then guess what? Double wham, you win twice. That's the only way that I feel like they can eliminate this mistake in the future. Because now if you have this one person winning and it becomes a popularity contest, now you have the row for popularity with the people, and now you have like the actual winning sauce based on the criteria for winning this competition.

SPEAKER_03

It's messed up because I feel like for the artists that really went all out and prepared, it was kind of like a slap in the face to where it's like, and they invested money. You can clearly see this year, the artists invested a lot of money. They had dancers, they had costumes, they had they really went all out this year. It comes out of their pockets, right? It comes out of pocket. Sponsors don't sponsor stuff like this. So I can totally see them saying, like, hey, you know what? I'm not participating next year. Fuck that. Like, what's the point? Like, if you're telling me that by all means I could do, I do all this preparation for a wild card to beat me.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Like, and you can't, and you don't even know based on the based on what? So, you know what? Fuck it. So, what did we learn?

SPEAKER_00

We need proper loose loose rules. We need um make it public based on what criteria are you winning? So even boxing, UFC, there's a list, the judges, and they you know, they make their fucking notes. That's one. Two, make two winning. One actual based on judges and scorecards, and there's gonna be a lot of people pissed off that like, no, I mean that gusta. Hey, cool. So now you have two people. And then they they just gonna have to deal with the fact that you gotta share the fucking first place.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, so the competition is a bit more complex than that. For the fuck. So for the so we have like, okay, so there's two crowns.

SPEAKER_00

Can't believe we've been talking about this for like almost an hour. I know. That's 40 minutes, but whatever.

SPEAKER_03

So there's two crowns. So you have Oh, so there are okay. Originally, you have uh a kaisu crown and a soca crown, right? Then they removed now the kaiso, so that's not in it, that's like a separate day. So now you have the soca, a groovy, then you had the power. So those were the ones you can you can win between. So you can either make it a lower tempo, where it's a groovy, it's a more chill song, or you can make it a more up-tempo one, and then it's uh it's a power soca. That's like the pump ones. So that night there's two different Well, they tried this for like one or two years, and then they were like, no, let's go back to the original method. So now it's one crown for or they tried it for only one year. So now it's only one crown again for Ahsoka winner. This is the main problem with having this as one crown.

SPEAKER_00

Criteria-wise, Aruba is used to road match, which is on the streets, the one the most loved one, high energy, dancing.

SPEAKER_03

Uh it's it's different because they have like their own little twisting with it. But that's what they what's what the Arubans call uh road march. So they want that. Then you have the other people that are like which is like us, we're like, mm, well, we have to look at this from an international level. Like, if we want to push Aruba like internationally, we have to make our music a bit more up to the international level. Like, y'all can't just be making these childish stupid shit like songs going absolutely nowhere. Like, give me a purpose with your song. Like, what's the meaning of the song? What's the backstory to the song? Like context. So that started happening. But what is happening is you have like an NBO and these type of bands. All they make is power music. So having a Soka Crown means they could never win because they don't make slow type music. They only make the up tempo one.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

The groove masters of Warbelt, they make a lot more groovy music. They here they can never win because then how are we competing against each other if we're making different types of music?

SPEAKER_00

It's like uh and the best music award goes to like somebody from Jay-Z and Lincoln Park, like, but based off what?

SPEAKER_03

Like how like we're not the same, it's the same genre. Yeah, it's music, but it's different genre, it's a different type of soca. So then you have. I feel like then the criteria would have to be that you need to have three crowns, and I know it sounds crazy, but you need to have one for the groovy, the power, and then have the road march available. Like clearly, the Arubans feel left out. That's what they're feeling. They're feeling like Arrubans as in the people, yeah, who's watching?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, they're and the road march is based like a popularity vote.

SPEAKER_03

No, so the road march is just like that's the type of songs that they want to hear. They want to, which is that that sound like um how does kaking go? How does that song go?

SPEAKER_00

Fuck I can't remember the song right now. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, so okay, so there's a melody to it, and this is very much old school and very much um infantile. So like the the children ones.

SPEAKER_02

The sound of it is very much like that's and it repeats.

SPEAKER_03

That's how we grew up knowing. So I think that is the familiar the familiarity that people have drawn to the song, is because it reminds us of old school how it used to sound, especially the infantiles and stuff like that. That was how the songs were. They were on those melodies, and I think that is why this song hits so many people now afterwards, because it's it's the same song. He performed it with the same melody. Y'all didn't like it, y'all were not fucking with it. The moment it went viral, because Akira saw, now all of a sudden y'all love the song. It's the best thing ever since Grape Juice. I really need to win. Like, what do you feel like there were better songs? Sam, I wasn't there. Even to qualify, there were better songs. There was a lot of songs that did not qualify, and it was like, how based on what? Like, how are some songs qualifying? It's like, what do you guys vote? It's better than what? How? Like, what? So again, we don't know how this thing works, how it goes, it all it's going. But I just hope it really doesn't like kill the competition or demo.

SPEAKER_00

But then again, then then they have to put on paper clearly here are the rules, and here is what we're basing your your performance on. Because then if somebody comes in and qualifies, but everyone's like, wait, this guy didn't even hit all the criteria. Like, he didn't have this, he didn't have this, they didn't have this. So, how is he in the finals?

SPEAKER_03

And that's what I've been saying that I feel like the rules should be public. And maybe not all the rules, but at least like the highlight of the rules, so at least the public can be like, hey, you know what? We know, first of all, um social media-wise, we need to update the stands. If these are gonna be your judges, I feel like we we as the public should get like a pri a post on each judge and what their criteria is, like what their background is, and while they're judges. I'm a uh creativity teacher for school, and I do these type of projects. So I know you're judging based off of creativity. And I'm a musician. I do sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, and make sure there's no ties to people competing.

SPEAKER_03

Correct. But at least let me know your credentials. So it can be like, okay, no. Well, these are professionals in their field, by all means, yeah, they're gonna judge properly. And then the public should know, like, okay, these are what the rules are for a winning song. If you go over time, you're quite you're disqualified, you lose points. If you do this thing, you lose points. If you do this, then you you gain points.

SPEAKER_00

There's no proper structure as to how you're gaining points, how you're losing points, what are what are things people should focus on more? Like, okay, you have backup dancers, but that doesn't even help towards your points. We don't know. Guys, can you please comment down below if Laganosa paquikuna share of the musica? Just being papa, he's being splicking those kitchen. So people be bashing you guys.

SPEAKER_03

People's bashing everybody right now. I'm probably gonna get bashed after this as well. Maybe.

SPEAKER_00

But you have your you have your opinion. I don't give a I have my opinion. I might get bashed, and I'm not even in this shit.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I don't give a fuck. I'm very much in it.

SPEAKER_00

You're gonna get double bashed. You got table action tonight.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00

So by the way, you're watching this on Thursday. Shark is talking about it's a Monday. Last Monday.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so it's it's it's it's definitely gonna go down. I'm very excited for it. I know, like there was like this lady, she was like, Yeah, I never come to this event. I just came for like Lord Lolly. This is the only reason I came. And I'm like, It's business. This sounds amazing, but at the same time, like then your opinion on these doesn't really apply because you're not like a regular here. This is like somebody that doesn't watch sports telling you all about how the sports should be played and all yeah. What?

SPEAKER_00

Shut up.

SPEAKER_03

Like, what do I know to come to you about MLB?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nothing.

SPEAKER_03

Like, what with what audacity do I even come and be like, Sam, you don't know shit about MLB. Let me tell you how this works and why this ticket.

SPEAKER_00

You gotta hit the ball, you're gonna run to third base first.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, that's no, you gotta go that way first. You know, it's a wild card. Okay.

SPEAKER_00

I'm making my own rules, anyways.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I'm making my way downtown.

SPEAKER_00

Walking fast, making my rules. No, anyways, let's let's end it here. I can't believe that. I can't believe we had a whole episode just on this. Listen, this welcome to Aruba and Carnival season.

SPEAKER_03

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_00

And there's more. Obviously, you know. Oh, yeah. We I mean we brought that in two years ago before that, too. I think last year we didn't bring him. But we're gonna bring that in this year. Papi Hipasa kind of vibe. We're gonna bring stick the musica again, please be Papi Hugo Gala Pasa. Or maybe you guys want to sit be quiet, let it die. That's the typical thing to do in Aruba. Just get a kid to like a moody. Because there's gonna be the next thing coming up, and that's gonna cover this bullshit story.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, it's always something.

SPEAKER_00

All right, guys, make sure to comment, subscribe, leave um, cut out, follow us on the social media, no filter. Show us on the radio. Every Saturday, we're on the radio. We have no filter eats every Mondays and Fridays. That's on No Filter Eats on Instagram, and so like I know he was opioon to the cookie. Because I know we're gonna be talking about it more until carnival is over.

SPEAKER_03

Right? I mean, he's probably gonna go for a road jam right now.

SPEAKER_00

So Lottie. Yeah, I mean, let's imagine he wins that too. Damn, y'all gonna be by lizard. All right, guys. See you next week. Ayo, bye.