The Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) has issued a public notice to correct an administrative error in the recently published list of semi-final qualifiers for the Soca and Ragga Soca Monarch competitions.
The adjustment centers on artiste Taquilla Thomas-Latchman, whose song “The Power of Soca” was incorrectly classified in the Ragga Soca category. Upon review, the CDC confirmed that the entry should have been evaluated in the Soca category, where it successfully achieved a qualifying score. Because both preliminary rounds utilize the exact same judging criteria, her score remains perfectly valid. Consequently, Thomas-Latchman has been removed from the Ragga Soca list and officially placed into the Power Soca semi-finals.
This category shift has opened up spots in the Ragga Soca division. Gidroy “Deco J” Theobalds and Javid “Jay-R the Artiste” Rouse, whose scores were positioned immediately below the original qualifying threshold, will now advance to the Ragga Soca semi-finals. The CDC has already contacted these newly qualified artistes and updated its official competition listings.
In a statement released by Chief Executive Officer Rodney Small, the CDC expressed regret and apologized for any confusion the administrative error may have caused. The Corporation assured all stakeholders, sponsors, and media partners that the integrity of the judging process remains completely unaffected, noting that the correction merely ensures artistes compete in the categories for which they originally registered.
Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and fairness in the nation’s premier carnival competitions, the CDC stated that a fully updated list of qualifiers will be published across all official CDC communication platforms.