Skinny claims Fireman Hooper tried to infiltrate his camp

Soca Monarch, Gamal “Skinny Fabulous” Doyle has accused a former soca monarch of trying to infiltrate the Skinny Fabulous camp, leading up to last Saturday’s Soca Monarch competition.{{more}}

Doyle, who won the Soca Monarch title on Saturday night, for the fifth time and second consecutive year, with his rendition “The General”, has accused one of his competitors of trying to get information about his planned performance.

“Two weeks leading up to Soca Monarch, Fire (Delroy “Fireman” Hooper) tried very hard to infiltrate my camp to find out exactly what we were doing.”

Doyle said Hooper was seeking information so that he could counter his (Doyle’s) performance.

“I respect every artiste. But what I don’t respect is when you try to sneak in and try to find out what I am doing and then try to counteract it to a T.

“That is nonsense. Go and present your song,” Doyle told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday.

“That is why there was controversy upfront with the mix up of performing positions,” Doyle said.

“Remember Fireman was initially positioned at number 11, and he went and negotiated with CDC and he got them to approve the change so that he could come after me,” Doyle explained.

In SEARCHLIGHT’s edition of July 5, soca artiste James “Jamesy P” Morgan accused the Carnival Development Corporation of acting in an unprofessional manner by allowing Hooper to exchange his picked position of 11, with Shaunelle McKenzie, who was to perform at number 15.

Skinny Fabulous performed at number 12.

“Respect to everybody who came and presented their songs and was able to portray the true meaning of their songs and not in an attempt to pull down anybody else’s performance,” the Soca Monarch stated.

During his performance Saturday night, Doyle told the crowd that another artiste would try to counter his performance.

“I was referring to the only person who did so…” he said, when asked by SEACHLIGHT who was he referring to.

Skinny Fabulous’ performance included videotaped appearances by Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace and Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who both referred to the country being under attack. The Prime Minister, in his appearance, said the one man who was capable of getting rid of the terrorist threat was The General, Skinny Fabulous.

When Fireman took to the stage, his performance was boosted by a videotaped message from Green Party Leader Ivan O’Neal, who said that “The General” was an “imposter”, who was being aided and abetted by the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister.

“My thing is, I give a lot of respect to artistes who come and present their song creatively and with the best of their ability.

“What I am disappointed in, however, is when you take soca monarch as that forum to pull down another man’s song, or make your performance anti another artiste. You can’t bring an anti Skinny performance. It can’t be an anti Madzart performance. Your performance has to be about you, because if your name is Swanky, then people are going to look for a Swanky performance.

“Not an anti everybody else performance,” he added.

Repeated efforts to reach Hooper on Wednesday, for a response proved futile.

Doyle further noted that he is also aware that some have claimed that he won the competition because his presentation included a helicopter flying across Victoria Park and statements from Eustace and Gonsalves.

“My things is, I use whatever I think is relevant to the song.

“So, if I have a song named “The Mountain is High” and I need a mountain on stage, then I would do my best to get a mountain on stage. I am not dependent on anything.

“It is how best you portray the song that you have and in this case, I am The General and The General arrives how he feels like. If he wants to arrive in a car, then he comes in a car, or if he wants to come in a helicopter, then he comes in a helicopter and that is it,” Doyle stated.

Skinny Fabulous won the competition in 2013, 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2008, while Fireman Hooper was victorious in 2011, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2001, 2000 and 1999.