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In 2006, it was Fireball. In 2007, it was Umi Marcano. The Synergy TV Soca Star 3 Grand Finale marked the end of the three month production of the reality series of the making of a new Soca Star, and TJJ was on hand at the Jean Pierre Complex to witness who the 2008 Soca Star was going to be.

We arrived around 6pm, just missing the pre-show which consisted mostly of performances by past Soca Star contestants such as Kimba Sorzano, Keegan Taylor and Khalifa. It wasn't long before host Super Jigga TC kicked off the main show, which consisted of two main parts. Placing a nice spin on the show, the seven finalists all performed past popular Soca hits together on stage with the original artists. Ronda Richardson and Sanelle Dempster performed the popular "River", Kwesi Jeffers and Kees Diffenthaller performed "Heads High", Soca boy group One Circle and Mista Vybe performed "Ting 4 D Road", O.G (Omarede George) and Naya George performed 2002 Road March "Trinidad", Lyon-I and veteran Ronnie MacIntosh performed "Ent", Hypnotiq and Nadia Batson performed "One Island" and Blue (wearing a blue Carnival costume) and Fayann Lyons performed "Display". In this round, we saw certain finalists such as Blue, Kwesi, Ronda and O.G actually connect with their song choice and artist, allowing the crowd to feel the true vibes. On the other hand, finalists like Lyon-I and Hypnotiq fell a little flat, where their counterparts had to pull most of the weight.

After a brief intermission, it was time for the finalists to shine, performing their own selections with a fresh attitude. Although it was clear that there were certain crowd's favourites, the competition was tight. Strong presentation and proper execution was crucial if you wanted to stay in the race. Performing in the same order as Round 1, Ronda got things kicked off with "Rock Me", and was well received by the Soca Star crowd. Kwesi ("Loose Yourself") and One Circle ("All Ah Dat") followed with average performances. Blue ("Soca Beat") and O.G ("Roll It") both all had the crowd in a frenzy, and Lyon-I ("All I Want") and Hypnotiq ("Shake It Down") once again, were the weakest of the bunch. Not even Hypnotiq's grand entrance through the crowd sitting on a throne carried by four men, and her Britney Spears live snake prop couldn't excite the audience.

Blue ended the competition segment on a high note before Peter C. & The Orchestra took the stage. Problem Child, Fireball, Umi Marcano, Blaxx and Blackheart were some of the artists that entertained the crowd while the judges deliberated. The competition was so stiff that the judges couldn't decide on a clear cut winner, and in the end, both O.G and Blue were named the 2008 Synergy TV Soca Stars. This was the first time since the competition's inception that there's been a tie for the first position. Kwesi Jeffers placed fourth and a teary-eyed Ronda Richardson took third place.

With O.G down on his knees, and Blue holding her head in shock from the results, it's still undetermined how the grand prize of the brand new Daihatsu Terios SUV is going be shared.

-- TJJ Carnival 2008 Frontline