Austin "SuperBlue" Lyons stole the show at the Ninth Annual International Soca Awards held at NAPA on November 26. With a number of noted production blunders, including a shabbily designed red carpet introduction, spurts of audio failure and the lack of foresight among organisers for the use of the screens that were available to them within the Lord Kitchener auditorium, patrons excitedly welcomed the man, who for years, proved that he was the true king of soca in T&T.
A true hall-of-famer
SuperBlue was awarded the Hall of Fame accolade for his contribution to the art form, over the years. Presented like a true champion by the evening's host, Tommy Joseph, the man who has given the world hits like, Ethel, Flag Party, Lara and Soca Baptiste among others, strolled on stage to thunderous applause. Dripping in his signature blue from head to toe, he comfortably delivered.
It was, however, abundantly clear that his speech lacked clarity-something that can possibly be attributed to the decreasing number of teeth at the front of his mouth. Nevertheless, SuperBlue's magnificence could not be ignored. His stride, his simple yet captivating ritual of thrusting the microphone into the air, and the overall texture he has brought to the music, were only a few reasons why Austin Lyons deservedly received such high honour.
"Carnival is a noun, a verb, an adjective-Carnival is all of us," he reminded the audience, calling on everyone to maintain the memory of the founding father of soca music, Ras Shorty I. However, he reminded the new artistes of the day that calypso is the mother of the Caribbean, explaining that all other Caribbean genres were merely off springs of calypso music.
Hugs, soca and tears
From 9pm, patrons, many of whom were stylishly dressed for the event, focused on Lyons' words and his movement on stage. The melody of his music filled the auditorium and the audience sang along, waved and cheered for him in a way that many had not seen in years.
Walking toward the crowd, he stopped to shake the hands of Elizabeth Montano, hug Machel Montano and acknowledge others. He singled out veteran calypsonian and 2011 soca stunner, All Rounder, cheerfully "pelting picong his way."
It was a moment many took home in their memory and talked about for days. Later, joining her father on stage, vocalist Terri Lyons captivated the crowd both visually and with her vocal aptitude. "Do you know that I love you?" SuperBlue asked his daughter, to which she replied in the affirmative. It was the night's tear jerking moment-a moment that could not be repeated.
Machel's presence felt
The night, even with its various hiccups, offered many an opportunity to feel the sweetness of soca and the possibilities that lay in wait. Michelle Zavier won an award for the best Up-tempo Soca Female song of 2011, and Machel Montano took the accolade in the male division.
