If Patrice Roberts was not singing soca she most likely would have been flying the friendly skies as a flight attendant. "Ever since I was small I just liked meeting new people and all the excitement of being in different countries," she told the T&T Guardian during an interview on Wednesday. Lucky for her fans and the entertainment world, Roberts, 26, chose music. A Groovy Soca Monarch finalist for the past six consecutive years, the Toco native is gearing up to compete against 13 of her soca counterparts, including the Groovy Monarch King, Kees Dieffenthaller, at Super Red 20 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Carnival Friday.
Roberts will be performing her song, I Am Soca, written by "Mr Bacchanalist" Kerwin DuBois, who also lends his vocals to the track. "I wasn't surprised at all. I knew I was going to be in the finals," said a confident Roberts, who noted she has yet to decide whether she will be performing the tune with DuBois or going it alone. She did divulge however that she would be pulling out all the stops on the big night. "Look out for a lot of singing. I'm really going to use my voice and execute well. Right now, I'm just preparing for the finals and I can tell you that there are a lot of great things in store." Speaking of preparations, these days the Toco Composite graduate is watching her diet and has stepped up her workout routine - and it shows. A svelte and toned Roberts says it takes a lot of hard work, commitment and sacrifice to maintain her figure. "I try to go to the gym three times a week and if I can make it all week, I will go. I think I am addicted to the gym."
What's the one exercise she has yet to master? "Legs! Sometimes I feel like I want to throw up. It's that intense but it's worth it," she said. And while Roberts shied away from divulging any of her secrets for her upcoming performance, she admits she still gets "butterflies" while singing on stage. "It's not that I'm scared, it's just that I get so excited about performing and hearing the response of the people... Yes, the butterflies are usually still there." The petite star, who is known for her strong, melodious vocals, said she remained confident about her chances but would be keeping a close eye on soca heavyweights Kerwin DuBois, Nadia Batson, Machel Montano, Kees and Benjai, who she believes are her biggest competition. "You just never know what they will come with," she joked. If she does get the nods of the judges to walk away with the top prize, Roberts says giving thanks to God will be the first thing on her agenda. "Anything can come after," she said.
