Most people may know him as Jason Peru, a chef skilled at serving up delicious gourmet meals, and the new host of the culinary show on CNC3 TV, The Taste Challenge, but for Carnival 2015 he has thrown his chef hat into the Chutney Soca arena and emerged with a debut song titled Bubble With Me.
"This song came out of my passion for chutney/soca music–a passion I have nurtured from an early age," said the 29-year old. "It is my favourite genre of music, and I always had the desire to compose a song that reflects that passion. This, however, in no way diminishes my appreciation for the other genres of the calypso art form. My father is an avid calypso enthusiast, so I have been exposed to all forms of calypso music during my growing years."
Jason sought the guidance of 2014 Chutney Soca Monarch winner KI Persad of JMC 3 Veni, the song-writing brilliance of Kelvin Kissoon, and the trusted production skills of Rishi Mahato from Maha Studio to create a spicy serving of chutney/soca fare that has been burning up the airways since its release a few weeks ago.
A recent review of the work on the popular You Tube concluded: "His vocals are heartfelt, attractive, confident and impressive, and the instrumental accompaniments are exciting."
In July 2013, Jason accomplished what no other chef In Trinidad ever had when he became the first local chef to be endorsed by bmobile with the first season of the cooking programme Bubble With Us, from which spawned the title of his 2015 offering.
Peru graduated from The T&T Hospitality & Tourism Institute (TTHTI) in 2004 with an associates degree in Culinary Management. He was awarded three scholarships to attend Johnson & Wales University in Miami to pursue his education further. It was there he attained associate and bachelors degrees in Culinary Arts. He graduated with Golden Quill Honours and maintained Dean's List honours throughout his time at Johnson & Wales University.
While attending University he worked at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Miami, as a hot line chef. He was then offered a chef de partie position at the celebrity-famed Restaurant, Karu & Y Lounge Miami. It was there he worked with his mentor, Chef Alberto Cabrera, where they catered to celebrities like P Diddy, Shaquille O'Neil, Gloria Estefan, Al Pacino and Jennifer Lopez, to name a few.
Peru is no stranger to the television media where he participates in live cooking shows and guest appearances on many culinary related television segments both locally and internationally. As a result of these appearances and culinary work related segments, he was offered an exclusive contract from The Imagine Media Company and Ezone Entertainment Ltd to be the Ultimax TV Chef and was signed to his own Television Cooking and Entertainment show in 2008.
In early 2011, Jason was asked to become one of the chefs and culinary facilitators at the newly established Fanatic Kitchen Studios where he conducts live culinary showcases to the public and presides over culinary workshops in a live cooking forum.
He travels extensively with Fanatic Kitchen throughout the Caribbean to present culinary expositions and gastronomic showcases, symposiums and seminars.
In 2013, he was the only Trinidadian chef on Fanatic's behalf to be invited to the Jamaican Food Awards to present live cooking demonstrations at the two days food seminar and Jamaican Observer Critic Awards event.
Bubble With Me, which debuted on the local music charts within two weeks of its release, has heightened his presence on local radio, raised awareness of his qualifications, and helped open him to new demographics and markets.
Will he be entering the Chutney Soca Monarch Competition in 2015? "That depends on the public," he stressed. "If they consider the song merits an appearance at the prestigious contest, then I will go in that direction."