Today I am predicting the 2015 International Soca Monarch (ISM) competitions will be among the most spectacular to be staged in their 21-year existence. I make this prediction based on last Friday's launch, staged in pouring rain, on Brian Lara Promenade, Port-of-Spain, and the high quality of performances by the guest artistes contracted by event organiser Caribbean Prestige Foundation for the Performing Arts (CPF). The event was well co-ordinated and a determined and energetic audience electrified the soggy conditions.
Sheltered by umbrellas distributed by Digicel and NLCB, main sponsors of the competitions, the large crowd on the Promenade stood its ground, hanging on to every word and instruction given by the performers. Fast food restaurants on the adjoining Broadway corner provided some welcome shelter, as the performances lasted three hours.
Olatunji, the current front-runner for Soca Monarch laurels, performed last on the billing, thrilling with his current hit Ola. The former Roy Cape All Stars vocalist was preceded by other notable performances from Ricardo Drue, Sekon Star, Erphaan Alves, Crazy, Swappi 4D, Mr Famous, Denise Belfon, Snaky and Cassi.
Snaky, who gained popularity this year with Dhoti too Short, is back again with a very original and creatively written ditty named Cyar Rhyme. Also attracting early attention is Mr Famous, Drue and Belfon.
On the topic of early runners in soca land, it seems that Mr Killa, who created waves this year with Rolly Polly, is returning with Chain of Grenada with a catchy number named WD.
Also catching my ear thus far are Vagabond by Ricardo Drue; Benjai's Phenomenal, on the Kan Kan riddim with Olatunji; Chucky's Doh Take It On; KI's Wine by Mihself; Bunji Garlin's Cosmopolitan, on the Jungle Book riddim with Alves and Benjai; Soca Wedding by Patrice and Zan; Bunji's Bad Mind, on the Town Thing riddim; and Machel Montano's Remedy. I must add that the video for KI's Wine by Mihself is a very good production and is one worth viewing.
Although it's not a Carnival soca song, Wrong Man, a parang soca item by Benjai and his uncle Trinidad Rio, is riotously funny.
One of the most significant innovations in next year's Soca Monarch is the semi-final being brought to the north. After being staged for years at Arima Velodrome, it will now be staged on De Greens, Queen's Park Savannah on Sunday, January 25, 2015. The tag line for next year's Soca Monarch is "Larger than life"–and, from all indications, the event will be enormous.
?
Boogsie goes for hat-trick
"The three-peat has eluded me twice before. I don't intend to make it three times of missing out," said Len "Boogsie" Sharpe as he invited me to listen to a first draft of his Carnival 2015 Panorama selection for defending national champion Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove last Tuesday night.
The genius pan composer/arranger was all excited and animated when he pulled me aside on French Street, Woodbrook, to listen to the composition he intends having GB write lyrics for, to be sung by Destra, and recorded by Leston Paul.
The earliest name suggested for the song is Sweeter, but that can all change by Panorama. Boogsie missed out securing a hat-trick of wins for the National Panorama title in 1989 and 2007, a feat achieved only by (Amoco) Renegades in 1995��1997. In the history of the National Panorama competition, only five steel orchestras almost had a hat-trick of wins. They are Pan Am North Stars, Witco Desperadoes, Catelli Trinidad All Stars, Exodus and Silver Stars.
As we listened to Boogsie's music on Tuesday night, a stone's throw inside The Mas Camp sat Witco Desperadoes' composer/arranger Robert Greenidge; he was in Trinidad for a short while to launch his first Christmas CD.
Boogsie is like a man possessed as he seeks his third straight National Panorama title.
All Stars pan explosion
The curtain comes down on this year's 1 2 3 Plus Series this Friday evening. This event, under the auspices of Pan Trinbago Northern Region, takes place at the Massy Trinidad All Stars Pan Yard, Duke Street, Port-of-Spain, from 8 pm. Participating bands include Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove, Witco Desperadoes, CAL Invaders, Brimblers, host band Massy Trinidad All Stars and a special guest artiste.
Admission is single–$60, and couples–$100. Patrons are invited to "bring yuh coolers."
The concerts showcased bands from the Northern Region at different times of the year which attracted scores of patrons to the sweet sounds of pan music. This the fourth edition of the series.
Rolling on a pan note, the SteelPan Tuners Guild of T&T is inviting all tuner members to attend a Round Table Seminar tomorrow, Saturday, at the Curepe Scherzando Pan Theatre, 1 Evans Street, Curepe, from 1 pm to 3 pm. The discussion is themed Blending A Steel Orchestra.
Items open for discussion are Functional Role of Individual Instruments, Instrument Groupings Within the Steel Orchestra, Blending A Steel Orchestra–Different Approaches and Other Related Issues. The latter item will look at techniques and experiences, working with another tuner's instruments, and blending instruments working well together musically.
Facilitators for the seminar are Lenny Lera and Denzil "Dimes" Fernandes. The SteelPan Tuners Guild of T&T is headed by Fitzroy Henry with Anthony Duncan as interim secretary.
New Venture outta de Blue
Blue Ventures is being resurrected by founder Bobby Quan. The band made its return appearance last Sunday, performing at 70th birthday celebrations for Brig General Carl Alfonso at The Harvard Club, St James. A large turnout danced and sang along as Ventures performed a mix of yesterday's hits with more recent ones well into the night.
Blue Ventures was formed in 1967 and was fronted for five decades by the likes of Adrian Philbert, Natalie Yorke, Nigel Lewis, Kurt Allen, Blaxx, Oscar B, Ronnie Mc Intosh and Sanelle Dempster.
Quan explained this week: "Due to the changes within the music industry in recent times and the demand by clients to seek the services of a more affordable music package when having functions in this present time of economic downturn, the management of Blue Ventures saw it necessary to adjust its musical package and fees to satisfy client requirements accordingly. We intend getting back into the clientele Blue Ventures enjoyed during the 1970s and 1980s, the people who enjoyed more than just band music."
Blue Ventures has reduced the size of the band, replacing some musicians with technology (known as programmed/sequenced music) and rebranded the band as Ventures. The new Ventures aggregation includes Dominic Johnson (drums); Curtis Glasgow (bass); Sydney Wellington and Omari Ashby (vocals and programming); and Althea Oliver (vocals). Dr Anup Inalsingh (progamming) and Charlie Nichols (engineering) complete the band's personnel.
Ventures certainly has pedigree and carries an unbeatable track record within the music industry of T&T and internationally. Quan is known as one of the most successful band leaders from 1969 to present, and is respected by all for his commitment to clients and the music industry throughout the years.
Sunshine awards for icons
After two years of planning, Calypso and Steelband Music Awards Inc was formed in 1986 by Gilman T Figaro Snr, a native of Trinidad, and Dr Erold Hinds, a native of Barbados and former scientist at AT&T Bell Laboratories.
This year a special awards function is being held on December 3 at Theatre 1, UTT Campus, Napa, Port-of-Spain. The ceremony will recognise excellence in the performing arts, education, science and sports.
Recipients of the awards include Dr Roy Cape, Mighty Shadow, Fitzroy Coleman, Cecil Ward, Nutones Steel Orchestra, Witco Desperadoes Steel Orchestra, Lancelot Layne, William "Bill" Trotman and Baga Rezende.
The first Sunshine Awards ceremony was held on June 24, 1989, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York. In 1994 the National Academy for the Recording Arts and Sciences (Naras), the organisation responsible for the annual Grammy Awards, endorsed the Sunshine Awards Program. The United Nations gave its endorsement in 1998.
Auditions for calypso
Like panyards, calypso tents are already beehives of activity for Carnival 2015 with a couple tents already completing auditions. Tomorrow, Saturday, Tuco (North Zone) holds 2015 auditions for Klassic Ruso Tent at De Nu Pub (The Mas Camp), Woodbrook at 10 am. On Sunday, it will be the turn of Kaiso House to host its audition, at the same time and venue. De Nu Pub is also the venue on December 14 when Kalypso Revue holds its auditions, managed by Sugar Aloes (Michael Osouna) and Skatie (Carlos James).