"From ever since I was young, I was hooked on radio," said Nigel Rojas.
One of the country's best known rock musicians and leader of Orange Sky, Rojas said: "Radio men like Dave Elcock and Paul Keens-Douglas, who impersonated and created humorous characters on the air used to fascinate me. I'd be going to school and be lost in their world as I listened to the radio. Elcock had characters like Mr Bitter and Granny, while Keens Douglas made Tantie Merle a much loved household name to all. For me, radio was a kind of 'mind theatre.' I simply loved radio."
Rojas, who collaborated on the award-winning Differentology single, is a renowned composer and has decided to make a dream come true by adding radio presenter to his resume. Guardian Media Ltd (GML) has hired him to join its TBC 95.1FM The Best Mix network. Titled Midweek Mayhem Show, the programme debuted on Thursday, December 11, and will be aired every Thursday night at 8 pm.
When Rojas attained a diploma in broadcasting a few months ago, he conceptualised the idea for a light-hearted comedy show, filled with skits, parodies, prank calls, and even a local soap, the first of its kind on radio.
He said: "I intend doing a few of the characters on the programme and promise that it is going to be an hour packed with madness and dotishness. I wouldn't define it as downright hilarious, but it's sure gonna be entertaining. This is my new way of communicating and connecting with people, and to vent this side of my personality that people wouldn't normally hear through Orange Sky and the music."
Proud of Orange Sky and the group's travels, recordings and achievements, Rojas said: "Orange Sky did 87 cities across the US in 2009 and we listened to a lot of stations on that tour. At that time, we listened to a lot of talk shows and comedy stuff and I was intrigued by it."
However, bitten by the songwriting bug with his collaboration with Bunji Garlin on Differentology, Rojas is now addicted to soca.
He said: "Apart from the radio experience, my new thrill in life is writing soca compositions, contributing to the local culture for the first time.
"Since that collaboration with Bunji, with the Differentolgy experience, I have been writing songs of this genre. This year, I wrote First Time for Destra and it placed fourth in the International Soca Monarch competition. I also wrote Clap Yours Hands for Rikki Jai and that placed second in the Chutney Soca Monarch final. I co-wrote Jump High with Boogsie Sharpe and that one captured this year's National Panorama title. And this has been just my first year in the business.
"I now listen to music my father and uncles asked me to listen to as a child and I didn't, in rebellion. I feel like a child, as I am now discovering the beauty and scope of T&T indigenous music."
Rojas, who now has a growing clientele of soca artistes, revealed, "I have composed 16 songs for Carnival 2015 and the artistes singing these include Chucky, Shurwayne Winchester, Blaxx, Patrice Roberts, Destra and Denise Belfon, and more. Writing calypso and soca for me is a new adventure–magical, even. My writing soca is like venturing into a new and exciting world of music.
"It may be surprising that I am only now getting into calypso and soca as I grew up among calypso freaks. My uncle andfamily, the Clarkes from Belmont, formed Burrokeets. I grew up around calypso and Carnival but my brother, Nicholas, and I, rebelled strongly against what my dad and uncles loved.
"My mother is the only girl among nine boys and in the brood are two priests and a nun. My aunt, Sister Paul Clarke, was the person who taught me to play guitar. They found I was too hyper as a child and needed an avenue to cool me down, so she taught me to play the guitar. When I was young, growing up in a very religious family, sometimes I would be in church every day of the week. I became an acolyte to Fr Toba Valdez in Form One in St Mary's College.
"Few people know this, but I wanted to be a priest but was discouraged from joining the priesthood by my mother, especially as she wanted grandchildren. I gave her her wish and I have three children, one girl and two boys, aged 13 to nine."
Orange Sky, having started at Belle Eau Road, Belmont, celebrated its 18th anniversary in April 2014. Then, in 1996, Rojas lived on Pelham Street, a stone's throw away from the band's base.
Shifting to his rocker hat, Rojas revealed that Orange Sky has done over 700 local performances and more than 200 international performances, throughout the US, India and the Caribbean. "Our music is roots rock so all our basic elements are rapso, reggae and soca, so that foundation will always be there," he said.
"We still perform. As long as my brother and I are alive Orange Sky will exist as it has been a vocation. We have also always been blessed to have amazing players with us."
Looking at the immediate future, Rojas said: "One of my biggest bucket list desires was to sing a soca song and it came through in the form of a lavway, done with David Rudder, one of my greatest heroes, and 3Canal. The song is called The Silk Cotton Tree and it is already getting favourable rotation. Bunji is currently swamped out there representing T&T but we have spoken about collaborating again, sometime in the future. I will always be grateful to Bunji Garlin for opening that door and letting me into the marvellous and magical world of T&T calypso and soca.
"I also need to give a big heartfelt thanks to the sponsors and 95.1FM The Best Mix for making my radio show happen and become reality."