SuperBlue has been out of the entertainment arena for more than a decade owing to his personal challenges as many of us have been aware. However, there was always an unflagging hope among his family and adoring fans that this great iconic and innovative soca artist could be redeemed to fulfil his destiny in the art. But little did the thousands of his adoring fans and well-wishers imagine that Super would come like "a voice from out of the blue" in 2013, to pun the lyrical phrase from his 2013 mega hit Fantastic Friday.
The 2013 return of the innovative soca icon is phenomenal, not only because he appears to be overcoming his challenges, but because of his impact on generations both old and young. The generation of the 80s and before who have experienced the creative genius of Blue Boy–then morphed into SuperBlue–has quenched their thirst in 2013 on this longed-for musical elixir.
The young ones who were not born yet and never saw this master craftsman perform before have been mesmerised by his charisma and lyrical genius, notwithstanding their contemporary soca stars. The return of SuperBlue has been welcomed enthusiastically with waves of love, caring and affection. It is the desire of thousands of supporters and well-wishers to see him cop the coveted Soca Monarch crown.
But the value of this innovator in soca is beyond participating in or winning an intensely competitive event. The return of this larger-than-life artiste is like recovering a pearl of great price which had never lost its value. A rigorous evaluation of the body of work of Austin Lyons, through his incarnations from Blue Boy to SuperBlue, reveals deep philosophical underpinnings. Get Something and Wave celebrates democracy and rejects compromise of our freedom in addition to its creative hook lines that have set us "jumping and waving" ever since. The poetic imagery of the opening lines "ah want to wine on somet'ing" captures the exhilarating feeling of J'Ouvert morning.
In the same work, the festival is defined in this unique lyric–Carnival is a verb. Some of these poetic gems may bypass the reveller who seek escapism in the infectious beat of his works that include Soca Baptist, Soca in the Shaolin Temple, Ethel, Hello and Road to Italy. But even in these up-tempo offerings one can find great symbolism.
SuperBlue, in his tribute to cricket legend Brian Lara, creatively married Lara's prowess with the promenade named after him in the lines "a man hit a ball in Antigua and it end up on the promenade, Lara Promenade."
Lyons is one of the literary figures of our age and should be respected as such and his work, which would survive the test of time, should be studied and introduced to the uninitiated.
Trevor Alleyne