Seven-year-old Aaron Duncan, who tied for first place at this year's Calypso Pioneers Competition, says he is prepared and ready to take the Junior Soca Monarch title from defending champion Timel Rivas.
Duncan, who tied with Rivas in Calypso Pioneers, was all smiles during an interview yesterday as he shared his happiness about winning and his excitement about the upcoming Junior Soca Monarch Competition. "Last year when I entered the competition (Calypso Pioneers) for the first time I was scared because everybody else was older than me," Duncan said.
"But this year I was just excited and happy and I felt that I would win," he added. Duncan, who won the Calypso Pioneers competition last year with his song, Doh Waste It, is younger than most of his competitors but is definitely not intimidated by that. He recalled his introduction to singing at the age of three, when he sang backup for his elder sister, but admitted he always took over the performances.
"I was always brave. I used to sing backup for my sister and now my sister sings backup for me," he said. His mother, Lydia Duncan, described him as a natural performer and said he had an ear for music.
She said he never got nervous. "The more people he sees in a crowd the better he performs," she added.
Duncan said his favourite soca artiste was Machel Montano and a highlight in his music career so far was doing an advertisement with him. He said he felt Machel would win the Power Soca Monarch Competition this year and Fay Ann Lyons-Alvarez would win Road March. Lydia Duncan said her son didn't spend a lot of his time practising. She added: "He is usually doing normal things, like playing air hockey with his father, watching television or playing video games.
"Sometimes at competitions I see the other kids practising and Aaron just sits and plays on his PSP until it's his turn to perform." The young singer said the first thing he did before every performance was to pray and that he always thanked God afterwards. Duncan has already taken first place at the Eastern Credit Union Primary Schools' Calypso Competition and plans to make it a threefold victory next Friday at the Junior Soca Monarch Competition.