This one goin and fog up the place…….

From the powerful, warm and expeditious North Atlantic Ocean current, caressed by the wafting cool breeze of the islands, wafts pulverized fine particles fused with rich pickings from the shorelines, casting confetti strewn shadows along its sweeping trail. Sauntering past rugged and smooth coastlines, drawn by the pulsating warm and rhythmic sound, some particles meander along to the coast of West Africa, while its lesser counterparts, battered by the ferocious winds are carried forth to the frosty reception, clad skies of Europe to be splashed about, shared and fused by the red earth, Caribbean beat and the spirit of Carnival.

Dust the place…Official Video: Machel Montano – The Fog!

It was billed as the ultimate duel of the 21st century, a clash of the titans, a meeting of the greats, to determine the new champion/s of T&T soca music, the 2013 bearer/s, proudly flying the flag for the greatest show on earth, Trinidad & Tobago carnival, however word on the street is, was/is this still the case?

Towards the end of 2012, our hearts soared and erupted with delight at the news that the imperial family of soca was returning to the super bowl stage of soca entertainment, the cosmo of all events, International Soca Monarch. It was the offerings of music given to the fans internationally that propelled this calling and with a different agenda on his mind, the Viking of Soca, Bunji Garlin alongside his Empress undoubtedly set the pace, got us ready and opened the stage.

for this Carnival lewee make a bachannal…Remember Superblue…Fay Ann Lyons – De Stage Open

And in opening the stage…..the most revered Superking of soca, bounced back after a long hiatus…Superblue & The Love Band – Fantastic Friday…to mash up de place….

With recent news that the 2012 Groovy & Soca Monarch holder, Machel Montano has received reprieve, pending his long awaited sentencing and that the super charged couple, have respectively bowed out of the competition, the Chairman of Caribbean Prestige Promotions (CPF) William Munro, was quoted as having said;

The Soca Monarch show will go on with or without Ian “Bunji Garlin” Alvarez and Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez

Response!

In the words of the Viking….laced with a few of our own…

Kings and Queens
‘Vikings! My turn now. Passing through with the Asylum family…. I ain’t come to ride this with no team, like we is players and a coach, this is a simple, verbalistic, analytical musical approach, so pass the mic, hand me towel show me the venue, let me mash it clean and free your mind, release your trouble..tell them I come to MASH UP DE PLACE!

I say everyday and every night, I see the Facebook and the tweets, every message, every email, every person that I meet up on the streets, They say they want to see me in the race, they really want me to compete, but I am on a different mission and that mission is to make the music sweet……!

I wanna see this music rise, see it flying with the eagles in the sky, I have my part to play in this still, this thing be the skills of many and my direction is different’!

 

SO, whilst the powerful duo have bowed out, the competition must continue. In the words of Soca Monarch;

This is an event for the world, not to mention of course, a brilliant flag bearer for Trinidad and Tobago and exponentially, the Caribbean region as a whole since the event now incorporates competitors across the islands. The International Soca Monarch Competition can be viewed as a musical visa which could unite us all. The palpable feeling one gets at the Olympics is similarly duplicated at the International Soca Monarch Competition, which features the Power and the Groovy contestants representing the architecture of the event.

Signing off…I no longer see the Soca Monarch as a competition. Whilst it has opened doorsteps to new artists, given a platform to long serving artists, to a simple music lover it has demonstrated one thing, the growth, the movement of soca music, the artists pushing the music forward and not forgetting the phenomenal producers and songwriters accompanying those tiny particles, unifying the words spoken and spreading the love and vibes.

In the harmonies of the critically acclaimed triple Grammy award holders – South Africa’s Lady Smith Black Mambazo, alongside Kerwin Du Bois and Machel Montano had this to say;

‘ Soca I love you, tell all those others that its only you I Love’….

….Something about this music… Machel Montano & Kerwin Du Bois – POSSESSED with Ladysmith Black Mambazo

De stage open….the world is waiting….