THE DOORS OPENED at 9 Saturday night Kensington Oval for Socatology 2014 – Carnival Tabanca edition, but the action didn’t start until four hours later when the first six local artistes took to the stage.
So Synpa, Verseewild, Big Red, Bobo & Fadda Fox and Soka Kartel (minus Blood), all had to squeeze their music into 30 minutes.
The first Trinidadian to take the stage was Blaxx who was only able to sing snippets of each of his songs, including his 2014 Mash Up D Road and last year’s very popular Leh Go.
Mr Killa, from Grenada demonstrated why he is the Rolly Polly specialist. He first forewarned the “fluffy” volunteer on stage that he was a “bedroom animal” who knew how to take care of the girls. After backing away to the far end of the stage, he returned and demonstrated what a rolly polly specialist must do, ending with him sitting on her bumper – a scene which sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Trinidad & Tobago’s 2014 Groovy Soca Monarch Kerwin DuBois proved why he wears the crown. Singing from 2012 Bacchanalist, last year’s Monsta Winer – which he performed with Lil Rick – to this year’s Forget About It, Press Ah Button and Spoil Mehself – it was like soca therapy.
The Bajan contingent would get a chance to represent again when Lil Rick did his set, including his collaboration Down Deh with Shanta Prince.
By 3 a.m. it would be tabanca time as the headliners – Bunji Garlin, his wife Fay Ann Lyons and the Asylum band created a special kind of Carnival Tabanca.
Fay Ann sparked the flame with Gimme That, Catch Me, and even some oldies but favourites like Heavy T Bumper, while the four-time International Power Soca Monarch Garlin served up his brand of free-style chanting to the delight of the thousands.
He sent the crowd into a frenzy with songs Irregular, Snake Oil, Blaze De Fire, This is Carnival, his runaway hit of 2013 Differentology, which has crossed over beyond soca lines and attracted attention beyond the Caribbean diaspora and of course Truck On The Road.
By 4:20 a.m. the husband and wife team would leave the masses with their own brand of Red Light District vibe that would end the first major soca show for 2014 in Barbados. (TM)
