Soca Goes Gold 7, held last Saturday night, delivered exactly what its name promised: a golden night of sweet soca.
From as early as 8 p.m., the crowd filled into Carifesta House in St Michael, eager to take in the headline show, which was a fundraiser for the Eden Lodge Youth Charitable Trust.
The show, which hailed one of the most jam-packed live music line-ups of the season, started promptly at 9 p.m. and ran until 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
Veteran band Square One opened the night to a roar, with the “Queen of Soca” Alison Hinds and this year’s Pic-O-De-Crop winner Anderson Mr Blood Armstrong delivering a powerful one-hour performance. They closed out their set with Togetherness, much to the crowd’s delight.
After a set by DJ Ras, De Unit Band took up duties as backing band for the evening’s live performances.
Madd Entertainment hit the stage, with the comedic trio singing a medley of their hits, including Looka De Food and a tribute to the Mighty Grynner. When Eric Lewis, in the persona of Archibald Cox, appeared in a dress to perform, the crowd erupted.
The roster of Bajan talent that followed – Biggie Irie, Marvay, Marzville, Grateful Co, De Announcer, Nikita and Peter Ram – came one after the other, each leaving little room for the crowd to catch
their breath.
Then came the moment that shifted the night: the twins Bruce and Barry Chandler came on stage in a surprise performance. Screams erupted from the crowd as they witnessed the brothers reunited on stage. Once the lead voices of the now-defunct band Jabae, the Chandlers delivered renditions of We Dey Oh and Flames to the delight of their adoring fans.
Next, Lil Rick, took the crowd down memory lane with tunes spanning his almost 30 years in the business – from Can’t Wait to Hard Wine to this year’s big hit 911.
Then it was straight into the next wave: Trinidadian Iwer George, who worked the stage with nostalgia and showmanship. He even sang the Bajan favourite Time To Wine, then joined the crowd, leading a procession of party-goers on the dance floor.
It was truly a highlight of the night. DJs Indian and Chris Gayle delivered an energetic set as The Bakanal Band set up for the headline performance.
When Destra Garcia took command of the stage, the energy from the crowd was electrifying! Her vocals, stage presence and crowd control took the night to another level.
She sang favourites such as Lucy, Max It Up and Festival Again and paid homage to Bob Marley, reworking his Redemption Song, much to the audience’s delight.
Krosfyah closed out the show like the veterans they are, keeping the audience who showed no sign of stopping rocking.
They delivered a solid hour of signature hits, including Sak Pase, Bashment Bacchanal and Yardie. Lead Pipe and Saddis later joined the band for a final swell of crowd frenzy.
Exceptional from beginning to end, Soca Goes Gold 7 proved again that soca, not the clock, dictates when the night ends. (LR)
