tidings
Shane Superville
Staying true to his promise to pay homage to the city of Port of Spain and its diverse cultural background, soca artist Sekon Sta did not disappoint as he hosted a party full of “Sekon” on Sunday, with a variety of artists representing different genres and age groups.
As early as 4pm on Sunday, throngs of customers dressed in their best thronged Fatima College on Mucurapo Street, eager to get the party started.
As patrons continued to pour into the venue as the sun began to set, others snapped photos in props and photo booths, excited to share their experience on social media.
While most patrons were in the 25 to 30 age group, a significant portion of the audience also seemed to be veteran limers.
This mix of patrons was due in part to the multi-generational roster of artists scheduled to perform, including Young Bredda, Erphaan Alves, Nailah Blackman and Mical Teja representing young artists, while Superblue, Ronnie McIntosh and Iwer George represented the veteran performers.
This is in keeping with the tone of previous Sekon Sunday events, which featured cultural icons such as Superblue, Blaxx, Mighty Lingo and Gypsy.
While the pace of several carnival events would gradually increase throughout the evening, the party started on a high note with high-energy performances from College Boy Jesse followed by Preedy.
While the show was Sekon’s first Sunday since the announcement of the Covid19 pandemic in 2020, it was the fourth edition of the series which has been dubbed “fetecert” by promoters.
Speaking to Newsday after the event, Sekon Sta, whose real name is Nesta Boxill, said he was delighted with the crowd’s turnout and reaction.
He said the success of the event was largely due to the extent of the organization and rehearsals with the band.
“There will never be enough evidence, so there will never be enough, but it was definitely a lot of work.”
Commenting on the mix of artists and genres, Sekon Sta said he made it his goal to attract customers from as many age groups and musical tastes as possible to a celebration of the capital and Carnival 2023.
“We really tried to create a variety show.
“At the end of the day, it’s a tribute to Port of Spain and we want to pay respect to all that Trinidad and Tobago is at all stages – what we were, what we are and what we will be.
“I’ve got myself here representing who we are, we had Ronnie McIntosh and Superblue representing who we were and we made sure we had all the new acts – we brought out someone like Young Bredda to show what we’re going to be and for understand Trinidad. It’s a beautiful place and we should pay tribute to that.”
Sekon Sta said the event appeared to have attracted one of the biggest turnouts in recent times.
High energy performances kept the crowd rocking as patrons with flags moved in time to the beat as their friends sang along with the artists lyric for lyric.
As the crowd continued to move to the beat of their favorite artists, backstage it was a more relaxed atmosphere as managers and artists mingled over drinks before getting ready to take the stage.
Newsday also spoke to event logistics manager Stefan Guevara, who said the show was the result of months of planning and brainstorming with stakeholders, noting that preparation began as early as August 2022.
“It was a big undertaking, but our team was up to the task.
“It was a learning experience, a humbling experience as well, as we realized that the show has grown a lot and the team and everyone gained some new skills for it and we’re just going from strength to strength, take our experiences from it. one, fix and then do better for the next one.”
While customers were generally satisfied with the quality, some participants were not satisfied with the brewing system in place at the bar.
One customer complained that the procedure to get chits and get drinks was too cumbersome and time consuming as he just wanted to get back to the party as soon as possible.
Responding to these issues, Guevara said that while he didn’t hear any complaints about himself, it was something they would try to improve on for future events.
“Part of being better or improving is taking that criticism and going back to the drawing board and making it better, but not taking it to heart.”
For many soca artists, the event was also a testing ground to see the crowd’s response to their 2023 releases.
Speaking to Newsday after his performance, Preedy, whose real name is Akeem Chance, said he felt the crowd responded well to his new setlist.
“I sang seven new songs and they were all well received, No Regrets, Monopoly, 9 to 5, Rocket, Doh Judge Meh, Loose, and they were all well received.
“I keep telling people not to say the music isn’t as good as last year.
“The mechanics aren’t the same every year. Just let it sink in and I promise you that by January 29th at Chance (Preedy’s party) when you buy your ticket, the music will fly you away.”
Artist and composer Erphaan Alves also whipped the crowd into a frenzy when he took to the stage shortly after midnight to perform his new single Spirit.
Sekon Sta, in his introduction to Alves, said he felt Spirit was a Road March contender.
During his time on stage, Alves took his performance one step further, jumping into the crowd to interact with the wild attendees, before returning to the stage to perform Brave alongside Sekon Sta and Nailah Blackman.
Speaking to Newsday after his performance, Alves said he felt soca as a genre was “in good hands” and was encouraged by the crowd’s and other artists’ support for his new music.
“We’re doing everything we can to keep soca alive as a genre, even outside of releasing music.
“As we continue to support each other as artists, I don’t see soca going anywhere but up. We are here to stay.
“I just appreciate him (Sekon Sta) creating the conversation that Spirit is a contender for the road march, so it’s up to me now to continue with my team to make it happen.”
For their performances, Ronnie McIntosh and Superblue kept the crowd going with their classic hits.
During a short break in the program, both artists were honored with lifetime achievement awards presented by officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts.
In the closing act of the show, Sekon Sta, along with panists Joshua Regrello and Johann Chuckaree, paid tribute to the late calypsonians Explainer and Black Stalin, performing their hits as the show began to close.
Finishing just after 1am, weary patrons chatted amongst themselves about their thoughts on the show and what they thought was the high point of the evening.
Regardless of their opinions on which performance was the best, many generally agreed that the show’s comeback was a success.
