Not only do people come from all over the world to enjoy Pirates Week, the bands are consistently brilliant too. Here’s the lowdown on who’s heading our way for the next week or so.
Imij & Co
You can groove down to Imij & Co on Friday, 11th November, and Saturday, 12th November. The Trini heroes bring into the picture a generous own slice of local music history, having as its genesis the super, successful Second Imij, which itself provided the industry with a reference position for more than nine years; before migration scuttled the group’s core.
Even as Second Imij shared stages with acts like Boys To Men, REO Speedwagon, Maxi Priest, Freddie Jackson, Aswad, MC Hammer and C&C Music Factory, the group also established itself as a formidable component of the Trinidad Carnival soundtrack, its legacy including unforgettable soca hits Jump on the Count of Four, Na Na and Golo, the song that earned it worldwide recognition.
Imij & Co is, a seven member group dedicated to the celebration of indigenous music, but at no sacrifice to the band’s versatility.
The band consists of manager George Ng Wai, vocalists Michelle Xavier, Hilton Dalzell Jr. and Russell Cadogan, band leader and guitarist Joey Ng Wai, bassist Stephan Brijlal and drummer Roger Campbell.
Red Plastic Bag
Red Plastic Bag, also known as RPB or merely Bag (real name Stedson Wiltshire), is a Calypsonian from Barbados. He has won the Barbadian Calypso monarch competition a record nine times. He began performing in 1979. He combined the sounds of Reggae and Soca and has become one of the most popular performers in Barbados and throughout the Caribbean. His biggest hit, Ragga Ragga, has been recorded in seven different languages. In 2011 RPB won the title of Sweet Soca Monarch with his song Once Upon A Wine, a commentary on how Caribbean music and dance has evolved over time.
RPG plays on Saturday, 12th November.
Leon Coldero
Leon Coldero takes the spotlight on Saturday, 19th November. Dubbed The Original Winer Boy, he has held close to his heart the world of Soca, which he has uniquely flavoured with his reggae crossover. Coldero’s name signals pure excitement, superb entertainment, and an energy that emanates throughout every performance. His talent has touched many throughout the music community with former tour and band performances with the famed Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. Coldero was also the lead singer for the renowned Sound Revolution band that released the popular song Shake It in 1985.
He released his first self-titled album in 1993 that was followed by Mind Your Business in 1994. His success did not end there as he was nominated the most promising Soca artist in 1995 at the Soca Monarch Competition.
Coldero continued his trend of musical excellence into the new millennium; the formation of his new hit band Code-868 propelled him to new heights. Leon Coldero is synonymous with energy, quality, excitement and promises performances second to none in the entertainment industry.
Denyse Plummer
Also performing on Saturday, 19th November, is Denyse Plummer. The 1954-born blue-eyed daughter of a white father and black mother, she initially faced significant prejudice in a genre traditionally seen as Afro-Caribbean, but was eventually recognised as a leading Calypso performer. She was enlisted by Phase II Pan Groove steelband arranger Len Boogsie Sharpe in 1986 to sing his band’s Panorama entry. It was then that Plummer started making a name for herself as a Calypsonian. In 1988, with yet another Len Boogsie Sharpe pan tune, Woman Is Boss, she arrived at the National Calypso Monarchy finals and also won the Calypso Queen crown. Since then she has taken the Calypso Queen crown a total of four times and has won the World Calypso Crown three times. Denyse Plummer is the third female Calypsonian to ever win the Young King competition and has made it to Calypso Monarch finals in 1988, 1989, 1991 and was victorious in 2001, taking home the title for the first time. In 1991 Plummer released a Christmas soca track Santa de conductor and in 1993 and 1994 released Fire and Tempo respectively. In 1997 she released Miss-behave and, in 2000, Tabanca. Her 2001 Calypso Monarch title was won with the songs Heroes and Nah leavin.
Related Videos
