Flo PG is back

Flo PG slid into a red sleeveless cotton jacket, punched in the seven digits on her cell phone and in an instant she was in conversation with manager, producer Keith Israel/Jamm Records. They were making arrangements for an 11 o’clock business appointment that morning. But she had to get through our interview first.

The day was going to be a hectic one, which in effect, signalled that the Martiniquan and Paris-based artiste was in the running for Carnival 2004. That would mean gearing up for International Soca Monarch prelims, and fine-tuning her performances for the series of the first Diva’s Calypso Cabaret International event scheduled for next Tuesday, January 26 at the Hilton.

Flo was back! She spoke a little more English, she boasted about that and as always, was very hospitable. She laughed and brushed the jet black strands of hair away from her face as she lounged in the sofa of her St James apartment. Her hair was not in a ponytail which was quite unusual! However, she maintained her signature look — boots strapped up to her calf, black lycra pants, silver-studded black belt dropped at the hips, and black tank top. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Last year was great and this year I have three songs,” she said. Following up on her 2003 debut single “Nasty”, is the up-tempo “Woy look at people”, one of three tracks produced by Israel. She’s also trying her hand at a bit of social commentary too, with the song “That’s the way it is”. Her third track is the soca ballad “When I’m In Love”, a tribute to men. “I can come back this year, thanks to my team  at Jamm Records — my producer and manager Keith, my road-manager and PRO Avery Seaton, Fireball and Samuel Dyer. Keith continues to do great work. He’s cool, nice and they understand what I want. And thanks to the Soca Monarch competition which is good to get exposure. Whether you get first place or last place people see you. Since that, I have travelled to Miami, Canada, New York and all over the Caribbean.”

After Carnival, she has plans of returning to the Europe circuit with her unique blend of zouk and soca. Flo was the sole French representative at last year’s soca monarch competition and amazed patrons with her energetic performance back and forth on the drums and microphone. The drums, again, figure significantly in this year’s Carnival compositions. When “long-time friend, ‘Lyrics’ ” pitched her the theme for “Woy look at people”, she knew she had secured her soca monarch entry tune. “It’s all about Carnival and having a good time.” There is that vintage feel to it with the live horns and guitar. “I write all my compositions and I find that composing is easy for me at Carnival time,” said Flo. Already, she has performed at a radio station launch in Woodford Square and is looking forward to an equally productive year, this year. “The people still love me, you know I love them too... They say I have plenty charisma.”

Flo said she has always been embraced anywhere she performs in Trinidad. “When they say I have enemies, I can’t answer. If I have enemies I don’t know. I like harmony and I will not encourage anything else,” she explained. The words “fight down”, were literally not in her vocabulary. She had never heard of them and never experienced it. “The music we carry must show that we (entertainers) are tight with each other.” After all, music was her sacrifice for leaving behind her 14 siblings in her native Martinique. “I am number 12 of 16 children — nine girls and seven boys. I was like an orphan, I didn’t really know my parents and my big sisters took care of me.” Her brother, Fabrice, like her is also musically inclined. He plays keyboard. His sister, Chantal Petricien-Mohan, who resides in Trinidad is fashion designer of Trintonik (a blend of Trinidad and Tobago and Martinique fashion) label. “She makes all my clothes even this outfit I am wearing.” Flo reminded me of how shy she was except when she dons her “stage clothes and gets on stage... I am a different person. I don’t have what they call stage fright. I don’t plan anything, what to say, I don’t know who I am.” Flo can trust that her audience will recognise the Martiniquan by her African /Haitian rhythms this Carnival season!