Fay-Ann, Iwer set for spectacular display

Fay-Ann Lyons

Fay-Ann Lyons is a favourite for the Road March title. If she pulls it off she will be only the third female to do so. (Calypso Rose was the first in 1977, “Tempo,” repeating in 1978, “Soca Jam” and Sanell Dempster’s “River” in 1999.) A victory for Fay-Ann will make her the youngest person ever to win the title, as well, she will be chalking up a family and national record as the first father and daughter to win the titles. Her father SuperBlue won eight times. Fay-Ann says she fears no one in the Road March race. And this is from one of the newest persons to the soca game, namely the Soca Monarch competitions and the upcoming Road March race. A serious contender in her own right, the pretty 22-year-old  front-line singer with Invazion has been heating up the airwaves with “Display”, a tune that she wrote with everyone in mind. “When I write a song I don’t try to channel anything,” she says. “I don’t picture the bands sweating it out on Carnival Tuesday, no images of jumping or waving crowds. You see, I never try to channel anything like that, you won’t get anything out of it. It’s like trying to channel a river and a couple of people may get washed away in the process, you know? So I don’t do it. All I want to do is pick up my pen and write.” She describes her song as something that all classes can identify with, no particular uptown or downtown posse. As she says, the kids can jump, the people can wave and pick up the beat, catching the natural momentum of the music. When asked who she considered a threat, she simply says, “God, I fear no man!” Then she breaks into laughter. Her father Austin Lyons (SuperBlue) is as proud as any doting papa, she admits. “He gives me advice on performance and showmanship.”

Destra Garcia

With her sexy on-stage moves and blatant sexuality, Destra Garcia makes soca delivery look frighteningly easy. Some may even think that she has a 2003 Road March victory on the brain, given her popular songs, “Carnival” and “Choo Choo”, which are literally “mashing up” de place. “Believe me, I’m not really thinking about the road march at all, Destra admits. “I not studying that... I just making the music for the people to enjoy. If it comes out to be a road march contender, all well and good.” Garcia already tasted some road march success when her song “Tremble it” placed third last year, but she feels no pressure, even after breaking away from Roy Cape and launching into a successful solo career. The songwriting team of Kernal Roberts and Machel Montano (they co-wrote “Carnival”) along with the sexy songstress generated its own creative formula. “Kernal came up with the verses and I came up with the chorus,” says Garcia. “I don’t really believe that there is a real ‘formula’ as such for writing a road march tune, because what happened with us, it was a vibe... everybody contributed a vibe of their own to the piece, so no real formula, because a road march is like an anthem. When you hear it, it makes you go crazy. It’s a song that can make you run, make you wave, make you march. It’s something sweet with a catchy hook...  you have to catch the soca jumbie.” Garcia, doesn’t see anyone else as a threat, or herself for that matter. In her eyes, it’s not about seeking prizes; she’s in it for the fun of it. “Right now I am thanking God for his many blessings and I can say that my plate is a full one. For me to want anything more at this point means I will be greedy, and I’m not. “With this road march race, there are so many people I want to wish the best, like Fay-Ann, KMC, Iwer, and Ronnie McIntosh, now that is a possible dark horse right there, because his song mashing up right now. “And ‘Madman’ Machel too, don’t leave him out either! (Laughs) I’m just concentrating on making it through the season, surviving Soca Monarch... Maybe one day it will be me to win a title, but I consider myself still at the bottom, but I’m climbing.”

Iwer George

Is all about me and Fay-Ann. I think my chances are as good as hers,” said 2000 Road March winner Iwer George. Logically, “Ah Home” is what the foreigners say when they hit the streets Monday and Tuesday for Carnival,” Iwer explained. “And when they reach the stage it’s just to ‘display’.” Whichever way it should go, “regardless who win, is love still,” he assured. “Ah trusting in God.” He wouldn’t be aboard a truck, though. Iwer confided: “I’ll be in a band wining on a woman,” he laughed, not wanting to reveal his “secret” band. Nevertheless, Iwer feels confident that everything will work out favourably. He described his season as “most relaxed”. Compared to last year, he said it was more work but “I feel like ah now starting to understand how to do it. This year I was able to space it out.” Iwer’s “Ah Home” which mirrors the true expression of a home-sick Trini is touted by many as a serious contender for Road March.

Scrunter

Scrunter’s (Irwin Johnson) “Jumbie—De Road Mix” is officially in the Road March race. Scrunter returned to the studios and together with producer Junior “Ibo” Joseph did a remix of “Jumbie” adding “more life into it”. But Scrunter couldn’t understand why the original version was never considered a Road March contender since it won road march titles at Miami, New York and Washington Carnivals. “I don’t know what is the problem. It has a nice beat and it puts the spirit into Carnival. It’s the same West Indians abroad listening to the music but here we get accustomed to the jumping, running and waving,” said Scrunter who was at the time tending to his garden in Sangre Grande. His Carnival season has been a very good one. “Jumbie”, which was released in April 2002 has been “doing well” especially in the US. “I just didn’t take part in any competition. Competition does stress yuh. If yuh doh have a good heart they’ll kill you.” He didn’t get many calls to perform locally which he attributed to “promoters trying to cut back on expenses. They’re hiring the bands which are playing the songs so it seems they don’t need the artistes.” Nevertheless, when the Carnival fever boils over, he looks forward to his annual Matura lime with friends and family from here and abroad.