FLASHBACK: Friday 24th February, 2006 – Port-of-Spain, Trinidad

I had been a finalist in the International Soca Monarch several times before (2000, 1999 to name a few), but because I hadn’t been singing “Road March contending”, “Top Ten” tunes that the masses knew word for word, hardly anyone remembers those performances other than myself. In 2006, however “Ting 4 D Road” was a popular favourite not only for the Road March title, but also to do well at Soca Monarch, and so my trip to the National Stadium to compete in the Power Soca category this year was special to me and everyone else as well.

YES – I had performed “Ting 4 D Road” tons of times that Carnival already that night at all the biggest events in the country, and YES – I had shared the stage with many of my adversaries that night, having spent the season “running on” to Bunji Garlin’s & The Asylum’s stage, along with Fayann Lyons, not to mention doing countless gigs with Shurwayne Winchester (& Traffik), Iwer George, Rita Jones (& Roy Cape All Stars), Nadia Batson (& Kes The Band) and all the others…

And YES – I was coming into the Finals having outright WON the Semi-Final rounds (beating out the likes of Iwer, Fayann and many other top Soca stars in the process)…

This time, however was different. It was competition. All the gloves were off.

Having fought my way through RIDICULOUS traffic jams to get INTO the Stadium, then fought my way through uncompromising security barely getting IN to the backstage area, I was already tense to begin with.

Then, as I readied myself to perform, one mishap after the other plagued the set up for me to hit the stage…

I had spent days working with respected local director and longtime homey Nigel Thompson on a video intro, in which the plot of me being created in a laboratory by scientists who were seeking to create “The Perfect Soca Monarch Performer” was visually explained, but inexplicably that video NEVER hit the big screens above the stage.

I had asked for total darkness for the prop that would allow me entrance to the stage to be put onstage and never got it so my surprise entrance was ruined…

And to make matters worse there were some technical issues with the band backing me.

Nevertheless the show must go on, and this clip is an example of me making the best of a bad situation and doing my best to channel my intense frustration and anger at all the aforementioned negatives into an energetic (as always) performance…

Bad things happen sometimes. All we as individuals can do is remember that Energy is neither created nor destroyed – only transformed. The best thing we can do is take the negative and make a positive out of it.

I give you Mista Vybe, rolling out the most impromptu performance that earned me an admirable 6th place that night and a spot in history as a finalist in one of the best Soca Monarch Finals ever!

“Ting 4 D Road”: 2006 Soca Monarch Finals Performance! from MistaVybeWorld on Vimeo.

Big up to the backing band (Roy Cape All Stars) and extra special thanks to my riddim section Hands Of Rhythm, who not only jammed some amazing rhythms but also ventured out of the box to do dance choreography as well – something I haven’t seen an “iron section” do before or since.

Another day in my life that I cannot and will not ever forget. Fantastic Friday 2006!

Posted by: Mista Vybe at 2:14 pm | Filed under: Flashbacks |

Leave a comment Share on Facebook

Tags: 2006, Flashbacks, International Soca Monarch Finals, Mista Vybe, Ting 4 D Road