Words by Jesse Serwer—
The biggest news in soca this month is the return of Superblue —father of Fay-Ann Lyons and Terri Lyons, and the originator of the jump and wave craze—to Trinidad’s Soca Monarch competition. The winner of eight Carnival Road March titles and a record five Soca Monarch titles will make his first entry into the competition in over a decade next month, going head-to-head against his own daughters and son-in-law, Bunji Garlin.
Superblue (at right in the photo above) announced his return last week with the power soca tune “Fantastic Friday,” described by the Trinidad Express as “a master-class for all young pretenders on song craftsmanship, economy with lyrics, and why there’s no replacement for melody.” In an interview with the Trinidad Guardian, the 56-year-old says he was inspired to return to the competitive circuit to ensure that 2013 will be a historic year for Trinidad’s Carnival. “I want the bad boys to put down their guns and make music,” he said.
Does Superblue, who’s battled drug problems in recent years, have what it takes to regain his status as soca’s greatest performer and compete with Machel Montano, Kes and the new generation of Trini stars? Stream/download “Fantastic Friday” below, and watch some vintage footage of Superblue in his prime below.
[audio:http://largeup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Super-Blue-Fantastic-Friday.mp3|titles=Super Blue – Fantastic Friday]
“Fantastic Friday”