Patrice Roberts is the boss, Farmer Nappy, the veteran, Zan, the cool operator and Umi Marcano is definitely the dancer-boy. The foursome are the HD Family–not HD mind you, as that title's reserved for Machel Montano, the man who's ruled the soca game for more than ten years. Going into 2010, Montano has opted to focus on other things, leaving his team to travel their own journey, even amid whispers of doubt and uncertainty. "This is an opportunity for us to showcase our talent and we're taking every minute of it," says Roberts. They're a close-knit bunch. At Xtatic Ltd in Port-of-Spain, they met with the Guardian and with ease, they completed each other's sentences, joked about shared moments at photo shoots and rehearsals and shed light on what they'll be doing in 2010. "This is not the first time Machel has left the band. In 2002, when he got the recording contract with Delicious Vinyl Records, he had to leave Xtatic, and at that time, it was a risk," says Farmer.
They don't see what many in the entertainment industry have been chattering about–the risk of the band losing its following because Montano won't be the headline act for Carnival next year. In fact, Patrice says she thinks it's a strategy. "You know Machel always tries to re-invent himself." The new boss, as the guys call her, explains that Machel will be back and forth and he will be around, just not centre-stage. They agree that this new outfit will be a little different for the people to absorb, but they are confident that they will serve their purpose well. Already, 24-year-old, Patrice Roberts has hits for 2010 and on her heels are her cohorts, Umi, Zan and Farmer. Marcano's track, In Front Of Meh, has set a standard going into 2010 that many may find difficult to outdo, while Farmer has a collaborative track with Kerwin DuBois that is set to come to the fore soon. The members of the HD Family know that Machel's presence on any stage creates a stir, so with that in mind, Patrice says, "we'll be re-inventing ourselves individually, we'll be creating great hits."
She says Zan will be changing course a little, testing the waters in the power soca category, while Umi too, will be increasing his momentum. The band is not a soca band. "We all have individual strengths. We've done techno and other types of music. Our ambition as a band isn't to do soca only," says Zan. Farmer Nappy, the veteran, has been in the local entertainment industry for many years. At the age of 13, he sang onstage with David Rudder and Charlie's Roots and he has been alongside Machel from the days of Xtatic to now. His role in the band is that of guiding, as he notes: "people have been asking how it is I am not the leader, since I have been with the band for so long. I just want to say, I am a team player and I recognise that Patrice has more hits than me, but it doesn't mean that she doesn't come to me to ask my opinion. At the end of the day, we are one family."
They say this move by Machel was premeditated. They say he'd spoken of it on many occasions. Now, given the opportunity, they are determined to succeed and, even with their leader in the backseat of the bus, they guarantee that their journey in 2010 will be no less sensational.
