kristy.ramnarine@cnc3.co.tt
Musical powerhouse Teddyson John is ready to give fans an entertaining and artistic experience at his upcoming show.
The second edition of STRIPPED: A Teddyson John Experience is carded to take place at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) on January 31.
“A lot of people thought we were crazy last year, they were like ‘Teddy, for you to come in the heat of Carnival with a sit-down concert, dress up nice, that may not work well.’ The truth is when you plant a seed you don’t know what’s going to happen unless you water it. We planted it last year. People showed up,” he said.
‘Teddy’ or ‘TJ’, as he is commonly called, said the name STRIPPED: A Teddyson John Experience speaks to exactly what the event is about.
“I wanted to take the same music we love, soca music and change it and have it delivered in a different type of way. Different musical instruments, different arrangements, just something that was not the regular.”
The award-winning, multi-talented musician hails from St Lucia.
Born and raised in a devout Christian family in Castries, John’s musical talent was crafted and nurtured in the youth chorale at his church.
He began his career in soca in 2007.
“I was kind of tricked into it,” he said.
“I used to work on a cruise ship at that time. I remember going to the studio with my colleagues and I heard some music and I was like ‘Okay, give me a pen and paper.’ I decided to jot down something.”
John, who was an avid churchgoer at the time, turned his words into a demo. “When I thought they were going to give the song to somebody else I heard it leak out on the radio.”
That year John won the St Lucia Groovy Soca Monarch title with his song Coming Down de Road.
His 2015 single Allez brought him into the spotlight in the Caribbean region and beyond.
The success of the single also made him the first St Lucian soca artiste to achieve one million views on YouTube and this led him to the International Soca Monarch stage in Trinidad.
In 2019, John came in second in the Groovy Soca category of the International Soca Monarch held in T&T.
Following his performance of Vent, John left the stage and was embraced by former prime minister of St Lucia Allen Chastanet.
“I didn’t know he was there, I was surprised,” he said.
As for competition in soca, John said it should not be that way.
“Everybody’s contribution should be received as a contribution to the art form,” he said.
“Does that mean, if you don’t win a competition, your music is not good? Nah. I am happy in a way it is not there (International Soca Monarch) and that music is coming out.”
The cultural ambassador said his event will celebrate world-class talent with a cast of amazing vocalists and performers from the Caribbean soca industry.
“STRIPPED’s mission is to bring together the very best that the Caribbean has to offer while keeping focus on celebrating the incredible bodies of work from soca’s brightest talent year-round–both on stage and behind the scenes,” he said.
The show’s lineup includes some of soca’s finest, Nadia Batson, Destra Garcia, Alison Hinds, Kes Dieffenthaller and Skinny Fabulous.