It is good to see SuperBlue back in the soca arena, headband and all, showing the new generation of singers a thing or two about soca.

From his grand entrance on the big stage with "Soca Baptist" through to "Ethel", "Rebecca" and then the anthem of flag-waving fans, "Get Something an' Wave", he has mesmerised his ever-growing band of followers with melody after melody like a modern-day pied piper.

I remember being in the North Stand for a "Clash of the the Tents" show the year of "Get Something an' Wave" where he was the final act of the night, and rightfully so. The ensuing celebration was unlike anything I had ever witnessed at one of these shows.

At the mere announcement of his name the crowd reacted with a roar and began to pull out shirts, handkerchiefs, towels and everything else that could come loose. Then the party started.

At the start of the chorus "Get something ..." there was so much bacchanal everyone of the maybe 10,000 patrons, to a man, started to party on chairs, on the ground, on each other as only true Trinis could: jumpin' and shoutin'. The air was thick with kerchiefs, towels, rags (I recall seeing some pants and drawers) dancing and spinning to the instructions of the maestro.

SuperBlue is the undisputed master of soca from a generation of soca tunesmiths like Shorty, Rudder, Baron and Merchant – an aging master in a land of soca pretenders. He has come to look over his soca kingdom and give the young pipsqueaks their final lesson in party music.

Whether he wins or loses at Soca Monarch he remains the king of soca. Old soldiers never die ...

Dave L Marshall

via e-mail