SHURWAYNE WINCHESTER
Born and raised on the smaller of the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean Soca artiste, Shurwayne Winchester brings variety and exclusivity to the musical genre that continues to grow both regionally and internationally.
Born and raised on the smaller of the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean Soca artiste, Shurwayne Winchester brings variety and exclusivity to the musical genre that continues to grow both regionally and internationally.
Having acquired, through great dedication and efficiency, unparalleled celebrity across the Caribbean as both a songwriter and singer, Shurwayne Winchester has proven to be the ultimate on –stage entertainer, commanding any crowd and bringing energy, vitality and momentum to any event.
Shurwayne’s journey to stardom began at a very tender age, while still in the care of his parents on the island of Tobago. At the age of 12, he entered the competition arena, consistently making yearly contributions that impressed and propelled him to advanced stages. His ability to both pen lyrics he loved, and sing them in tones far beyond what was expected of his age, gave him the fortitude to compete against some of the best in the industry, among them, veterans such as the calypso queen of the world, Denyse Plummer and Calypso Monarchs CroCro and Luta.
Upward growth as an artiste in the music industry of Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean had always been an identifiable priority for the young Winchester. As he forged forward, this priority remained a constant, leading to many amazing opportunities and rewards.
Throughout his career Shurwayne has consistently gathered experience and obtained the required understanding of the music business through his affiliations with a number of bands, most notably, that of Caribbean Traffic Jam, of which he quickly became frontline singer.
Within his tenure with the band, Winchester achieved numerous monarchs and Road March titles. In 2004, having already made a name for himself as a singer for the ladies with tracks such as “Baby Love,” and “Under My Spell,” Shurwayne moved to gather the masses with the road tune, “The Band Coming.”
That year, he copped the title of Road March King, much to the satisfaction of his fans. In 2005, with memories of what his achievement afforded in 2004, he did it yet again with the infectiously up-tempo track, “Dead or Alive, ” accomplishing that which many in the industry only dream of.
Dedication and hard work being the attributes that make Shurwayne Winchester who he is as an artiste, proved to aid his double triumph yet again in 2006 when he copped both the Power and Groovy Soca Monarchs with “Cant Wait,” and “Don’t Stop,” respectively. In that year, as Trinidad and Tobago’s national football team prepared to journey to Germany for the World Cup, Winchester’s name was among the first to be called to accompany the team as part of the Official Trinidad & Tobago Cultural Delegation in Germany.
Inspired by the possibilities the lie ahead, the young man whose stage performance propels thousands of hysterical fans from North America and the Caribbean across the Atlantic, to Europe and India, into an effortless frenzy of excited abandon, continues to break musical barriers, and in late 2008, this was again proven when he formed his very own band, Y.O.U.- Yes One Unit.
The band manned the airwaves with great music in 2009 with collaborative efforts between Shurwayne and Jamaican reggae sensation, Maxi Priest with the track “ Make It Yours” and simultaneously, with raunchy reggae artiste, Serani with whom he collaborated for, “ All I Need.”
In 2010, the band moved to higher heights with a head start in the Carnival race. Releasing Jammers, Lonely Road, Behind De Truck, Murdah and Gyal Wine Up alongside Jamaica’s RDX on the SWLimited produced ABX rhythm, Shurwayne showed the world his true capability. He even invited a few friends of the industry to ride on the ABX rhythm, among them, Iwer George, Bunji Garlin and Super Jigga TC. In 2010, Shurwayne’s track, Murdah- one of the first releases for the season, proved infectious throughout the carnival, winning him the coveted Groovy Monarch title for yet another year. Many agreed that the crown was reclaimed by the true groovy-soca champion.
There’s no limit to the success of this Caribbean cultural icon and with both a heart that shows no insult or indiscretion, along with talent that compares to no other, Shurwayne Winchester is certainly moving toward the top of the ladder in strides that seem almost effortless in movement.
www.shurwaynewinchester.com
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SUPER JIGGA TC
Super Jigga TC is the sobriquet taken by a man who believes in possibility.
Terrin Callendar has been a part of the entertainment fraternity in Trinidad and Tobago and by extension, the Caribbean region- for over a decade. His sound system background from the early nineties leading into the 21st century has taken him on a journey marked by leaps of faith and riveting success.
From his roots as a DJ/radio announcer- Super Jigga TC, the self-proclaimed King Of Swag delved into management at the all soca station, Trinibashment 91.9FM- this after he returned to Trinidad from the U.S where he’d studied the business that he was so much a part of.
His role at the all Soca frequency would prepare him for much of what he is today faced with as a full-fledged Soca artiste.
Balancing his roles as a radio personality and a member of management, Super Jigga TC soon embraced yet another calling. A meeting with Synergy TV’s Peter C. Lewis in 2005 led to the birth of Soca Star- a seasonal television production based on the development of budding entertainers, with the most ambitious and best developed becoming the crowned season’s Soca Star- a spin off of the American Idol series. The production’s first success was Rohan “Fireball” Richards- a young, talented male vocalist. Having co-written Fireball’s hit single, “What I Want:” in 2007, the King of Swag is today proud to say that the artiste and the track have received international recognition across Europe and the United States.
In 2010, Super Jigga TC proudly hosts his 6th season of the Soca Star series. In addition to Soca Star, he conceptualised “KarryYuhKey”(Karaoke), another television series aired on Synergy TV in Trinidad- and one that also proven successful.
His musical success since 2009 when he jumped onto the scene with the track “Frontline” coupled with his television persona has intrigued thousands across the world with even locals living abroad, using his slang terms, “ if it ain’t tight, it ain’t right and ‘Common!’” The success of the individual has certainly increased the shows’ popularity and ratings have noticeably skyrocketed across the board. Subsequently, with his personal inclination towards TV rather than radio, the entertainer has since stepped away from the on-air radio persona, giving of himself full time to television and the rigours of being an artiste in the local Soca industry. His efforts in 2010 proved substantial as not only did he brag about his ‘Template” but he told the world that he would be a part of the finals at the International Soca Monarch Competition in Trinidad- an ambitious desire he certainly did achieve.
In September 2010, Super Jigga TC completed his touring obligations at carnivals across the Caribbean and the U.S. He returned to Trinidad with a track produced in the U.S by GodBless Productions. Alongside his Synergy cohort and fellow entertainer, Shal Marshal- he unleashed his contribution on the Flagship medley- a track he called “Speakerbox.”
Since hitting the airwaves in late September 2010, the song has penetrated every frequency and remains a part of regular rotation daily, across T&T.
Beyond charting his course for Carnival 2011, the artiste/television host will again delve further into the on-screen action. A morning show aptly titled, “ Good morning Synergy” is in the pipeline for production. Alongside Miss T&T universe 2010 representative, LaToya Woods, Super Jigga TC plans on capturing audiences yet again, with his style, swag and that natural vibe that makes him one of the most appreciated personalities in the Caribbean.
Before that though, the arduous labour of a carnival season that lies ahead, takes immediate precedence. With another soca track called “ Confidence” alongside the young Hip Hop duo of Nebula 868 already following suit to his first release, Super Jigga TC has no plans of slowing down. The video release to “Speakerbox” on November 9th, amassed some 35,000 views on its first published day on YouTube. Now, with his name already at the top of every promoter’s list, the King of Swag believes that this year, more than any other before- possibility is ripe and ready to be picked!
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TONY PRESCOTT
A longstanding musical entertainer within the Caribbean community, Tony Prescott hails from the island of Trinidad and Tobago. Specifically renowned for his rhythmic vocal executions within the soca and calypso genre, Tony has been labeled, one of the island’s most ubiquitous artistes of this era.
With roots embedded on sister isle Tobago, Prescott’s heritage and personal character has allowed for a versatile aura that offers reassurance to his avid fan base. An 18 year tenure in the music business has seen Tony produce masterful tracks like All Aboard, Surrender, Follow Me, Together As One, Genie, Wukin Up and Hey- tracks that have allowed him the opportunity to work alongside some of the Caribbean’s most prominent producers. From Leston Paul, to Barbados’ Nicholas Brancar, Kenny Phillip, and Pelham Goddard. Working with these pioneers of production, Prescott has maintained a high standard of recorded quality, all as a result of great ties within the industry.
Tony’s big break as a soca artiste came in 1993. He’ d been a part of the band Sunberg for 3 years and when the opportunity was presented he hopped at the chance, aligning himself with Atlantic, one of the region’s most highly acclaimed soca bands.
As frontline singer, Tony P would undoubtedly earn a name for himself, being branded as a mainstay to carnival. In 1999, after six years of great performances, Caribbean tours and the like, he moved over to Surface, a band that he is now part owner of. Tony’s tenure as Surface’s frontline singer spans nine years and continues to blossom. The band has received rave reviews, being dubbed the best playing band on the road from season to season.
Tony Prescott has proven himself a diverse entity as in 2000 he placed first in the Young Kings Competition. He has also collaborated on a number of tracks, which include Sugar Bum Bum, a song remixed alongside the late, great Lord Kitchener and Natalie Burke. Tony has also sung a number of pan compositions in the past, with his most recent, Ten Commandments of Pan, being called the best pan tune for 2008, by some highly revered arrangers in the industry.
Prescott has participated in Carnivals around the region, from Jamaica to Barbados, Grenada and even the Bahamas, being accepted and loved for the charisma that he exudes as one of the industry’s more humble entertainers. His musical themes have always seemed to become Caribbean anthems, exuding energy, the spirit of togetherness and a general sense of positive action. In 1999, Together As One, brought the islands of the Caribbean together in full force, as they represented for the West Indies Cricket team, chanting the lyrics in unison and emitting unified strength.
In 2009, Trinidad and Tobago played host to the Fifth Summit of the Americas. At this opportune time, Prescott was hand picked as part of the local cultural contingent. At the opening ceremony, he showcased his talent in lyric and melody, outdoing many with a performance that left nothing more to be desired. He’d shone amid hundreds of media practitioners from across the world, and not to mention heads of state from the US, to Suriname, Venezuela to Guyana.
Never one to stop, Prescott kept the momentum high, running into the end of 2009 with a bang. A track, symbolically titled, “ Sailing,” hit the airwaves strong. Going into carnival 2010, the masses embraced the track, which would become a boat ride anthem much like, his chart topper, “ All Aboard.”
In November, Tony Prescott was again selected to be among a small faction of cultural performers to represent T&T. This time he was heading to India on behalf of Trinidad and Tobago’s High Commission, which celebrated its 40th year in that country. “Sailing,” was definitely crossing the high seas and everyone, from 3 Canal and the rest of the 16-member delegation were “All Aboard,” for the ride.
In 2011 Tony Prescott will not be performing alongside his long-time band, Surface however, he maintains his stride as the frontline man with masquerade band, MarcFarlane. Together with his friends in music, Roy Cape, Blaxx and the rest of the gang, Tony P will heat up the streets for the eager masqueraders who know and love him dearly.
Extremely significant to the future of the soca industry, Tony Prescott is certainly expected to proceed with little obstruction. Hard working, grounded and appreciative of the people that have made him who he is today, the world can certainly look forward to bigger, greater revelations from this artiste in the years to come.
