In the verses of "Soca Train", Maximus chronicles his career and the careers of many other Soca Artists (i.e. any artist who is NOT Winer Boy). Unravelling the veracity of these verses will further support my claim that Maximus’s music is not only entertaining but is mind invoking, has longevity and prophetic in the same way that Bob Marley’s music is. This artist reveals a fundamental reality that we the mindless ghouls, goblins and “jumbies” fail to see. The reality is, no one loves ANYONE in Soca. The Soca industry is a reflection of the old Colonial mentality, where the echelons of the society enjoy prime rewards and the lower levels of the society fight like crabs in a barrel for the mere crumbs that the upper crust say it is okay for them to have.
Here’s a few quick examples of “no more lovin’ up on the Soca Train...”
Did you know that in the year preceding what turned out to be Destra’s mega-hit “Bonnie and Clyde”, Kernal Roberts initially wrote that song for Candy Hoyte (remember her from Traffik?) but Destra Garcia, on hearing this mega hit, said that she HAD to have it and that the beautiful Ms. Hoyte was not worthy of having a “big” song like that.
Did you know that Iwer George, the self proclaimed, “Big Man in the Business” (should be “Big MOUTH Man in the Business”) owns a radio station that he claims defends Trinidad and Tobago’s culture in general and soca and calypso in particular but blatantly REFUSES to pay his COTT dues so that artists can receive royalty payments once their song is played on his station. You see, whether Iwer George pays COTT dues or not does not affect the cheques that HE receives because his music plays on other radio stations (other than 96.1 who banned Iwer’s music altogether…big up Tony “Chinese Laundry” Chow Lin On - somebody say Soca Mafia at war!). Bottom line, once your song is played on 91.9, you have to be thankful that it gets played but do not expect any royalty from this station if Iwer has anything to say about it.
Can anyone remember the year that the Bajan soca fraternity stood in solidarity over a number of grievances during the crop over season of 2006? Do you think soca artist in Trinidad can “Get Together” and boycott radio stations like 91.9 to force Iwer to pay COTT fees? According to you Iwer George, “…you gotta pay your dues” in order to be a “big artist”. Iwer boy - while I think I might understand what you may be alluding to in your statement, why add to the burden by not paying what is due to your fellow artists/wirters especially since you yourself had to struggle to be where you are today. Yet, here you come to every fete with your sons who have no dues to pay because you are letting them ride on your boldfaced, “Big (Mouth) Man in the Business” mentality by shoving them down the audiences throats… Lord help us all, the Iwer legacy continues…steups! Does anyone know how many friggin’ sons Iwer has that we have to put up with?
But anyway, getting back to the point…
Then there is what I like to call “the back stage saga” - i.e. an artist has to pray that they actually get to perform once they are scheduled to perform on the same show as Machel Montano. If an artist is on stage and Machel decides that he is ready to go on, “Lady” (his Mom/manager) or the ominous (looking and named) “Soul” (can ANYONE tell me what his actual job description is cause noone seems to know…. Black Magic Technician for HD maybe?) will traipse over to the stage manager and make it understood that Machel wants to go on stage NOW!!!
Next thing you know, the artist on stage gets a “wind up” or “time running out” signal in the middle of their performance so that the stage can be ready for the master Jumbie and his “jumbettes”.
If, on the other hand, you are scheduled to perform after Machel, well the scenario is reversed. If this artist is scheduled to appear on stage at 12pm and finish his set by 2am it gives the following artist or band enough time to do their set. So, what does the spoil child of Soca do? Machel saunters on stage at (or more frequently AFTER) 1 am (with no apology) and performs for over two hours, sometimes leaving the following act with less then half an hour (if any time at all) to perform. Imagine artists such as Bunji & Asylum, Shurwayne Winchester & Traffik, Destra & Atlantik, Kes The Band (and - since Machel and KMC fall out for the past two seasons – the most frequent sufferer of this fate for 2008) KMC & Red White And Black.
It is for this reason that I was particularly impressed with the Gladiator when he stole the show from his fellow entertainer for that performance after Machel in England. First or last, in front of Machel or behind the WinerBoy ( or anyone else), it doesn’t matter to Max. Maximus Dan lets the music of his blessed and generous heart speak for itself, UNLIKE Machel, who has to resort to conniving arrangements with promoters like Roy Maharaj that Maximus must not appear on any with him (Oh, you never realized that? Hmmm…. I wonder when Trinidadian audiences will wake up and smell the sugar cane. Yes, the writer of the Soca Warrior anthem is feared and “banned” by Machel Montano).
And let’s not even talk about Iwer… I swear if I see the “Big Man/Mouth” try to sneak (how your TALL ass could SNEAK anywhere Iwer?) onstage so he can sing before Maximus (even though the stage manager already rightly scheduled Max first) one more time I will just die of frustration…
When Maximus Dan sang about Trinidad and Tobago’s soca fraternity in “Soca Train”, these are the instances that he was referring to. The words expressed by this artist are the universal anthem among the Soca Fraternity as he outlined the plight and the frustrations of your favourite artists (other than Machel Montano who questions why certain acts are on the same show that he is on).
No one is saying that artists are all expected to be best of friends with each other, but if you are warring, do it in a manner where it does not take bread and butter out of a fellow soldier’s mouth. Each of you have made the choice to contribute to the building of Trinidad and Tobago’s culture which makes you all soldiers of the same battalion Consequently, this means that there must be unity for the same cause. I do expect that each artist be a friend to each other but I do expect that they must befriend each other for the sake of music, culture and the art form.
Many people have questioned the state of Maximus Dan’s career as if to suggest that there is a problem with it. I would like to go on record and state that everything is right with this man’s career – possibility more right now than ever. The problem with this artist in particular is that the music industry is fighting to place him in a mold, which is too small for him.
It is beyond me that no one has ever thought of having an “out of the Carnival season” concert with this artist as the featured artist (or even one IN the season for that matter). Look at the way the 3 Canal show has cleverly kept this group in the entertainment mix despite almost nonexistent airplay for years.
If you do not want to pay Maximus Dan to perform in your Carnival fete, then cool, but this artist has the repertoire the charisma and the money magnet pull to attract a diversity of people from any section of society because his message is universal.
Promoters, you are sitting (almost literally) on a gold mine. Just give Maximus acoustic accompaniment (the “Unplugged Live” version of “Moving On” is one of my and I’m sure YOUR favourite Maximus recordings ever) and watch this man bring Soca music back to the people as a whole, instead of the jump and wave fans only. Let us see Maximus Dan bring the old people back to Soca instead of alienating them. Let us see Maximus Dan unify Soca Music and Music lovers in general without any barriers as the true Bob Marley of International Soca. For this long overdue revelation, the Carnival Corbeaux cannot wait.
- Carnival Corbeaux Squawks.
