Castries, Saint Lucia: Deputy Prime Minister and the Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information Minister of Saint Lucia, Ernest Hilaire, praised Saint Lucian brand ambassador, songwriter, singer, and percussionist Teddyson John for an acoustic soca experience in the neighbouring Caribbean island country Trinidad on February 8, 2023 (Wednesday).
The show was organised at the National Academy for Performing Arts in the capital city of Trinidad, Port of Spain.
Deputy Prime Minister took social media and stated, “On February 8 2023, Teddyson John headlined, Stripped, an acoustic soca experience in Trinidad. Teddyson is a Saint Lucian brand ambassador, songwriter, singer, and percussionist who has been in the industry for more than a decade.”
Ernest further informed that the artist is also the first Saint Lucian to headline a Soca concert in Trinidad and Tobago.
According to various updates, this event showed the culture and creative industries in the country and the ability of Saint Lucian people to export as well as showcase their talents on a national, regional and international level.
He further asserted, “I encourage all creative to pursue their passion along with turning them into positive economic activities. Congratulations!”
The acoustic show by the artist gathered praise from all over the world. Many of the guest acts at Teddyson’s show admitted that they thought he was crazy for wanting to do an acoustic show in the middle of a carnival. This is a week of many concerts, all of which follow the same format.
Teddyson said he wanted to be different. He stripped down his songs, songs the audience has partied to and gave them a new, jazzy arrangement. The guest acts got a similar treatment to their songs as well.
One of the attendees stated, “We were able to hear them really sing or not, as in the case of Farmer Nappy, lol. Teddyson drew a full crowd in the NAPA auditorium. He proved that taking a risk pays off. There is too much talent and creativity for us not to develop products in a carnival that appeal to different niches. Why are our artists afraid to stretch themselves? I had hoped some of the initiatives during the pandemic would remain like the theatrical productions but, alas, back to the same old hustle. Anyway, kudos to Teddyson. Stripped is a must-attend if you are looking for something different.”
However, another attendee noted, “Teddyson John put on one of the best shows for Carnival in a very long time. Shout out to Abeo Jackson as creative director. Who vex, lorse! The vibe was excellent, and guests, those who showed up, were made to perform “out of the box.” Potential for many local soca stars with catalogues is there. Saint Lucian proves that. A review to come.”