Sweet Soca at Sugarland

An emotional Hypasounds hit the stage at Sugarland Gardens, St Peter, just after midnight Saturday for his first-ever concert Soca For Her. Just as his name was called, and he was about to go on stage, it was evident that Hypasounds could not contain himself as he was driven to tears. Dressed in an all-white suit and using a white washcloth to wipe his tears, the man of the hour paused and then took to the stage.

“It was the first time I ever got nervous [while performing]. When my name was called, it started to hit me – this is not a gig I am performing at, it is actually my concert. That feeling was a bit overwhelming. Then my sister popped up backstage and that was the end of it, that is when the tears started to come,” Hypasounds told Bajan Vibes.

He continued: “When I actually came on stage it was so emotional to see… A lot of things were flashing through my head, like the journey and pulling the show together and the challenges I had. My biggest thing was being able to deliver since I was sick during the week. Then, on stage, I realised they came to see me, they came for me. So regardless of if I was sitting down and singing or standing up, the fans were there for me so that opened me up a bit more …”

When he finally came on stage, screaming female fans flocked to the front of the stage to get a close-up view of their favourite artiste. Cell phones came out as they made sure to capture moments of the epic show either via pictures or video. The men too joined in the fun and partied the night away; some accompanied women while others were in groups soaking up the entertainment.

All eyes were on Hypasounds as the enticing spectacle unfolded. He changed outfits on five different occasions and was accompanied by members of the Dance Machine as he sang the first note of his first song of the night Fair Sa. The DJ-turned-entertainer took patrons on a musical journey from his first soca release in 2006 Sunshine Girl to 2019 with his mega hit song Fair Sa. It was a set in which he sang 20 of his 24 songs including Brace, Dutti, So Good, Roll It, Sweat, Sunrise, Doh Stand Up Deh, Bam Bam Back, Get Up and Move, Sugarland, Wuk It Up Bad, Wine After Wine, Squat, No Respect, Dip and Tight Situation.

The crowd was treated to two nostalgic moments as well when he sang Sugar Rush and How She Like It. Dancers were dressed in the exact outfits they wore and did the same routine they did back in 2015 at Soca Royale. That year was a turning point for Hypasounds as he had finally made it to the competition and ended up in both Sweet Soca and Party Monarch. How She Like It also took him to the finals of the 2016 International Soca Monarch in Trinidad.

It was an amazing night that fittingly chronologized the journey of the man who had become known as Mr Consistent after years of continually producing hit songs people loved but, by judging standards, were deemed not good enough. But none of that mattered much as the night was all about his fans. So much so that when he was not on stage, he was spotted greeting, hugging and taking pictures with them.

Hypasounds also used his stage to speak to his fan base. Overcome by emotion yet again, he spoke of hard knocks and the trials and tribulations over the years that brought him to this point. But he wasn’t bitter in any way as he continually thanked loyal fans for embracing him through the years and supporting his inaugural event.

The décor, the sound system, the band, the production and the service were ‘A’ class; it all added to the festive mood and created a lovely ambience on the night. And, for a first, all the major things that make a show top-notch were perfectly in place. The only two differences that would separate the standard and level of the show at the Soca For Her concert and that of an Ultra-Premium All-Inclusive event were the cheap price of the ticket and the fact that food was served freely.

Some of the creme de la creme of Crop Over performed at the six hour-long event as well. Edwin, Lil Rick, Peter Ram, Marzville, Mikey, Fadda Fox, Scrilla, King Bubba and Jus D shared the stage with Hypasounds as they all paid tribute and showed respect to him during their respective sets.

If you feel as though you missed a great show, you certainly did. But according to Hypasounds, there is always next year as he intends to make the concert an annual event. He thanked his family, fans, sponsors, fellow artistes, and all who supported him in making his dream concert come true. (IMC)