Patrice Roberts treats patrons to stellar show

When Patrice Roberts’ I AM WOMAN — Reflections Tours continued in Barbados on Sunday night, many of the thousands who attended the show described it as one of the best the island has seen for the year.

Patrons at the I AM WOMAN, headlined by soca artiste Roberts, were treated to three non-stop hours of electrifying performances by regional artistes, at Kensington Oval on Mother’s Day.

When Roberts strode confidently onto the stage just after 8:30 p.m. in a lacy neon green bodysuit, full floor-length jacket, and matching cap, she made a commanding entrance. It was the first of a series of eye-catching outfits worn by ‘Patsy’ throughout the night.

Starting the show on a high, all who followed were forced to meet the high bar which she set. The veteran artiste delivered hit after hit. Just when it seemed her catalogue had been exhausted, she launched into yet another round of fan favourites. Opening with Anxiety, she ran the full gamut of her extensive repertoire from early hits like Wukking Up to more recent anthems such as Cyah Hear.

With her own hits fuelling the soca fire, she ignited the audience with other popular songs including Teddyson John’s Vent and Lyrikal’s Happy Place. She skillfully crossed genres, delivering a sultry rendition of Queen of the Pack by dancehall artiste Patra, and performed a polished version of Shake It to the Max—complete with lithe dancers, mastering the track as if it were her own.

Though Barbadian soca queen Alison Hinds, one of Patrice’s biggest inspirations, was unable to attend, she was honoured through energetic renditions of Roll It and Bazodee, much to the delight of the audience.

Soca diva Roberts brought both energy and sensuality to the stage. In one unforgettable moment, a dancer slid expertly up and down a pole, demanding the crowd’s full attention. She left everything on the stage, delivering a mind-blowing performance that left the large crowd satiated at the close.

Though Roberts has long held a special place in the hearts of Barbadian fans, with last night’s spectacular production, she firmly cemented her status as an icon.

She also shared the stage with various regional artistes, captivating the thousands of party enthusiasts gathered at the venue.

Among them was Farmer Nappy, who boasts a strong following in Barbados. Also in the star-studded cast were Lady Lava, who dominated with her top tracks Ring Finger and Bob the Builder. Yung Bredda entertained with The Greatest Bend Over, Ambiance, Feel It, and the Mighty Gabby’s Dr Cassandra-inspired Wine and Push Back.

The high energy continued with performances from Full Blown of Good Spirits fame and Trilla G with Someone Else in their debut performances on the island. Natty and Thunder brought their trademark pace with tracks like Get in Your Section, Top Striker, and Stagga Dance.

Local talent was also well represented, with powerhouse performances from King Bubba, Leadpipe and Saddis, Faith Callender, Tionne Hernandez, and Nikita. Even saxophonist Romaro Greaves got some time centre stage with a superb performance of Tevin Campbell’s Can We Talk. The General, Edwin Yearwood, deserves a special salute as he corralled patrons in unified movement during Sak Passe.

Concertgoer Lisa Coppin praised the night’s execution. “The show was excellent. The sound system, dancers, performances—everything was extraordinary. Not a hiccup in sight. Smooth transitions in and out. I hope local promoters were present and able to take notes. I will definitely be back next year!”

Roberts, the star of the night, told Barbados TODAY, “I am forever grateful and appreciative of the love I continue to receive from the people of Barbados. I AM WOMAN in Barbados was a brave undertaking, but it was necessary because it was something that I dreamt of doing.”

“I want to take time out to thank Nouvelle Vie and D&A Events Promotions, led by Orlando Newton, De Carla Applewhaite and Andrew Weekes, my team, the A Team Band, dancers, all the guest performers, our sponsors and all those that attended and contributed to making my first I AM WOMAN in Barbados a success. Look out for me on the road with Aura and back in Barbados for Rise,” she added.

Andrew Weekes said, “I am very pleased with the turnout and the positive response from the Barbados public. We are very happy that everyone enjoyed the production, and the show went off seamlessly; much credit to Patrice Roberts and her team for being professionals. We learned a lot from them through this experience as well, so we are just happy and grateful to have been a part of this historic presentation of soca music”.

Newton said the I AM WOMAN experience has launched the countdown to Crop Over “and has definitely set the bar for what is still to come”.

(STT)