How is it working with Blood? He has been
in the entertainment industry for a very
long time.
It
has
been
very
education-
al. I am learning a lot, especially
within live performance settings. I look
to him to see the things I should do
as well as the things I shouldn’t. The
whole group, “The Red Head Crew”
coming out of the Red Head Studios, the
entire group is amazing. We have a lot
of different people in the group and
they all have their own different styles
and I love it. That is why I decided to
do it again this year, because last year
was excellent.
As a female in the soca industry, do you
find yourself being objectified in your work?
Wuh Gine On?! Empress Zingha here!
Last Heroes Day I had the pleasure of
sitting down in Queen’s Park with Sade.
She is an upcoming soca artist and is
currently on Blood’s new Crop Over
album entitled “In Alphabetical Order”.
In this interview, she talks about her
experiences so far as an upcoming
entertainer and her vision for Crop Over
2017 and beyond! Happy reading...
Hey Sade, thanks for coming on as the
feature this month. Are you are a new soca
artist?
I am! Actually, I had a song last year
called “Party Start”. It was written by
Andy “Blood” Armstrong and Jimmy
Dan and also produced by Blood. That
did well, and I enjoyed performing.
That is why I decided to come back
again this year for a second time.
Have you always been a singer Sade?
Well, like most people who start singing,
they grow up in the church and I did
also, singing gospel. I then came off of
that a little bit. Only recently, because
of soca, I picked back up singing.
In terms of how society is when one stops
singing gospel to sing soca, was that
transition challenging for you?
Well for me, I love music. I don’t only like
gospel, I don’t only like soca, I also like
reggae, rap, all different types of music.
Once the beat, the vibe is there,
you got me.
Would you tell us more about the vibe
last year?
Well, I was new to it, so I was a
little skeptical – meaning that you
know… this is something that you
want to do, but you don’t really
know how it all works. So after, we
went to the different shop limes to
perform and you see how people
know your songs - and even those
who don’t know the songs, how
they are moving and grooving
with the music it is a feeling like no
other.
What are your objectives for Crop
Over 2017? What do you have in
store for us?
I just want to enjoy myself and I
want everyone else to enjoy them-
selves! Crop Over is our festival,
and it is so wonderful to see people
partying and dancing. There is no
animosity with anybody. I just want
to enjoy the season.
This year,
the sound and the song, “Crop
Over To De World” is a little more
in the sweet soca vibe. It was also
produced by Blood and also
co-written by him and myself. I
love it and I hope that the rest of
Barbados will love it as well.
Within my experience so far, I have
not been objectified. However, when I
really decided that I wanted to
actually push to be a soca artist, that
was in 2015; I was at Soca Royale and
I was looking on at all these performers
but they were mostly male. That was
when I decided, “yea, I wanna be up
there next year” – it didn’t happen, but
that was the objective. Then I realized,
you know what Sade, there aren’t a
lot of females doing this and I want-
ed to make a contribution. I wanted
to say “this is my contribution to Crop
Over” you know? That is whatprompt-
ed me, because the females were not
represented to me. Of course, there
are the big names like, Alison, Nikita as
well as Shanta Prince – but I wanted to
be involved also. I have not received
any negativities - I know that there will
always be that element out there but
in my mind right now, I am thinking that
for every negative person that might
approach me, there are also five more
positive people. So that is what I am
working with and I am just working with
the vibe.
Crop Over is this festive time. How does
your family feel about you being away
from home?
Well my daughter, she is totally
excited because she gets to go to
school and say, “My mummy got a
song!” so that is great for her. My son
on the other hand, is only four. He
understands what is going on, but he is