The effects of the pandemic on the Carnival industry saw many soca artistes who rely on their annual Carnival income to fly out to make a living in countries with more relaxed covid19 protocols.
The Vibes with Voicey Concert Tour piggybacked on the success of soca artiste Aaron “Voice” St Louis’s Instagram live stream of the same name, collaborating with DJ and producer Travis World and secondary school friend Jared Penny.
[caption id="attachment_941690" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Concertgoers enjoy themselves at Vibes with Voicey The Concert The Mecca at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain on Thursday. - Jeff Mayers[/caption]
The live stream featured appearances by local celebrities including Lyrikal, Nadia Batson, and Kes.
The tour, which began in August of last year, made stops in Atlanta, Washington DC, Houston, Boston, Miami, and New York City.
After a two-year Carnival hiatus, Voice returned to the TT stage on Thursday in the Queen’s Park Savannah during the government’s Taste of Carnival line up of events. The sold-out event also marked the first major solo event of the three-time international soca monarch’s career.
Not even the threat of heavy showers could deter the eager crowd who made sure to walk with umbrellas after people on social media warned concert goers of the potential downpour that evening.
[caption id="attachment_941684" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A fan takes in the vibes from a unique position at Vibes with Voicey The Concert The Mecca at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain, on Thursday. - Jeff Mayers[/caption]
The show got off to a late start but that only served to amp up the already excited crowd who all did not seem to mind the extra party time.
Voice was driven onto the stage in a vintage car flanked by his backup dancers and moved the restless crowd to his latest high-energy hit Out and Bad, a sample of the Lord Kitchener’s Brooklyn Woman.
The concert featured a long list of well-known and emerging soca artistes including Nadia Batson, Nailah Blackman, Mical Teja, Lyrikal, Farmer Nappy, GBMNutron, KI, and Jamaican dancehall artiste Kranium.
Voice also invited soca veteran Dexter “Blaxx” Stewart onto the stage. Blaxx has been recovering from lung and kidney-related health issues. In 2020, he had surgery for an undisclosed illness and fundraisers were organised by his fans and fellow artistes to assist with medical expenses.
[caption id="attachment_941686" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A concertgoer enjoys herself at Vibes with Voicey The Concert The Mecca at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain on Thursday. - Jeff Mayers[/caption]
Although he needed some assistance off the stage, he was still able to perform a few lines of his 2022 hit Mash Up for which the crowd, happy to see him on stage, showed their appreciation.
“You are the reason for this concert. You are the reason for its success,” Voice told the crowd.
Intermittent showers only affected patrons on the north side of the stage who were in the pods implemented by the NCC t
