Your Caribbean Girl: One on One with Nadia Batson

Written by Karen L. Richardson

She knows the soca industry inside and out. From the studio to the stage, she’s been there, she’s done that – and she does it all well. For the last 15 years, Trinidad’s music insiders have known a secret the public is only now beginning to discover. A highly sought after background vocalist named Nadia Batson, may soon take centre stage as the nation’s next soca queen.

Her time is now. In 2007, Batson is continuing to make her mark on Trinidad carnival as a performer. February began with an enviable first place finish in the bMobile International Power Soca Monarch Semi-Finals competition for “My Land” featuring Kees Diefenthaller. In the same night she placed second in the Groovy Soca category for her unifying melody “Caribbean Girl.” Nadia first heard the news from a journalist calling for a comment while she was driving home. “Well, let me tell yuh, I coulda run off de road, eh. It was really amazing!” said Batson.

Last season was Batson’s first appearance in the soca monarch finals. Her zouk-infused anthem, “One Island” earned her an impressive fourth place finish. “It was already so chaotic last year with me being in just one category, I can just imagine being in the two! So right now, I’m working my butt off trying to make sure conceptually that we have a really strong show.”

Batson is a dynamic performer in her own right, fusing talent and charisma to command the crowd rather than scandalous clothing and overt sexuality. However, until recently Nadia’s best known contributions to Caribbean music were for work down behind the scenes.

Batson was named “2006 Songwriter of the Year” by the Copyright Organization of Trinidad and Tobago. She has written songs for fellow Trini artists including two-time Jr. Soca Monarch Young Marcel, Rita Jones, Terry Seales, Michelle Sylvester and Trini Jacobs. That’s just where the list begins. Outside of Trinidad, Nadia the songwriter achieved unprecedented success in 2006. Batson’s composition, “Flames” won top honours for Barry Chandler of the band Jabae, clinching both the Party Monarch and Road March titles. “Expose” earned first runner-up for Tizzy of El A Kru in Party Monarch and placed third for Road March in Antigua.

“I’m sort of like in drop jaw mode where the writing is concerned because for me it was a hobby for many years. I really didn’t take my writing seriously. It wasn’t something that I had planned to make a lucrative career out of,” says Batson. “Singing is my first love. It has always been. It will always be first.” Naturally, the artiste is thrilled to be receiving recognition for that now.

In the past, Batson has lent her voice to provide background vocals for artistes such as Machel Montano, KMC and Bunji Garlin. In view of her current level of success it is a wonder she did not assume the limelight sooner.

“I’ve been recording songs. They weren’t getting much airplay. I guess when it’s your time, it’s your time.” said Batson, “I honestly don’t think that either physically or mentally I was really prepared for the spotlight or for such hard work because at that time for me everything just seemed to be really glamorous.”

Much has changed since then. Batson has become her own competition. The female lead singer of Kes the Band and member of the Big Artiste Crew wrote four songs still vying for a soca monarch title. Besides the tunes Nadia will perform at the finals, she also penned “Dutty” for Blaxx and “Flames” for Barry Chandler.

“It’s not so much about the competition, it’s about putting on a fabulous show, trying to wow de people,” said Batson. “I am out to kick ass!”

For more information on Nadia Batson, visit www.myspace.com/nadiabatson

http://www.toronto-lime.com/news/news_2007_nadia_one_on_one.htm