College Boy Jesse
2020 Intl. Groovy Soca Monarch
FL: Calypso Competitions, National Athlete song writer and now Groovy International Soca Monarch, tell us how the journey began?
CBJ: The journey began at primary school where I was introduced to Calypso by my first year teacher, Mrs. Thomas. I also came from a background in sports where my father represented the country at the 1972 Olympics so being involved in sports was natural for my siblings and I. However, I was introduced to songwriting by Sheldon Mendoza as I was required to write my own song to a riddim presented to me. Writing for others started for me when Leonardo Worrell provided the opportunity for me to write the song “Freedom” for Lyrikal.
FL: What’s the story behind your name College Boy Jesse?
CBJ: The name was given to me as a nickname when I represented my country on the national senior football team. At that time I was the only university student on the team while my other team mates were all professionals at international club teams. During this time, I was also releasing soca tracks so I decided to also use the name for my music.
FL: Being a songwriter & artist how do determine which song best fit you and which songs best for the people you are writing for?
CBJ: I usually write for Artiste/s when called upon. However “Go Hard” which was performed by Machel Montano & Skinny Fabulous is an exception as this song was initially written as collaboration for Lyrikal and me. Otherwise, I customize songs to fit the artiste/s based on their style, tone or key. After this customization, it’s hard to see these songs as a fit for me.
FL: CBJ Trends, tell us about the brand and how it came about?
CBJ: CBJ Trends is the brand that represents my merchandise and style. I’ve always been able to express myself through fashion and this brand now allows me share that side of me to the world.
FL: Let’s talk soca monarch, first time entering the competition and walking away with the groovy title. Tell us the impact and feelings this has had on you so far and what are some of the behind the scenes obstacles we don’t see that you have to over come?
CBJ: Being in the soca monarch has been a blessing as I’ve been longing for the opportunity to be recognized not just by the world of soca but by the public of Trinidad and Tobago. Throughout the years, my team and I have attempted other routes to achieve this but have identified that this stage would’ve been the best opportunity to do so. I feel proud that we were able to execute an amazing performance and I feel relieved that the persons who supported and who believed in me can be proud of what we achieved. I am happy that young artiste are now inspired to not give up on their dreams and that this win can make them believe that their hard work isn’t done in vain. Winning the title has definitely been the icing on the cake. Some of the behind the scenes obstacles that I had to overcome were vocal challenges as I had no voice coming into the venue on the night. I had a very busy season where I’ve had to perform at sometimes 5 events per day. My voice was overworked and I was under strict orders to not speak for almost an entire day so I could recover for the finals. Within the final 20 minutes before stage time, I had some honey and garlic which helped my voice to about 70%. Another behind the scenes challenge was finances, as being a young artiste it is a challenge to afford grand performances. Through this, I cleared all banking accounts and seek support from family/friends and corporate companies to assist with financing a performance that will best represent my efforts as an artiste. I have a strong belief in the phrase “Go Hard or Go Home” so I went all in and bet on my life on that night.
FL: There are some people who honestly didn’t know of you until the competition, however you have been singing soca since Form Five, as the raining Groovy International Soca Monarch what would you like to say to the people that just discovered you?
CBJ: To the people who have just discovered me, I’d like to welcome you to my world and to encourage you to stay tune as I strive to keep you entertained with the happiest music in the world. I will make you proud as I represent the music that you love.
FL: Can you touch on the documentary that you are shooting about your happiest year in soca?
CBJ: My documentary isn’t only about my happiest year in soca but is about my entire journey to this happy year. It involves visual clips of me performing at the age 8 until present. My travels throughout the world as a soca ambassador and it also involve the story behind the people who contributed to my journey to this point. I am very excited to share with the world about my unique route to this point and through this my success can be better understood.
FL: What your Carnival influence, how do you plan to push the culture forward?
CBJ: I plan to continue to create innovative ways of entertaining people with soca. I always strive on introducing our culture to new audiences through travels to non-west Indian boundaries.
FL: Now that Trinidad Carnival season is over, what’s coming up next for you?
CBJ: Now that Trinidad Carnival is over, the objective is to finalize my documentary while I work on new music and travel the world to continue the mission of sharing happiness.