Machel Montano and Skinny Fabulous are today smiling from ear to ear no doubt, having recently sealed a deal with ESPN’s publishing rep, PILOT for the use of their collaborative 2016 soca track, “Go Hard’. EBUZZTT spoke with the local rep for DirectionTT- the company who initiated the ‘Go Hard’ collab in the Caribbean and according to the rep, the deal struck is a financially ‘sound’ one, that’ll hear the track played across ESPN channels worldwide for four months.
St. Vincent’s Skinny Fabulous, Trinidad and Tobago artistes Machel Montano and College Boy Jesse along with producer, Mr. Spine, penned the track. Barbados’ De Red Boys produced the single and now, they’re all said to be benefiting in some way from the deal.
According to DirectionTT, PILOT, acting on behalf of the sport network, ESPN, has been seeking out new music for a new campaign they’ve been working on. “We’ve received reports that it’s already been heard on ESPN Alaska and it’s expected to be played on all ESPN channels around the world,” said the rep. In a chat with Skinny Fabulous today, EBUZZTT learnt that the initial contact was made with Machel’s team. “As an artiste these are the things that we count as rewards for what we do. When we go on stage and we see people react positively to our music- when they jump and wave and dance, this is the reward we get. It’s not always about the financial gain. When these things happen, it means that somebody, somewhere in the world, other than the Caribbean region, recognises that there are songs and talent that’s worthy of that level of programming,” said Skinny- real name, Gamal Doyle.
When we caught up with Skinny earlier, he’d been in studio, preparing to lay down some new music. He’s in preparation mode for St. Vincent’s Carnival, which culminates during the first weekend in July. “I’m working on new music for carnival 2016- my carnival!,” he said excitedly, adding that he’s also putting things in place for the production of his concert, ‘Black Rave’, which is in its fifth year. “I also have a signature event called, “Uncle Skinny’s Kids World’ which attracts over 12,000 people annually. That’s been six years running,” said the entertainer. On the vibe experienced at St. Vincent’s carnival, Skinny who’s well loved across the Caribbean, said St. Vincent’s carnival is not commercialised at all. “St. Vincent’s carnival is raw. The events aren’t runway shows. They’re not fashion displays. People take the time to escape whatever realities they face. It’s a time for them to be free and not worry about anything- not even the implications of social media,” he said. “We still feel good to fete in sneakers and shorts. We believe you can’t wear heels to fete. We party aggressively and it may look like a riot at times but it’s actually clean, unified fun and nobody ever feels scared. It’s just a movement people need to experience,” said the artiste.
EBUZZTT congratulates the entire team on this accomplishment. Soca music is certainly making strides to the mainstream media circuit and that’s something the Caribbean’s got to celebrate!
source:ebuzztt.com
