Ken Marlon Charles has endured a tempestuous relationship with the soca fraternity.
KMC, a sobriquet derived from his initials, defined an era of “bashment soca” in the late 90s into the early 00s with his innovative ragga soca style and inspired several contemporary acts including Bunji Garlin, Benjai, 3Suns and Maga Dan cum Maximus Dan cum MX Prime.
The gifted Rio Claro-born singer/songwriter penned the soca classics “Soca Bashment”, “Bashment to Carnival”, “3 Miles”, “First Experience”, “Soul on Fire” and the list goes on and on. The unforgettable “3 Miles” chant of: “We coming from Oxford Street, chip, chip, chip” and the-you-can’t-help-but-sing-along hook of “First Experience”: “Last year for Carnival first time I play mas,” will undoubtedly be heard every February for decades to come.
Still, despite his indelible contributions KMC remains a polarising figure among both performers and fans of the genre. Enigmatic and at times aloof KMC has been very vocal in his scathing criticism of the state of the local music industry.
Finding new focus
But, as far as KMC is concerned, that’s all in the past. The performer told the Sunday Mix he refuses to dwell on previous successes and grouses alike. Instead he is focused on sharing the music within himself with the world.
Source: Michael Mondezie trinidadexpress.com
