Q&A: Sizwe C fighting wars as a military man and a soca artiste!

As a writer, one of my biggest pet peeves is reading the same old info about the usual suspects over and over. What's worse is having to write a feature article that some other writer has already written. In the soca world, and artist has a big hit or wins a title, and all eyes are on them. That's all fine and good, but don't you want to know about more than just where they got the idea for the song, and how it feels to be this year's whatchamacallit?

Yeah, I thought so! That's why Nurse Karen Etc will be taking the time to compile YOUR unique questions, and shoot them out to artists...and find out what they're really dealing with. The idea is to get opinions and open dialog between the artistes and their fans. So stay tuned every week as other featured artists chime in to answer the general questions of the month, plus a couple that are just for them!

With Miami Carnival around the corner as the next big who's who event of the socaverse, I thought it would be a great idea to start with an artiste who lives and works there. Allyuh, say hello to Sizwe C!

Wine on You - Sizwe C

Sizwe C is a US-based artist who grew up with music and carnival all around him. He's son of a DJ who says that he decided to be a singer when he was just six, after seeing Machel Montano perform "Too Young To Soca". Years later, his career would be begin as a solo artist, then as a member of a reggae band called Crucial. Now with roughly 8 years under his belt in the music business, Sizwe C main focus is soca, which he starting pushing in 2007. Fans in Miami also know him as the co-host of Soca Bashment on Blaze 107.1 FM, Saturday from 1 to 3 pm with Dr. Esan.

Now, let's do this already...


NK. Soca music can be very thankless, what keeps you motivated to keep doing what you do?

Sizwe C

THE "SOCA" ITSELF... SOCA FOR ME IS MORE THAN JUSS MUSIC, IT'S MY CULTURE, IT'S MY WAY OF LIFE ! IT IS MY LIFE!

NK. Tell us one thing your fans don’t know about you, but probably should.

Sizwe C

THAT I AM ACTUALLY BORN IN MONTREAL, CANADA!

NK. What is the greatest moment of your career so far?

Sizwe C

I HAVE TWO: PERFORMING IN TORONTO AT "SOCAVIVOR" IN FRONT OF 5,000 PEOPLE LAST YEAR, AND ALSO BEING NOMINATED IN THE INTERNATIONAL SOCA AWARDS!

NK. Of all the songs you’ve worked on, which is your favourite and why?

Sizwe C

"FIYAH" IS MY FAVORITE. I JUSS ENJOY SINGING IT. IT SEEMS SO POWERFUL LOL! AND WE DID ALL THE MAJOR CITY REMIXES TO IT, SO WHEN WE GO TO THOSE CITIES AND SING THE REMIX THE PEOPLE JUSS GET MAD!

NK. Who would you say are your mentors in this business?

Sizwe C

WOW THERE ARE A FEW... THE LATE MIGHTY DUKE, LEON COLDERO OF CODE 868, PROBLEM CHILD, KAMAU, BARRIE HYPE

NK. Name an emerging artist you rate, and why?

Sizwe C

I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU TWO: OMARI FERRARI AND KAMAU. OMARI'S STYLE IS JUSS SO FRESH AND NEW. HE HAS A HIPHOP AND R&B BACKGROUND THAT COMES OUT IN HIS MUSIC. KAMAU BECAUSE HE DOES IT ALL! ENGINEER, PRODUCE AND WRITE.

NK. When you were small, what did you want to do with your life?

Sizwe C

I WANTED TO SING SOCA! I WANTED TO BE THE NEXT SUPER BLUE... LOL

8.

NK. What is one goal you have for yourself that you have not achieved as yet?

Sizwe C

TO PERFORM IN THE SOCA MONARCH

NK. Apart from Trinidad, what other Caribbean heritage is in your background?

Sizwe C

MY MOTHER IS HAITIAN. SO SAK' PASSE TO ALL MY ZOES

NK. Tell us a quotation or word of advice that helps you through the rough times.

Sizwe C

TOGETHER WE ASPIRE TOGETHER WE ACHIEVE; LET'S GET IT; NO SLEEPIN NO STICKIN

NK. Do you listen to soca from various islands? If so, which ones, and what do you enjoy about it?

Sizwe C

I LOVE ALL SOCA FROM ALL THE ISLANDS, HOWEVER I REALY LIKE BAJAN GROOVY SOCA. IT'S JUSS FULL OF FLOWING MELODIES!

The next few questions are just for Sizwe C!
NK. As a member of the US Military, how does that experience affect your creativity?

Sizwe C

WELL I'VE BEEN ALL OVER THE WORLD AND EXPERIENCE A LOT OF GOOD AND BAD TIMES. SO I THINK IT ALLOWS ME TO BE MORE OPEN AND WILLING TO FLIRT WITH DIFFERENT FORMS OF MUSIC AND MERGING THEM TOGETHER TO MAKE ONE AMAIZING RECORD!

NK. How does being based in the United States affect the success of your music?

Sizwe C

I DONT THINK WHERE YOU ARE BASED IS AS IMPACTFUL AS WHAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO YOU, AS WELL AS HOW HARD YOU ARE WORKING TO PROMOTE YOURSELF. YOU HAVE TO BE DRIVEN AND SELF MOTIVATED AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE INTERNET!!! LOL

Thanks Sizwe for letting us know more about your battle to achieve in the soca game. He lets me know that he's gonna be up in everything for the 2K10 season, so consider yourself warned!

Love and Soca,

Nurse Karen

P.S. Here's Sizwe C's favourite song...Enjoy!

Fiyah (WISC Road Mix)(2009) - Sizwe C