The A Team band turns 10

The A Team band is celebrating its tenth anniversary and has been enjoying great success since it came on the scene.

When entrepreneur Zarin Morean and engineer Brennon “Val Musik” Vergil came together in 2012 to talk about possibly owning and managing a new live band, neither of them could anticipate the many challenges ahead. However, with the support of veteran entertainer Eddie Charles, their collective strengths in music and business, and a thorough understanding of the industry as it exists in the Caribbean region, they felt they could make it work, a media release said.

“Having been in music all my life, I understand what it takes to make a band work and I have the experience and the training to execute this system and also the knowledge and the patience to share and teach it to the younger musicians and artistes who want and are willing to learn, and put these things into practise,” Charles said in the release from Overtime Media.

For Morean, the adage, practice makes perfect, is the perfect goal to aspire towards because it means a constant and consistent effort will be made.

“Perfection is really quite unattainable in this world but striving toward it can have fantastic results because it’s a never-ending journey realistically, and would always keep you on your toes and working toward improving yourself and what you do in tangible ways,” Morean said.

The fact that the band has held together for ten years is no easy feat.

“Maintaining a band for a decade is no small achievement in this industry. Many have folded, disbanded or broken up in much less time and others simply could not sustain themselves due to rising costs and economic conditions in the market. We feel really proud and happy to have made it thus far and this in turn gives us the impetus and encouragement to set new goals and work toward achieving those in the near future also,” Vergil said.

In celebrating its tenth anniversary, the A Team band has developed a list of ten activities, which to be executed over the coming months and which will end in a grand two-day event designed to showcase its skills and versatility with performances alongside various artistes in genres such as reggae, dancehall, soca and chutney.

“We all sat and put our heads and ideas together and came up with a list of things we would like to do together as a team and as a family,” said the band’s administrator and public relations officer, Desiree Sorzano.

“I don’t want to give them all away just yet, but among the list are things that will engage our socially responsible side such as a beach clean up, and then there’s our responsibility to foster the next generation of musicians and talent. So, we want to visit ten schools and provide some mentorship and advice to young persons interested in careers in music. We will also host a nice brunch or dinner for, and with our band members, as well as a games night, a sports and community activity day and even a church service and a day of blessings, as we say, for all our members also.”

Some of the A Team band’s ten-year anniversary celebration plans are still in the works, but in the meantime the band continues to entertain audiences and provide musical accompaniment for several of the top soca stars.

“So far, the Carnival schedule is filling up nicely and we are getting a lot of interest from promoters here and abroad,” Morean said. “We are thankful for the opportunity to entertain and fulfill our purpose, while also working toward ascending to higher levels as an organisation, a musical entity, a team and a family.

“We definitely want to engage in meaningful activities leading up to our grand celebration and we are excited about investing our time and energy into our communities and schools and the young people who are the future of this nation. The A Team band was built on the strength of harnessing the boundless energy of the next generation, in tandem with the wisdom and experience of those more mature and experienced, so we understand that our way forward must include fostering the next generation of talented artistes and musicians.”

With Ricardo Drue added to the frontline of Kerlene Joseph, (Ms Kerlz), Nicholas Prescott (D Soca Trainer) and Charles, the A Team is ready for Carnival 2023 and beyond and takes great pride in being known as “the band for any reason and every season,” the release said.