SuperBlue: Dreams do come true

SOCA star Austin "SuperBlue" Lyons urged youngsters to dream big in their lives, saying dreams do come true, as he reacted to being awarded the Hummingbird Medal Gold at the national awards for 2021 at President's House, St Ann's.

Reacting to the award, he said,"It's a beautiful thing. I could tell my children and their children, throughout the nation, it is nice to dream. Dreams do come true. God works in mysterious ways.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you to TT, Her Excellency, and President's House for the medal. Thanks to everybody."

Lyons said dreams were helped by the power of prayer.

"I was fortunate. I came from a beautiful place, Point Fortin, where I was surrounded with wonderful people, and came to town and met special people, so I started to feel special."

He recalled from since the time he sang his first hit Soca Baptist, he just wanted to sing.

"I wake up in the morning and I feel so invincible."

He recalled feeling driven to match the singing of the likes of Michael Jackson, Bob Marley and Elvis Presley, and paying close attention to the work of the Mighty Sparrow and Lord Kitchener and musicians like Michael Boothman, a fellow awardee that night.

Newsday asked what was his greatest ever song.

He replied, "After 42 years in the business, in the last ten years I start to realise that my greatest song is Soca Baptist. Everything else was its extension. Every, everything. Soca Baptist was the key entry. It burnt a hole. Everything else, extensions.

"And beautiful things are going to happen, (if) God spare life. Trust me"

Lyons launched into lengthy praise of TT Carnival, where his music has found centre stage.

"Carnival is the most beautiful, colourful work in the whole wide world. Carnival – a festival of fashion, a festival of food, a festival of colour, a festival of people... It's a billion-dollar business."

Lyons said TT was the mecca of Carnival and the only true Carnival.

"The rest of them (carnivals) has laws that govern a parade. You start at 'A' and end up at "B.'

"But for two days here, you could go up street and down street, side street. Cars have to give way to people on those two days."

He said one can be anything at Carnival.

"The whole country is Carnival. Every woman is a queen at Carnival time."

He quipped that this contrasted to the UK which has one queen, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

Asked if TT would be seeing him next Carnival, Lyons replied, "Yes, I have a surprise for you. I'm tempted to say what I want to say, you know," he laughed.

Lyons cracked a joke to evoke giggles from reporters and said it was nice to be present to get his award.

"It gives me something of value. When children see this, they could find a space in the art form to do something."

He urged youngsters to dream and to try to make a difference within their country.

"I still am going to dream – because this is just the beginning."