Viking Ding Dong vows to represent for Blaxx
At the 2020 Carnival opener, Soka In Moka, Viking Ding Dong declared himself the sexiest big belly man in soca.
Blaxx (Dexter Stewart) didn’t like that. More so that Ding Dong’s declaration was made in the middle of Blaxx’s D All Starz set. The late soca star immediately sought to set the record straight, telling the feting crowd: “He eh sexier than me I is de original sexy big belly man in soca”.
Ding Dong (Andre Houlder) remembers the moment fondly. It was one of many playful exchanges the two shared on stage in recent years. Away from the glare of the lights Ding Dong says Blaxx always shared a positive word of encouragement.
“He always tellin’ me yuh does make fat men proud. I always hearing him in meh head when I’m on stage. We doh allow our size to keep us back in anyway in terms of movement on the stage,” Ding Dong said during a phone conversation with the Express yesterday.
Following Blaxx’s passing from Covid-19 on March 28 and emotional farewell celebration on Wednesday the DJ cum soca star, who started his music career playing for soca Viking Bunji Garlin (Ian Alvarez), says he accepts its now solely up to him “to represent for the thick men”.
“Honestly my weight never hamper or discourage me from going up on a stage. It should not hamper anyone from doing what they want to do, for me everybody have they own lane and is just respecting yourself and doing yuh ting,” Ding Dong added.
PASSING BLAXX’S ‘BENCHMARK’
In a 2015 radio interview with Ding Dong and Shal Marshall (Stephenson Marshall) Blaxx brought up the ideology of soca artistes needing “to reach a benchmark” before being “allowed to release music”. Blaxx detailed having to meet the high musical standards of his mentors The Black Stalin (Leroy Calliste) and Roy Cape. The late singer lamented that level of rigour was now removed from the process with the advent of “the bedroom music studio”.
In an era when DJs making the switch to artiste has been met with heavy criticism Ding Dong said Blaxx’s public praise and support was important in him finding his footing as a singer.
“Blaxx is one of the most sought after artiste to get a real gauge of what you really doin’ with your career. If yuh not strong mentally and you doh understand his charisma you could take him the wrong way. I always listen to him carefully to understand his view of the business because he has the experience,” Ding Dong explained. That approach has served the Point Fortin-born singer well. In five short years since talking benchmark on air with Blaxx, Ding Dong has grown into one of soca music leading acts. His growing catalogue of hits includes the 2020 Carnival hit “Outside” on the System 32 Knock About Riddim, the 2021 Carnival hit “Hornin’ First” with Mical Teja on System 32’s 24 Hour Riddim and the 2022 Taste of Carnival hits “Leave it Alone” and “Bad Chargie” which features Machel Montano.
RESPECT AND CREDIBILITY
Ding Dong says paying close attention to your lyrical content goes a long way in helping a young act get respect and credibility from older, wiser heads on the soca circuit. That, incidentally, is another page he took from Blaxx’s handbook.
“Yuh lyrical content have plenty to do with the benchmark. When dey see a DJ come out singing jump and wave they say ‘watch him he looking for forward’. When you come with music and topic they does allow yuh because then is not about forward, yuh have to perform. From day one he (Blaxx) gave me my kudos for my delivery and he always like my content because like him I never sing a jump and wave song,” Ding Dong said.
Ding Dong has built a formidable musical relationship with Mical Teja. While Ding Dong has blossomed in the spotlight Teja has developed into the leading singer/songwriter on the islands. Ding Dong credits their musical success on the genuine growth of their friendship. Their writing collaboration “Outside” won Ding Dong third place at the International Soca Monarch (ISM) competition in 2020.
“Actually, I didn’t have a clue who Mical was before. Sekon Sta (Nesta Boxhill) took me there. I had a beat and I was looking for somebody to write something. Mical was like I doh really write on people stuff, but I go do a ting and ‘Outside’ was created, from there it was history. We both recognise we are a work in progress,” he said.
Ding Dong, like Blaxx also did, says he is undergoing “intense training on keeping up my heart rate” to become a better performer. His ultimate ambition, he adds, is to touch on the different aspects of the art form including pan music and calypso.
“One thing Blaxx always said is he is not a soca artiste he is an entertainer. Yes, he had hit songs, but is his old talk, his natural humour on stage that made people love him. I have a lot of traits from Blaxx. Going forward that little joy people will be missing, I think could bridge the gap,” Ding Dong concluded.
