By Michael Mondezie
College Boy Jesse (Jesse Stewart) is the new leader of the legendary D All Starz soca band
Jesse, the 2020 International Soca Monarch (Groovy), will fill the void left by his late cousin, soca icon Blaxx (Dexter Stewart) on the legendary Roy Cape-founded band’s frontline. Blaxx, a huge supporter of Jesse’s relatively young career, passed away from Covid-19 on March 28.
Jesse, 32, worked alongside Blaxx on the All Starz frontline last year. Taking over from his famous cousin in the wake of his death is bittersweet as both the Stewart and All Starz music family are still in mourning over his passing, Jesse said.
“It is tough not having him around. There will never be another Dexter ‘Blaxx’ Stewart. Losing him was sudden and both his family and the band are taking things a day at a time to adapt to his absence.”
Jesse had the perfect start with D All Starz at the Kairi People Runaway event on April 27, at Playa Del Este in Salybia. The feting crowd immediately took to the expressive singer’s genuine personality and followed his every command during a dream debut that would have pleased his late cousin.
Having a transition year performing alongside Blaxx made his transition to top billing in D All Starz a little smoother, Jesse admits. The weight of working with the very musicians with whom Blaxx built his lore is however, not lost on the young ambitious singer.
‘It is a blessing to have the opportunity to work directly with the people who contributed to his legacy and passion for soca music. Now that we no longer have Blaxx around, I hold on to the knowledge and experiences that we shared, together with the few skills I’ve developed throughout the years, to contribute to my preparations for the task.
‘Every band rehearsal and performance is a new classroom for me to prepare and develop my artistry. And I intend to use this opportunity to create a legacy of my own while carrying on the legacy of D All Stars Band,’ Jesse insisted.
Another stellar achievement
Jesse’s most recent appointment follows a string of impressive career achievements for the hard-working Cunupia-born entertainer.
After years of recording and releasing music Jesse first danced into the mainstream soca spotlight with his 2020 Carnival hit ‘Happy Song’. The affable singer became a household name on Fantastic Friday night when he shocked all comers to take the competitive Groovy Soca title at the 2020 ISM, held at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain.
Determined to not have his progress completely stalled by the global pandemic that followed, Jesse remarkably planned and executed a high-quality debut concert production he called his ‘Soca Love Story’ during the Taste of Carnival in February.
The colourful Naparima Bowl, San Fernando showcase, which was among Blaxx’s final live appearances, served to lift Jesse’s credentials and further establish him as a premiere act in the genre. He was named the Soca Source Artiste of the Year 2021, after having 12 songs charting in the Top 10 in 29 countries, including two hitting the number one mark. His 2021 hit ‘Worry Less’ was also recently featured on The Real Housewives Girlfriend’s Getaway reality TV show.
Jesse credited his team, which is led by his wife and manager Curleen Stewart, for his consistent progress. In the past two years he has released several hit singles including: ‘Catching Up’ and ‘Worry Less’ (2021), as well as the 2022 fete movers ‘Doing It’ and ‘No Lie’.
“I’ve been on a programme for a few years now. My team and I function with our blinders on. We are aware of our goals and we’ve been focused on each task at a time. The pandemic provided a little hump on our journey, but we remained focused on the things we have control over.”
‘Soca Monarch was a blessing and finally establishing my live event ‘Soca Love Story’ was a dream. However, even through the pandemic, we were able to execute other objectives. We created more music to seek an improved digital engagement with the new fan base. It took strategic planning, total focus, hard work and persistence to steer this journey,’ Jesse revealed.
The work continues, Jesse insists, adding that despite all his recent achievements ‘I am definitely not pleased with where I am currently’.
‘Considering what our industry have faced in the last two years, I am still grateful for my existence physically and mentally. Our mission continues. Musically, I strive to establish my brand and the soca music genre on larger international platforms and personally, I am working on financial security and a better balance in my life where I can manage business and family life more efficiently,’ he
