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CLEARLY making up for lost time, hundreds flocked to the car park of the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA) on January 8 for the much-anticipated SokahChella, featuring Nailah Blackman.
Admitting she too had been waiting for this moment to wine, wave and party, after a two-year lockdown, Blackman did not disappoint fans with her many stylish wardrobe changes in sync with fashion trends, fresh sound and flexible movements, including a wicked split.
[caption id="attachment_995486" align="alignnone" width="683"] Nailah Blackman performs during her show Nailah Blackman’s Origins – SokahChella at SAPA on Sunday. - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
Women, with styles ranging from glam to outrageous, outnumbered the men causing Blackman to suggest that at the next installation they may have to rename SokahChella, “GyulChella.”
To satisfy the female segment of the audience, enough eye-candy in the form of male dancers were offered, even though female dancers were in the majority.
[caption id="attachment_995481" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Teddyson John, left, and Nailah Blackman perform together at Nailah Blackman's Origins - SokahChella. - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
Blackman served up some spicy Caribbean flavours of soca, dancehall and calypso in a melting pot with some of the hottest local soca singers she teamed up with, to make the evening unforgettable.
[caption id="attachment_995478" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Feeling the music at Nailah Blackman’s Origins – SokahChella at SAPA on January 8. - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
Among the Caribbean men lending support were Wrong Again hitmaker Skinny Banton from Grenada, Antiguan Ricardo Drue, Father Philis from Barbados, Teddyson John from St Lucia, and local artistes Olatunji, who let loose in the audience, Shal Marshall, Dev, Choppi, College Boy Jesse, Rondo and Erphaan Alves.
[caption id="attachment_995479" align="alignnone" width="683"] Olatunji in full flight during his performance at Nailah Blackman's Origins Sokachella on January 8 at SAPA. - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
In memory of some of the icons who passed recently Blackman showed her performance range, paying tribute in song to her late grandfather soca inventor Garfield Blackman (Ras Shorty I), calypsonians Blaxx, Explainer and Black Stalin, whose funeral service was held at that same venue just four days before.
[caption id="attachment_995480" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Jaiga performs at Nailah Blackman's Origins Sokachella at SAPA San Fernando. - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
“I want to pay respect to Black Stalin tonight. He is gone but not forgotten. Somebody say Black Stalin,” she instructed the crowd before wading into a medley of his gems including, Black Man Feeling to Party, Come With It, and Fire Blazing.
[caption id="attachment_995482" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Nailah Blackman and Ricardo Drue. - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
With new music still being released for 2023, some not so impressive, DJs Anna and Ultra Simmo kept up a steady flow of soca from yesteryear, including Breathless by Blaxx, Wotless from Kees, selections from Baron, Iwer and SuperBlue which had the audience pumping.
 
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