A look at musical extraordinaire Mick Stokes
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER exhibiting one of the best performances for the entire three- night 15th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival, local veteran musician Mick Stokes sat down for an exclusive interview with SKNVibes.
Though he has been retired for over 15 years, Stokes still managed to go out and move the crowd as if he were still in the business.
He said he was glad for the opportunity given by the Music Festival because he felt he still had something in him as an individual artiste.
Stokes added that it also gave him the ability to put together the kind of show he would have loved to have in the past. He further noted, “I didn’t really want to go out so dry, I really wanted to go out with a bang so I guess this was like my going out performance”
He said he is a professional and felt great about his performance seeing that it was his first time being on the festival, but he always feels like he can do better.
Stokes said he was on a high that night and he was amazed and still nervous at the same time wondering if he would be able to control the crowd.
He said all he could think about was. if the crowd does not do what he wants, then he would try his best to find a way and make them do it. Therefore, he went there with a mind set that this is the big leagues and he has to represent himself and his country
“All these years I’ve been banging my mouth, I want to be in the major leagues so it was like now you’re in there let me see what you can do,” he stated.
Stokes, who has been in the music business since 1969 and did his first track titled ‘Jumping Jack’ is also a prolific drummer and has played in bands in Grenada, Trinidad, St. Vincent, St. Martin and other countries. He has been a key member of the band Group Impressions popularly known as GIs Brass for several years.
They made a name for themselves from various hit songs including ‘Annie Bumsy’ and ‘Mommy Leh Me Go’ and also by travelling to places such as Alaska, England, Sweden, Belgium and Denmark.
When asked by this media house of his achievements over his long musical journey, the singer said, he has not received any riches during his career but he achieved a lot spiritually and mentally. He indicated that it was a beautiful journey and if he could do it again he would.
“I have ten passports and I have never bought an airplane ticket, yet I have travelled all over the world, so all these little things I see as achievements,” he explained.
Stokes said he originally started out being a limbo dancer and one day he saw a man giving a singing performance who really captured the crowd. He then thought to himself, “Wow I would really love to do that” so he decided to try his vocal abilities in singing.
Mick Stokes is best known for tracks like ‘One Shot Man’ and ‘All Kind a Things’.
