BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - SOCA artiste Nickhail Rogers has the looks and the voice that make the ladies go wild, as most entertainers undoubtedly enjoy.
What is more is that his dreadlocks are much longer to shake in the Soca arena this time around.
The two songs being pushed by Nickhail are ‘We Never’, with which he will compete in the Power Jump Up Road March, and “Whine Yuh Bumpa’ for the Power and Groovy segment of the upcoming Soca Monarch competition.
The remix for ‘We Never’ was done by ‘Stickleneckle’. Nickhail made a connotation between the skin-itching plant locally called ‘stinganeckle’ and the producer of the remixed song, noting that it is like “when you hear a song and can’t keep still”.
The original version was released about two weeks ago while the remixed was aired on Monday (Dec. 3).
He said ‘We Never’ is about the never ending energy that Carnival-doers experience and never get tired from the clubbing, feting, las’ lap, J’Ouvert and the up all night drinking all day.
Meanwhile, ‘Whine Yuh Bumper’, he said, is a “Fun song…a feel good song. It explains the male attraction to a specific part of the female anatomy. How entranced one gets…euphoric feeling never felt before when two become one on the dance floor”.
He recalled his performance at the 2011 Soca Monarch competition when he sang the song, ‘Whine On Me’.
Nickhail said the experience “was addictive. It was an experience! Looking back at the footage, it lasted about seven or eight minutes, but my experience felt like 10 seconds”.
He said he did not want to leave the stage and even after exiting, he felt like returning.
He described being onstage as a “feeling of belonging”.
“Music makes people feel good and in return making me feel that I found my place on this earth”, Nickhail added.
This artiste began singing in third form while attending Verchilds High School and, along with three of his friends, formed an all-boys singing group called One Syd. The group was still performing while the friends attended the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC).
The other members of the group were Steven Smith, Chavez Hazel and Joseph ‘DJ Gallis’ Markman.
Nickhail revealed that he and Stevens came up with the group’s name, which means “one representing unity. (It) doesn’t have four sides; one consciousness and one love”.
The group was popularly known for performing ‘Baby Don’t Leave’ on the Drop Leaf Riddim and also an original tune called ‘I Love You’ of which a music video was done.
They group performed at Valentine shows at different high schools around the island.
Notably, work and time schedule were the major factors that caused the undesired break-up among the group’s members.
Some of Nickhail’s influences in the music industry include Nsync, Usher, Graig Davis, Damian Marley, Chris Brown and Machel Montano.
In response to what inspired him to be in the music industry, Nickhail said, “Just being attracted to music, hearing music singing…because of the support of friends eventually reaching on stage and every time I go on stage, whether good or bad, I felt the need to get back out there.”
A few years ago, he sang on the Miss Digicel Haynes Smith Caribbean Talented Teen Pageant and he also did an introduction for Pepper Ranks for the TEMPO launch in Nevis.
Commenting on the relationship among the group’s members, he said they were buddies and friends, adding that One Syd performed at different school events and was well received by the high school audience.
Nickhail, who is currently employed as an Events Supervisor at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort, said the group was “really getting somewhere” and its potential was unimaginable.
Asked what he thinks he would have been doing if he were not involved in the music business, a smiling Nickhail said: “That’s a weird question. That’s like asking if I wasn’t a guy what kind of man I would be. Like what kind of answer would that be?”
He admitted that he should have gone off to university a long time ago but the cost of loans deterred him.
Nickhail believes in doing “what I want to do and not what people say I should be doing”.
According to him, “People don’t know how to follow heart”. He is of the opinion that “people have not been taught to listen to heart because logic always equate to money”.
Asked about the type of music he enjoys singing, he stated: “Originally, love and intimate songs but I do enjoy excitement…that rhythm from Soca. If you listen to my music you could hear that I combine it with the smoothness of R&B music with the uptempo of Soca, but I don’t commit myself to Soca.”
“When in Rome do what the Romans do, to a degree”, Nickhail humorously added.
He said the content of his songs are “mostly party and love. I’m yet to bring out any serious topic”.
Nickhail says he is ready for Sugar Mas.
“I’m looking forward to Sugar Mas. Unlike last year, I have five different songs ranging from Soca, Ballard to jump up and wave songs and I can’t wait to get out in the festive spirit to share. That would touch the nerves of those who would listen.”
He disclosed that two songs he is currently focusing on were done at Chabo Production, owned by Chavez Hazel of Conyers, noting that three quarters of his music have been produced there.
Nickhail’s CD collection of song includes his five new tunes and his ‘Whine On Me’ song from last year.
Interested persons can check out his Facebook page ‘Nickail’, where they can get links for songs download.
