Many have come to know and love his pulsating rhythms, with groovy tunes such as Allez, Vent and X Games.
Teddyson John is a Saint Lucian singer, songwriter, and ambassador known as TJ. His musical journey began in the Full Gospel Church, where he played the drums, despite not having a formal music background. His love for music and determination led him to teach himself everything he knew.
In 2007, Teddyson came onto the national scene with the song Coming Down De Road, which earned him the title of the first Groovy Soca King of Saint Lucia. In the years to come, he stamped his name on the groovy soca scene with tracks like Wine Up On Me, Out And Bad (with which he won a second Groovy King title), Stress Free, No Code, and many others.
One of the pivotal moments in Teddyson John’s career was releasing his track Allez. Initially launched in 2015, it gained regional recognition in 2016 when he performed at the 2016 International Soca Monarch competition, also known as Fantastic Friday, in Trinidad. This performance catapulted him to the forefront of the soca scene, leading to a second-place win in the 2019 International Soca Monarch competition with his hit Vent, featuring International Stephen. This chart-topper earned Teddyson an award at the International Soca Awards in 2019, marking a significant milestone in his career.
Teddyson’s talent and hard work have not gone unnoticed internationally. In 2017, he was among twelve Saint Lucians honoured in Her Majesty’s Birthday Honors, receiving The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). His international recognition continued with a nomination for Best Afro Soca Artist at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards in 2016. His track Allez further solidified his global impact, winning the Best Soca/Calypso Artist award at the International World and Reggae Music Awards.
Among other accomplishments, Teddyson joined Kes on his Man With No Door tour from September to December of 2023 and in February of that year, he hosted his first event in Trinidad called Stripped, which featured not only his but the story behind the music of a few Soca artists.
Teddyson John is also the host of the signature Saint Lucia Carnival concert U4RIA. He began the show in 2012, and this year will be the 12th hosting of the event. The lineup features the likes of Kerwin DuBois, Farmer Nappy, and the lead singer of the band Kassav, Jocelyne Béroard.
Soca News briefly chatted with Teddyson, and this is how it went.
You have been gaining much recognition for contributing to soca music throughout the Caribbean. How did you transition from a local artist to a Saint Lucian Ambassador recognised regionally and internationally?
I’ve always wanted to make music that is palatable and can go far, reaching places and people who have never even heard of Soca music. Although I have been doing music for a long time, it was Allez that catapulted my career. All in all, I believe in quality, consistency, and constantly reinventing and reintroducing myself because as much as Teddyson John is known, there are still places I haven’t reached yet.
You have an extensive catalogue and even some huge collaborations; take us through your creative process.
A lot of people don’t understand that sometimes it takes months to a year to build a song. It could be a melody that is just in my ear nonstop or even when I’m in bed and just drifting. Other times, it starts with just hearing the instruments, maybe the beat of a drum or a guitar’s strumming pattern, and I catch a vibe from there. In terms of collaborations, in most cases, all I come up with is the melody, and then I send it off to another artist who I intend to collaborate with, and I know he sees the vision and the path I’m trying to take with the track.
This year, you will host the 12th staging of your signature event, U4RIA. How did this event come into being, and what are some of the challenges with hosting your event?
U4RIA started out as a dream. I had this big dream of people coming to see me in concert. It also came from wanting to do a groovy album, but then I thought, why not turn it into a groovy concert and incorporate a mixture of art and culture? When I first put this show together, a lot of people thought it would fail; our first show had 1500 people in attendance, then the following year, it grew to 5000 till the original venue became too small for the crowd we were reaching. The biggest challenge I’ve had to face would be sponsorship; Saint Lucia is a small island, so you find the spending capacity of most organisations is limited.
Saint Lucia Carnival has gained a lot of popularity over the years, and this year, it looks even bigger than the last. What are your views on the progression of carnival celebrations and the music being produced?
I feel like we have been able to create an amazing buzz around the Saint Lucian Carnival. Every island has a unique vibe, and Saint Lucia is no different; we have been coming into our own vibe, and it is becoming infectious, which is why many people travel just to come down here for the carnival. With respect to music, I think a lot of artists understand that their music needs consistency and longevity, and they have managed to continue to do so.
Would Teddyson John ever come back to compete on the Groovy scene?
My answer would be no. This is because, throughout my career, I’ve come to understand that competition depreciates the art of Soca music. For instance, if one person has a beautifully lyricised and produced song, but another artist wins based on just performing their song, does that mean the other artist’s song was not good?
Soca music is the only genre that involves competition and crowning a monarch, but in truth, there are other great songs that don’t even make it to a competition stage.
We want to thank Teddyson for taking the time to speak with us. If you are travelling to Saint Lucia for carnival this year, get yourself a ticket for U4RIA on Thursday 11 July, at Caribbean Cinemas.
If you want to hear more about Teddyson John, check out his YouTube channel.
