Soca fans take in the show

Soca Fest 2016 was billed to be an epic show — and it came close.

The energy was good, the drinks were plentiful, and the entertainment was nonstop as promised.

There was an all-star lineup of Bahamian and international artists and despite the fact that the show didn’t have the big-named Trinidadian soca entertainers, the performance was definitely one to remember.

Starting off the lineup of Bahamian artists at Mario’s Bowling and Entertainment Palace was newcomer Bantangy with her debut song, “Carrying on Bad”.

The show took off from there with performances from Sketch; Lisa-Jayne; DJ Muzikal; Qpid; DJ Ming and DJ Pampa; Lattia; Rik Carey; Blaudy and Fanshawn from Blue Water Connection Band; and Ebony, who dressed in a risqué straw costume, Ebony wined down to her new track “Block the Road”.

But it was Dyson Knight, Wendi, and Benji from Visage along with Julien Believe who really brought the energy to the house.

Dyson started got the ball rolling with his song “Rake and Scrape and Rum” before passing the microphone on to Julien Believe, who belted “Live and Wine,” the song that has catapulted his career. He also sang a crowd favorite “Caribbean Slide,” before he and Dyson sang a duo —“Physical Education.”

Up next was Wendi, with “Happy Hour,” “I Een Missing It” and “One Song.” The five-foot, two-inch powerhouse singer, who was also joined onstage by Dyson, jumped and wined across the stage without missing a beat.

Benji, who is best known for his song “Masqueraders,” lit up the stage with his rendition of that song. He also sent a shout out to his mom, who was in a skybox, as the crowd cheered him on.

The Bahamians put on a good show, but the international artists weren’t to be outdone. Introducing them was Giselle Da Wassi One and DJ Stephen.

In her guttural voice, she sang a bit of each performer’s song as she welcomed them on stage.

First up was King Bubba, from Barbados. His performance was unforgettable and was one of the favorites of the night.

Despite his husky build, King Bubba surprised the crowd with his agility. He wined to the ground in true Bajan fashion and jumped around as he performed his hit songs “Mash Up” and “Who Drinking Rum.”

When he was done preforming, cheering fans shouted for him to continue and King Bubba obliged.

Sekon Sta, of Trinidad, Tallpree of Grenada and Peter Ram of Barbados also gave impressive performances, with Peter Ram at one point jumping into the crowd as he sang “All Ah We” with the excited fans roaring as they danced with him.

Closing out the show was Bajan artist Benjai, who had the number one song last year with “Phenomenal”.

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