With his collaboration with Bunj Garlin "Don't Waste The Water" already burning up the air waves reigning Road March King Shurwayne Winchester seems poised to enjoy a successful 2005 Carnival Season.
The talented singer on Friday launched his third album Give Thanks and he says he considers it not a Carnival album, but one which music lovers can enjoy all year through.
Winchester who is the frontline vocalist for soca band Traffik says he has moved beyond Carnival and is ready to offer the world a taste of his inexhaustible musical talents.
Give Thanks is Winchester's third and most personal album to date. Winchester who won the title of road march king almost a month after his 30th birthday has been in the business for over 15 years.
Hailing from Tobago, Winchester at the age of 12 was already entering local calypso competitions.
In 1990 he was encouraged to enter the "big arena" and test his velvety vocals against season veterans like Denyse Plummer, Cro Cro and Luta.
Before his current eight year stint with Traffik, Winchester went from the debunked band "Trobble" to "Inxs". As frontline vocalist with Traffik he produced such hits as "Get out of my Dreams", "Wine Down", "You make Me" and the Carnival winner, "The Band Coming".
The 16 track Give Thanks was released simultaneously to radio stations and music stores on Friday, a pre-emptive strike to thwart music pirates.
Songs like "Friend to Wife" and "Lay it on Me" show a more intimate side of the soca crooner. Collaborations with fellow soca stars, Maximus Dan (Give Thanks) and Bunji Garlin (Don't waste the Water) are sure to burn up the airwaves.
"Dead or Alive" is a definite road march contender and "Words of Wisdom" written by Winchester's father, Codrington, shares a little advice with listeners. Winchester's personal favourite, "Earth Angel" is a song dedicated to his mother.
Collaborations with band members Sean Caruth and Candi Hoyte round off the Carnival repertoire offered by the Soca Monarch first runner up for 2K5. Recently Winchester walked away with four awards at the second annual Soca awards in New York City.
Winchester won favourite up tempo soca (male)- "The Band Coming", soca vocalist of the year (male) and best new soca collaboration of the year-"Come Beta" with Destra. Producer of the year went to Charsu for "The Band Coming".
