July 30th 2011
Mongstar – Ready To Leave His Mark

From the time his mother gave birth to him Marley Mervin James, aka Mongstar became engulfed in another amniotic sac, outside his mother’s womb. This sac, which fed and sustained him has been music, as he grew up surrounded by family members who themselves were noted musical performers. Among them was his father, acclaimed Reggae artiste and musician Ras Bonti. Then there were his uncles, Propser, a popular Calypso, Zouk and Soca artiste here and the inimitable Reggae performer Ras Africa. His aunts too, whom he says loved to play country music to the sounds of their guitars, played a role in his formidable years, when his musical interest began to blossom. “So it was always something that I wanted to do, growing up with family members who were always into music like it was in their blood –something that you can say I was born to do,” Mongstar says.

And so, he started singing around the house and neighbourhood of Faux- a- Chaud in Castries, before getting his, first taste of a “stage” at a school show. “I attended the Babboneau Secondary School and one year there was a school show and I just made up my mind to take part. From there it felt good and I really felt then, that was where I wanted to be, on a stage performing,” an enthusiastic Mongstar says. And whilst at that first instance he was more into Reggae and Dancehall it would take a few years longer before he made it back onto a stage and, with another genre of music.

In 2010 at the persistence of his girlfriend, Mongstar auditioned for the first ever Piton Soca Starz competition in Saint Lucia. He was an instant hit, creating a natural vibe on stage and exuding raw talent that was easily palatable and enjoyable, receiving an encore for his very first Soca performance. The song “The corn song” with witty ambiguity caught on instantly and made it all the way to the Piton Soca Starz finals which Mongstar won.

The track was recorded by Dutch Productions and as much as it bore marks of controversy, it became one of the more popular songs for Saint Lucia’s carnival 2010.
The song also made some strides in New York, Miami, Canada and London during West Indian carnivals there. Reflecting on the creation of the song, Mongstar recalls working at a hotel and packing a freezer when the idea hit him. “I was packing some corn when I came up with the hook which I tried on the stewards and cooks and when I saw the reaction to their response, I went home, wrote the song and came back to work the next day singing it,” Mongstar remembers. Since then, the budding Soca star has not looked back and after working the hotel circuit here for a number of years just to get by, music, Soca music in particular he says, has rescued him and put him back on track with his destiny.

For 2011 Mongstar spent months and sleepless nights working on music to be released for Saint Lucia’s carnival. And in May, 2011 two of these songs were released. The first is the groovy “Glo Coco” which has taken on a life of its own and has grown on listeners young and old with its catchy refrain and tribute to coconut water. That track also won him the third place in the Groovy Soca Monarch Finals. Then there is “Pas Mêlée” a zouk enthused Soca, with his sparring partner and Piton Soca Starz second runner up, Ambi and his power Soca “Monster Energy.” “Glo Coco” was written by Mongstar and Courtney Louis, “Pas Mêlée” by Mongstar and Ambi. The songs were produced by Courtney Louis and Dutch Productions.

With his refreshing and unpretentious approach to Soca, Mongstar wants to take his music to the Caribbean and the world. “I just want to make music that people enjoy, and so far I am grateful for the public support and feedback,” Mongstar says.

Discuss Story