In a world where the majority of emerging female artists tend to play on their sexuality or ride a wave of controversy all the way to bank, it’s rare to find true talent in its raw, uncut form, but this scarcity does exist. For a prime example of a diva in the making, you need look no further than Soca’s hottest new sensation: Nadia Batson.
Having spent years as a major force behind the scenes as a songwriter, producer and one of Trinidad And Tobago’s most sought-after background vocalists, Nadia is finally taking her rightful place as one of the Caribbean’s premiere solo songstresses and songwriters.
She is best known perhaps for writing a string of chart-topping and title-winning singles in the last few years, starting with her protégé, Young Marcel, for whom she has penned numerous tunes including “Jumping Up” (which won him the 2002 Junior Soca-Monarch crown), and “Bridging The Gap“ (which took the teen to the Soca Monarch finals in 2003). Young Marcel won his second Junior Soca Monarch title in 2007 with another of Nadia’s creations – “Running Red”.
She wrote and co-produced the now-classic hit “Go Ahead (And Do Dat)” for Soca diva and close friend Michelle Sylvester back in 2004. Michelle became a household name in the Caribbean, thanks to that smash, and in 2005 Sylvester went on to win the International Soca Queen and International Groovy Soca Monarch titles singing Nadia’s “Sleeping In My Bed”, while another friend and fellow Big Artiste Crew member, Terry Seales, took “D’ Waist” all the way to the Soca Monarch finals where he was a crowd favourite.
Nadia continued cranking out the hits, goping on to supply Roy Cape vocalist Rita Jones’ with “Carnival Feeling”, Michelle Sylvester with “Face Me” and Blaxx (of Roy Cape) with the J’ouvert anthem “Dutty”.
Taking her talents overseas, Ms. Batson penned the mega-hit “Flames” for Barry Chandler (lead singer of the band Jabae), who went on to cop the Party Monarch and Road March titles in Barbados that year. In addition, “Expose” – a song she wrote for Soca band El A Kru’s female vocalist Tizzy – went on to claim second place in Antigua’s Party Monarch competition and is now a regional smash as well thanks to the accompanying video which reached Number One on the Tempo channel’s “Caribbean Countdown”.
Somehow, Ms. Batson managed to save some hits for herself as well, starting with her Zouk-tinged breakout single, “One Island” which carried her all the way to the prestigious Soca Monarch Finals (along with Jones and Sylvester) in 2006 where she earned an impressive fourth place.
That same year, fans were delighted to see her begin performing as a lead vocalist with the super-popular Kes The Band, alongside renowned singer/songwriter Kees Dieffenthaller. Since then, she and Kees went on to blaze fetes and clubs with their 2007 Carnival sizzler, “My Land” which took them to an impressive second place at the International Soca Monarch finals.
In addition, Nadia solidified her stature as a solo singing star with the official ladies’ anthem for 2007, “Caribbean Girl”, which took her to her first International Groovy Soca Monarch finals, where she placed third.
Now a household name and a bona fide solo star, Nadia insists there’s much more to come, starting with her recently released debut album, “Caribbean Girl”, but points out above all that she’s still the same focused, humble Caribbean Girl that she’s always been.
That point is aptly stressed by runaway 2008 hits like the Road March contender “My Posse” and other “big tunes” like “Mind Your Own Business”, Love Of My Life (Meri Zindagi)”, “Chica” (featuring Mista Vybe & Iko on the popular Response Riddim) and “Confusion.
However, she’s ready and willing to go to the furthest reaches that her obviously phenomenal talent can take her. As she sang so aptly in her first hit “One Island”: “I come with a message from above / Comin’ to fill the place with love.”
While many young starlets wrestle to attain the title of Diva, Nadia is content being one of Soca music’s most consistent hit-makers, and, above all, she remains forever “your Caribbean Girl”.
