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32nd St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, a parade of superstars
02/10/2012

 

Once you discover the charismatic livewire known as Terry Seales, you can't help but wonder if whoever coined the phrase "the life of the party" was talking about him. A natural-born entertainer for as long as anyone can remember, Terry is known just as much for his hilarious antics and raucous sense of humour as he is for his hit songs, dynamic performances and striking vocal ability. Well-known in his homeland of Trinidad And Tobago and throughout the West Indian Soca music circuit as "the Original Spicy Crispy Winer Boy".

Terry is easily one of the most animated characters on the Soca scene and continues to dazzle audiences throughout the Caribbean, North America and Europe with his amazing live shows, while performing hits like "Chutney Ragga Soca Madness" (aka "Doh Wine Up On Mih Nani"), "Rise Up" (on the Paradise Riddim), "Dip Down Low" (featuring Michelle Sylvester), "D' Waist" and "Hello".
 
Terrence Seales grew up loving music and entertaining as a youth in St. Ann's, Trinidad but was always best known for being the class clown and fun person to hang out with. Eventually he and four other childhood friends formed the vocal quintet ‘New Creation’ to enter the wildy popular "Party Time" talent show - a televised show that turned the youngsters into overnight heartthrobs and singing sensations in their homeland thanks to their brilliant accapella renditions of Boys II Men classics like "End Of The Road" and "So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday". Thanks to his striking good looks, mesmerising baritone singing voice and charismatic stage presence, Terry was a favorite among the ladies and remains that to this day. Eventually, New Creation attracted the attention of well known record mogul Mike Dolan - who signed them to his newly created Tattoo Records label. Dolan - known for his keen ear for new talent, having managed superstars like Judas Priest, The Eurythmics and Eddie Grant - saw star potential in Terry and his friends. It turned out he was right. The group's debut single - a cover of the Beatles' classic "Hey Jude" soared to Number Four on the European music video charts and Number 34 in on the UK singles chart. The youngsters triumphantly toured the UK and were viewed as even bigger stars back at home in Trinidad. Eventually the members of New Creation would go their separate ways but Terry forged on, becoming a frontman for several of Soca's best known bands including Caribbean Rage, Atlantik, Surface and Pure Energy.

As a founding member of popular band Surface back in 2002, he scored his first hit Soca single with the tongue-in-cheek ditty "Chutney Ragga Soca Madness". Putting Terry's natural comedic ability to work, the song was one of the year's most popular tunes and helped Terry gain popularity as a solo artist as much for the song as for his onstage gyrations. Dubbing himself "The Original Spicy Crispy Winer Boy", Seales continued to work at making his solo career continue to ascend, despite still fronting various bands. It was with a member of the fledgling band Pure Energy in 2004 that Terry took his solo stardom to the next level, upon teaming up with the band's female lead singer Michelle Sylvester to record the smash single "Dip Down Low", which took the Soca scene by storm. The single and video continue to be wildly popular up to the present. Joining Soca superstar Destra as part of Atlantik after Trinidad's 2004 carnival season, Terry toured the world and dazzled audiences with his singing and wining abilities until deciding to fully go solo in the following year (2005). Ironically it was that year that he released his biggest hit to date, the uptempo wining anthem "D' Waist", which took him to his first Soca Monarch finals as a solo artist (he and Sylvester were at the finals as a duet the year performing "Dip Down Low"). In 2006 he was a Soca Monarch finalist yet again with another smash, the addictive "Hello" - another song and video that remains popular in West Indian circles up to the present day. For 2007 Terry is poised to take it up yet another notch and has already started the ball rolling with the Reggaeton-tinged single "Seduction" which features vocals by Imij & Co frontwoman Michelle X as well as longtime friend and collaborator Michelle Sylvester (who raps Hip Hop style on this one, believe it or not). 2009 he did a track called “Gimme De Wine” and in 2010 “Stalker”.

Terry is now focusing on reinventing himself and making a change. Currently he is working on some charity program's to promote positivity within our society but that set aside, 2012 will be the year of the Entertainer.

Terry will be performing with St. Maarten’s own Shadow Man and another surprise guest on Sunday March 4, 2012. Also performing that night will be reggae legend Beres Hammond. “I saw Terry perform with Shadow Man a few months ago”, adds John Leone from the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Team and local Heineken distributor, “and I told them both right there we need to bring this act back for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta crowd, because they are going to eat this show up!”
Join us in St. Maarten March 1-4, 2012 for the 32nd edition of the ST Maarten Heineken Regatta and experience Terry Seales Live in concert on Sunday March 4, 2012.

All the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta parties are Free and Open to the public. Food and drinks are available each night. Secure Safe Parking is available Sunday March 4th at Kim Sha Beach and Port de Plaisance.
For full information on the 2012 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, including entry information, the Notice of Race, photos, videos, party and band information, and much, much more, visit www.heinekenregatta.com

For hi res photos please contact us at regatta@heinekenregatta.com