It was one of those ‘do you remember where you were moments’. August ’94, and I haven’t yet heard about Krosfyah. More so, the song ‘Pump me up’ was the furthest thing from my mind and I certainly wasn’t expecting the next David Rudder, while the original was still preaching ‘High Mas’ to us. So you could imagine my surprise when I got a call from a friend, babbling on about some new group and song from Barbados. I mean, Square One was in the process of making a name for themselves, so it was highly inconceivable that another top notch group could surface. The call was short and to the point as my friend was willing to bet the house that this song, and group, was indeed the real deal. I agreed to listen to the track and since then, Krosfyah have been one of my favorite groups of all-time.
My first inclination was this was a fluke, it had to be one of those one hit wonders. There was no way in hell this would be a yearly occurrence. I’ve gotten used to Burning Flames giving us a couple hits a year, and I was satisfied with that, but after the finally picking up Krosfyah’s the album, my appreciation for excellent soared to an all-time high. The album, Ultimate Party-Pump Me Up, was stocked with hits geared towards the mainstream audience and conscious lovers alike. The hits: Crank It, Pump Me Up, Obadele, Sweatin, Voice in My Head, and Ultimate Party were in themselves impressive, but it’s the way they were delivered that really signaled Krosfyah’s arrival. We all remember Michael Jackson’s first album, Off the wall, and by no means am I comparing the two, but Ultimate Party is along those lines in terms of ‘I can’t believe what just hit me’. The crispness of the lyrics, the exceptional vocals, the precision harmonizing and some of the sweetest music this side of Thriller. Since then, it’s been a hit parade. Space does not permit the listing of every Krosfyah hit – besides, if you are a true soca fan, you ought to be familiar with most of them -- but digest this question for a second: Name the last musical act, Caribbean or world wide, to release two greatest hits album in their first 15 years of existence?

The Differences

How many times have we heard, ‘listen to these guys they are so different’. I’ve been to a million soca fetes and came away disappointed because all the bands are mostly interchangeable. They play the same music, the same speed and sometimes even in the same order. This group is truly different. How, you ask? Well, start with the three headed monster; a general [Edwin Yearwood], a nurse [Khiomal Nurse] and a rebel [Tony Bailey]. The reason? Absolutely no egos here. Yes, Edwin in the undisputed leader of the group but he doesn’t come across and one who wants to hog the spotlight. To say he’s the region’s top vocalist would be the understatement of the century, and as if that’s not good enough, he’s also its most gifted writer.  Khiomal is the Scottie Pippen of the group. A gifted writer and singer in his own right, he’s still fairly green in the business though and rightly follow Edwin’s lead. Hey, who would Pippen pass the ball too when it’s time to take the final shot? Then there’s Anthony ‘Rebel’ Bailey. Vincentian by birth but Bajan by trade, Bailey is one of the most underappreciated talents in the business. Skilled with the pen, microphone and guitar, he is as valuable to the group as any of the above mentioned guys. While Edwin and Tony have been with the group from its inception, Khiomal joined the fraternity in Y2K, and along with a solid core of musicians that includes Trevor Cassell [if the last name looks familiar it’s because he’s related to Arrow], Cory Jordan, Neil Burnett, and Rian Clarke, this group is set for a long time to come. It also didn’t hurt that ace producer Nicolas Branker was the lynchpin, the guy who put it all together, the absolute difference between good and excellent music. Other producers have worked with the group but its Branker whose works have done the bulk of the damage on the soca charts. Some of the tracks he’s credited with includes Pump me up, Sweatin, Wet Me [insane insane] Calor and Oil Pumping just to name a few.

Performances

I must admit, I attend different soca fetes for different reasons. X-ta-tik, the crowd and stage circus, Burning Flames, the unpredictability, and Krosfyah, the music. They are a no nonsense group with no desire to talk all night, they are here to entertain and thats just what they do. What’s beautiful about Krosfyah is, whether they are performing for 100 or 1000 people, they give you their best. With them, you never go home asking for a refund as you are usually asking when will they be back. Oh, they are a well oiled machine and the fact that they frequently rehearse is evident. But what defines a Krosfyah performance is the rendition of Wet Me [insane insane]. To witness 100 or 1000 patrons sing in unity the first verse and chorus of this song, while Edwin acts as choir conductor is worth the price of admission. It is one of the reasons why this song is, quite possibly the greatest party song ever written.
 
If you have been living on the moon for the past fifteen years and have never heard of this group, you might wanna rush to the nearest music store and get caught up. For in an era when suspect writing, below par singers and shoddy arranging rule the day, these guys are one of the few exceptions. If you have been here on earth, and are not yet convinced that these guys are the best the soca world has to offer, you simply know nothing about music. From 1994 to this day, all they have been doing is pumping me up with their music and I know now that I can’t live without it.  
 
Andy Lavia
afjl@sympatico.ca