Xtatik

Xtatik
Origin	Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Genres	Soca, Dancehall Soca, Dancehall
Years active	1984-1989(as Panasonic Express) 1989-present (as Xtatik)
Website	xtatik.com
Members	Machel Montano (vocals) Joseph Rivers (guitar) Vincent Rivers (bass guitar) Derwin Vallie (keyboards) Sterling Paul (trombone) Oral Rodriguez (saxophone) Marlon Roach (trumpet) Rodney Daniel (trumpet) Gregory Pegus (drums) Darryl Henry (percussion) Peter C. Lewis (co-lead vocalist (1998-)

Xtatik is a locally and well-known Trinidad and Tobago soca band led by Machel Montano.

History

The band evolved from Panasonic Express, which was formed in 1984 in Port of Spain.^[1] The original line-up was (then 9-year-old) Machel Montano (vocals), Joseph Rivers (guitar), Vincent Rivers (bass guitar), Derwin Vallie (keyboards), Sterling Paul (trombone), Oral Rodriguez (saxophone), Marlon Roach (trumpet), Rodney Daniel (trumpet), Gregory Pegus (drums), and Darryl Henry (percussion).^[1] The group became Xtatik in 1989.^[1] Their early albums Breaking Out (1990) and One Step Ahead (1991) were both locally successful, and the band had several hit singles in Trinidad & Tobago.^[1] In 1991 they recruited guitarist Roger George and moved to a sound that fused Soca and dancehall.^[1] Several albums followed in this vein and the band won road march titles at carnivals in Caribana and Miami in 1994.^[1] In 1995 they successfully blended soca and house on "Come Dig It", giving them exposure in the United States. They won the Trinidad Road March title in 1997 with "Big Truck", and again in 1998 with "Footsteps".^[1] In 1998, Peter C. Lewis joined as co-lead vocalist.^[1]

Xtatik, won the Party Band Competition in 1996. According to -Metro Connections, Montano "successfully crosses boundaries between young and old, between Jamaica and Trinidad and between soca and dancehall."

References

1. Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6, p. 300-301