The young artiste, whose soca hit, Touch It, has been burning up the airwaves, has successfully bridged Soca and Calypso

St. John’s Antigua- Born Roderick Gordon, entertainer “Chucky,” who is presently a third year student at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business UWI, is pursuing a Masters degree in Human Resource Management. The 24-year-old Trinidadian is due to graduate in the year 2012.

Singing consistently for the past eight years, Chucky participated in a number of junior calypso competitions, including the National Calypso Monarch and NACC Pathfinders competition while at secondary school concluding his A’ Level studies.

In 2004 he placed 4^th in the National Junior Calypso Monarch, won the Pathfinders competition and a number of other smaller competitions. Also in that year, Chucky took part in the schools’ Parang Festival, where he won the best male vocalist title.

In 2005, he entered the senior calypso realm, where he succeeded in qualifying for the semi-finals of the National Calypso Monarch. In this same year he was a Young King finalist, won the Tunapuna and Laventille calypso monarchs, placed 4^th in the Stars of Tomorrow competition, and was a member of the Kaiso Karavan calypso tent.

Heavily involved in culture, Chucky took part in The Prime Minister’s Best Village Competition 2005 with the Barataria Community Council, where he won the best male vocalist title and the best all-round performer award in the folk theater category.

The calypso fraternity was however forced to take special notice of Chucky in 2006, when he proved that he was here to stay, making history by becoming the second youngest person, at the age of 19, to become a National Calypso Monarch finalist. He also placed 5^th in the Young Kings competition, 4^th in the Stars of Tomorrow competition, and won the Tunapuna Monarch for a second consecutive time. Chucky also made his first ever venture into the soca arena with his debut hit “See You,” which allowed him to place third in the International Groovy Monarch competition and gave him the opportunity to perform in a number of parties and fetes. As a result of such an outstanding season, Chucky was nominated as a best new male artist at the International Soca Awards in New York.

The young calypsonian who has successfully bridged Soca and Calypso, captured the first runner up position in the 2007 International Groovy Soca Monarch competition after Bajan entertainer Biggie Irie, inadvertently becoming the 2007 T&T Groovy Soca Monarch with his hit song ‘Turn Around’.  Apart from his success in the Soca Monarch Competition that year, Chucky also managed to capture the Stars of Tomorrow title as well as become the 1^st runner up in the Young Kings Competition.

Chucky continues to be heavily involved in all areas and levels of T&T culture with high quality contributions across the board. It is no wonder then that Chucky is being touted as a future stalwart and icon in this nation’s culture. In the year 2011 Chucky was back with the flagship tent Kaiso House and placed 5^th in the International Groovy Soca Monarch with his hit song ‘My Bad Ting’ which happened to be one of the most well received songs of the year.

Once again, Chucky enjoyed another fantastic year with his mega hit song titled ‘Touch It’. He performed in a number of T&T’s highlight events for the Carnival season such as Fire Fete, Army Fete and Tribe events. The show-stopping season culminated in yet another finals placing at the Groovy Soca Monarch.

This season undoubtedly has been Chucky’s greatest impact season with great vocal ability and performances compared to some of the greats in the industry. As such Chucky is looking to further his notoriety by plying his trade out of the carnival season with new wave musical offerings and touching the awaiting market outside of carnival and Trinidad and Tobago.

See him in action tomorrow night at Antigua Recreation Grounds during Calypso Spektakula presented by DSC & Spektakula Promotions. Chucky forms part of a stellar line-up of soca and calypso greats, including Blaxx, All Rounder, Nadia Batson, Black Stalin, TC, Prophet Benjamin, Erphaan Alves, Sugar Aloes, and our own Ricardo Drue.

Showtime is 9 pm.