Rupert Rupee Clarke is having a greater presence in Crop-Over this year, supporting De Big Show tent, performing at a couple of events such as Cosmos at the Concorde last week and the all-inclusive Aurora today. And there’s more to come.
In an exclusive interview with the SUNDAY SUN, he explained why he was missing from the scene last year.
Rupee, who said he is now 100 per cent ready for this season, having written about 11 or 12 songs and releasing two – Nothing Sweeter and My Day – and working in the studios with various producers, said that last year he actually had material ready.
“I am the type of person that don’t like to put half-finished products out to the public so if my material isn’t at a standard that I deem fit for the public I am not gonna put it out there…that’s how I am,” he said.
“Fortunately for me, working overseas is like 95 per cent of my income so I was able to have bookings all throughout the Crop Over season. And I was still representing and promoting Barbados as I have done before.” Rupee said that it wasn’t the first time he hadn’t put music out for Crop Over.
Last year was “phenomenal” and “groundbreaking” in terms of touring and taking soca music to places like Sri Lanka where the crowd was “99.99 per cent” non-West Indian. He, Kevin Lyttle and his deejay were the only West Indians there on stage . . . staying for four to five days, Rupee said.
Look out for the full interview in tomorrow’s SUNDAY SUN