As he walked into the room we couldn’t help noticing that he had the biggest smile on his face. His enthusiasm was infectious as he lit up the room and greeted us with the warmest hello. We sat down, casually shared some jokes, and then it was right down to business.
Born on May 2nd in the year that our beautiful island became an independent state, he is Mr. Wenhal Benjamin Gerald, known in the entertainment/calypso/soca arena as Alpha. Having won the Soca Monarch title three times here in Saint Lucia, as well as the Groovy Monarch title in 2009 and 2010, Alpha is well known for his terrific melody and rhythm. He relives his journey with Dazzle Magazine.
Alpha attended the St. Aloysius RC Boy’s School and later the Vide Boutielle Secondary School. The name ‘Alpha’ was given to him by veteran calypsonian, Struggler when Alpha competed for the first time at the Vide Boutielle Secondary School Calypso Competition. It was decided, after much thought, that he needed a stage name that is powerful and appealing, so Alpha was chosen. ‘Alpha’ which means “the beginning” has stuck with him since then.
Alpha has always had a great love for music. He remembers singing to literally every song he heard. He started signing calypso at the age of fifteen. After winning the Vide Boutielle Secondary School Calypso King title, Alpha would realize his true calling. This was enough to capture the attention of some leading persons in the calypso arena. Alpha would later join the Takeover Tent. Upon leaving school, he would nurture one of his other talents and become a specialised barber. This would serve as his main source of income for some time and Alpha developed a good reputation for himself. Inasmuch as he loved barbering, music, which is his greater love, demanded more time and effort and so Alpha eventually devoted his full time and energy to his music.
For the past seventeen years Alpha has been actively involved in the calypso/soca arena. His first calypso was entitled “Fault of Man” and with it he won the Calypso King title at his school’s competition. In 2004, Alpha composed the soca hit “Down De Road” along with the band Fondacion and he won the Road March title. He subsequently went on to capture the prestigious Soca/Party Monarch titles in Saint Lucia three years in a row (2004 – 2006) with the songs “Down de Road” (2004), “In De Ark” (2005) and “Happy Birthday” (2006). In 2009 he won the Groovy Soca Monarch title with the song “Cyah Wait.”
For Alpha, the best part about being an artiste is being able to satisfy his fans. Sharing in their energy and feeling their love and appreciation, is another source of fulfillment for him. The worst part about being an artiste for him is when things don’t work according to plan and when he sees disrespect being meted out to artistes.
Being the easygoing person that he is makes him happy and this joy is Alpha’s greatest achievement in his career. Apart from winning competitions and titles, music has taken Alpha to countries like the UK, Trinidad, St. Vincent, the US, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominica and Maguerita. His most memorable performance was in 2004 with his hit tune “Down de Road.” He admitted to Dazzle Magazine that 2006 proved to be a very difficult year for him but he was able to persevere and retain his title. Many people may not remember, but Alpha was the first Saint Lucian artiste to be signed up by telecommunication company Cable & Wireless (now LIME) in 2006 along with Trinidadian Soca superstars Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin and Shurwayne Winchester, as well as Dancehall superstar Beenie Man of Jamaica.
One of Alpha’s goals is to have his music extend beyond Saint Lucia. With this mindset he would love to develop his talents further and produce a show which incorporates dancers and a live band, similar to RnB and Hip-Hop artistes Beyoncé and Usher. He would also love to win an international soca award, not to mention touring the world and performing in countries like Japan, Australia and France to name a few. Alpha would also like to mentor up-and-coming artistes and help nurture their talents and keep them focused.
It has been an interesting journey for Alpha filled with accolades and memorable experiences. Dazzle Magazine is most pleased to be able to share his journey with you, as this passion and love he has for music needs to be shared. For Alpha, music is not a job but a blessing that brings him tremendous joy and gratification. We wish him well in all his endeavours and may his passion for music never cease to inspire him to create even greater melodies!
