Carnival 2012 was filled with lots of surprises! Without a doubt, Ambi’s performance throughout the season, while remarkably astonishing, did not come as a surprise to many. For a lot of persons, Ambi’s rise to the top was inevitable.
Ambrose “Ambi” Dwayne Joseph has been dazzling the Saint Lucian audience since 2010. Today, he is chatting with Dazzle Magazine about his experience as an artiste, songwriter and performer in Saint Lucia and the rest of the world.
Dazzle Magazine was completely caught off-guard by Ambi who sat quietly, waiting to be interviewed. He was nothing like his lively and exciting stage persona, which usually has hundreds of fans jumping and waving to his lyrical creativity and stage antics. Very intriguing are his humble and warm characteristics, which radiates not only in his smile but also through his personality.
Ambi, who started singing with the Take Over Tent in 2010, says that he was encouraged by his family and friends to push himself and join a formal tent. After much coaxing, he decided to ‘try a ting’ and brave the stage and studio. That same year, he was a Power Soca Monarch finalist and placed second in the first ever Piton Soca Starz competition with his power soca song “Push Dem”. He also released “So Long” – both songs written by him and produced by Mathias.
Coming from a family of entertainers, Ambi makes special mention of his father and uncles who are professional dancers and his brother, renowned Saint Lucian Soca artiste, Ricky T. Dazzle also learnt that his younger sister was crowned Barbados’s Carnival Queen when she participated in the Show, and his younger brother placed second in this year’s RC Jam.
For “So Long”, Ambi explains how he ‘caught the vibe’ for that track, “so long I had been waiting for carnival to come. I was reminded that I was part of a tent now, so I started by singing, then I went home, took my pen and paper and started writing!”
It was very entertaining watching Ambi’s excitement come alive as he relived that moment, swaying from side to side as he told the story.
When asked who inspires him, he said, “Ricky T will always be the first one, followed Bunji Garlin and Bounty Killa for dancehall.”
Ambi admits that he also likes rap music but favours dancehall, “I like originality and reality tunes, something that people can relate to. I do my music for the world, anything that’s happening, like the song “Chanting” which is about reality.” He said.
“I like originality and reality tunes, something that people can relate to. I do my music for the world, anything that’s happening, like the song “Chanting” which is about reality.”
When we teased Ambi about songs related to ‘whining on de bumpa’, he responded by saying, “At times you have to come with a different state of mind. You can’t come with the same thing every time. You have to do something to elevate the people and let them see that there is someone out there seeing what’s happening and who wants to do something about it.”
Aside from Ricky T, Ambi admires artists like, Ninja Dan – especially as he focuses on positivity, Platinum George, Mongstar, J Budds, Sergi, D-Sean, Qpid and Teddyson John. He also had to shout-out to his Dutch Productions family, as they’ve been a great support team to him.
In response to which artistes he has learnt from the most, Ambi said, “I learnt from Machel Montano. He always has something to catch the crowd and keep them on their feet. I have learnt how to win the crowd over by mixing my vibe with that of Machel and Ricky T, while I look towards Bunji for ideas for lyrics.”
Ambi admits that two of his favourite songs of the season were “Come Here” by J Budds and “St. Lucia We Love” by Mongstar, produced of course by, the Dutch Productions camp.
Dazzle knows a secret about Ambi but we won’t dare tell you…at least not yet!
Here’s a hint, to anyone who wants to brighten up Ambi’s day. Feel free to call a radio station and request ‘Madam La’. This is guaranteed to make his day!
On his placement in the Groovy and Power Soca Finals this year, Ambi expressed how pleased he was, especially seeing his progress from his debut into the music industry in 2010. He said it is like, “OMG! I made it to finals the first year and I was like, I will do better in 2011, where I placed fourth in Groovy and ninth in Power Soca. I figured I could only do better from there. I kept focused, confident and I told myself, ‘I must place this year. I will place this year’.”
Still, Ambi says he was surprised when his name was called and attributes some of his success to the “trinity”. Who makes up the “trinity”? That’s another secret Dazzle will keep between Ambi and us. Sorry, but not every secret is meant to be shared.
It was heartwarming, hearing Ambi share his sentiments on both himself and his brother, making it to finals and of course placing in both competitions, “It was nothing short of phenomenal sharing the stage and title with my brother,” Ambi expressed.
He describes his performances this year, especially at Power Soca Finals as exhilarating and uplifting. He is really appreciative of the crowd support he received and would like to thank everyone who supported him during the season. Even those persons who just supported the art form.
Ambi has had the opportunity to perform on many stages including, Wet Fete, Cooler Lime as well as island-wide at the Piton Soca Starz. He has also performed at this year’s Labour Day celebrations in New York City and several clubs in New York and Connecticut. He describes his touring experience as, “Mad!”
Ambi’s advice to young people is to, “get up and get! It makes no sense sitting there being idle. There are opportunities out there; you just have to go look for them. You may not want to sing but you can find something that keeps you out of trouble – like a job.”
From personal experiences Ambi points out that things are never handed to you. He believes that you have to want it, take action and then it will happen.
In his own words, “I got up, went looking for what I wanted and I achieved it!” Ambi said.
“I got up, went looking for what I wanted and I achieved it!”
It is with this determination as his driving force that Ambi practices his craft everyday and uses every moment as potential for something great. One thing is for sure, there is no stopping Ambi. After his New York City Labour Day performances this year, it’s back to the studio, doing what he loves most.
Dazzle would like to congratulate Ambi on all his successes so far and wishes him continued success. Ambi, keep up the great work as we look forward to more hypnotic songs and spectacular performances!
