Sylvinus Charles, more popularly known as Sly, is a music powerhouse. CapitaliSing on the strong musical influences that have nurtured him from childhood, this talented musician from the South has turned his musical passion into a flourishing business.
Over the past five years, Sly has won two Groovy Soca Monarch titles. This is no easy feat, especially for a relative newcomer on the scene who’s focused on creating quality music first and foremost, and winning titles after. In 2019, his tune ‘Mix Up’ had us all singing and bouncing to its infectious beat. But in 2024, his ’Damn Proud Lucian’ made us all pause and reflect on just how much we appreciate and are influenced by our beautiful island, Saint Lucia. Dazzle had the pleasure of chatting with him on his acheivements and career goals as he continues to work at perfecting his craft.
Tell me a little about yourself and how you first got into music?
Sly: I got into music at around seven or eight years old. I first played drums at a service in the Catholic Church in Belle Vue. My aunts and uncles are deeply involved in Kwéyòl folk music, so I had that influence in music from a very young age. From drums, I moved to bass guitar, and a little bit of piano and keyboards. I transitioned to singing because I used to play drums or bass and sing. Eventually, I moved away from playing instruments and started singing lead with my band, doing hotel gigs.
As an artist, you have a foundation with a particular genre. Talk to us about the genre or genres you basically identify with and how it’s gotten you this far in your career.
Sly: My favourite genre is reggae. I also love a bit of compas. but I really like soca music. What really drove me to soca was Dennery Segment. I started with Dennery Segment, but then transitioned to soca music because the tempo and rhythm for the two genres are almost similar and I also intended on doing a bit more with music. I grew up listening to a lot of soca music by Atlantic, Rupee and others. My uncle used to play a lot of soca music, so I later developed a love for it.
The storytelling in your music is interesting. Tell us a little bit about how you go about including storytelling in your music and the thought process that you use.
Sly: Music is inspiration and the concepts and ideas behind my songs are important. Many people ask me whether my songs are inspired by personal experiences; they’re not always. After writing a song, there’s some element of it that I can see in my life, but it’s never the thought process that gets me into writing the song. My inspiration comes from probably remembering a situation I heard or read about, or just something that comes to me naturally. I believe longevity in music comes when it’s relatable. If you listen to songs by artists like Baron, Kitchener and other great calypsonians, you will hear a strong storyline. I felt that’s what I needed to do to create longevity in my music. I don’t want to create music that is dead and buried in six months. Many times I have songs in my head while I drive. The beat is always on repeat in my car and I’m just singing lines in my head, getting it together. When I reach home or I’m about to go to the studio, I’d put them as a text document on my phone. For many of my songs, when I go to the studio, I’d just probably add a few lines and make some adjustments. My writing process is one where I’d rather have a beat and then create the melodies that match it. Sometimes I’ll have my own melodies and then make the beat. But you often get producers sending you beats and you have to make a song that fits those beats. My knowledge of playing instruments helps me with that because I know what chord progressions to use to create a nice feel for the songs. Your lyrics and melodies have to mesh.
You won Groovy Soca Monarch in 2019 and 2024. Tell us about the experience when you won in 2019
Sly: We had ‘Mix Up’ on the Fuego riddim produced by Lashley “Motto” Winter. The idea for that song came from a meme. Many people told me the song was big and my manager told me to give it a shot for Groovy Soca Monarch. I wasn’t much into competition, although I’d won one in my younger days. I decided to give it a shot. The love and support we got and the energy onstage that night was just electric. Just hearing your name being announced at the end of the night winning against artists like Ricky T and Shemmy J was amazing.
After winning in 2019, you proved your point. What did that feel like and did it open doors for you?
Sly: Winning in 2019 brought more recognition to the name Sly and the Vyé Twizeen Boyz brand. I got to perform in Canada, England and Martinique, and also did a few local events. Unfortunately, I didn’t get some of the bookings or opportunities I thought I should have however, at the end of the day, I always feel that whatever you get from a win is a plus. I believe that nothing should ever be handed to me; I should earn what I get. I got to travel and gain experience and see different performers. These are things I really appreciated from the win in 2019 because they helped me become a better artist.
In 2024, you came back with a vengeance. Tell us what it was like to perform at Soca Monarch?
Sly: There was no Soca Monarch in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19, so 2022 was the year of my title defense. It was a difficult year. I was “rusty” from not performing, so I didn’t place the way I wanted to. Nonetheless, the work never stopped. In 2023 we released ‘Problems’, which got some good traction. That was the year Arthur returned. I had never been in competition with Arthur before, so I told my manager to just let me step back and see how things went that year. The morning after Arthur won with ‘Feelin’ Irie’, I watched and studied his performance and cracked the code by understanding what was required. It gave me a boost and made me eager to compete again. The team and I made the necessary preparations and went out to deliver in 2024.
How does it feel hearing your song, ‘Damn Proud Lucian’, being the anthem for our very own Julien Alfred after she won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics?
Sly: I started writing ‘Damn Proud Lucian’ in December 2023. We had another song we wanted to perform at Soca Monarch in 2024. While writing ‘Damn Proud Lucian’, I told my manager that after he listened to the song, he would understand why we should compete with it. We released it just before Independence and did a visualizer which got some good reviews. I told my manager I didn’t want the song to be an Independence song, but rather my transition into Carnival to win my title. We planned everything carefully and the song just kicked off a spark of Saint Lucian brilliance with Shan Lucien winning the Carnival Queen Pageant and Miss Jaycees Pageant, and Julien Alfred winning gold and silver at the Olympics. I have a connection with that song on a different level than all my other songs because of the state of mind I was in when I wrote it. Just defeating Arthur who had won multiple times was an immense feeling. Julien Alfred actually said it’s one of the songs she used as motivation.
Do you think you have played a significant part in bringing Saint Lucians together with the song?
Sly: I believe so because people across the diaspora tell me the song makes them want to return home and that it reminds them of their beautiful country. Even foreigners consider it a brilliant song. Just hearing the song being played during Julien’s homecoming and everyone singing it in unison was an amazing feeling.
What’s next for you as a musician?
Sly: We should be touring outside Saint Lucia to perform. We’re also working on an album release and hosted our second signature show in December 2024. Aside from that, we’re looking forward to some of the more popular shows for 2025. So expect more from Sly. We’re looking for some more collaborations with artists from Saint Lucia and abroad. Hopefully, we can expand our network and have a bigger reach globally.
