He’s bold, dashing and unassuming with a flair for adventure. These are the notable traits of Lance Mongroo aka ‘Sir Lancealot,’ a young, up-and-coming Saint Lucian artiste currently making his mark on the local music scene. His boyish zeal for a challenge has propelled him into the spotlight as an energetic deejay and Soca star.
Even his sobriquet, ‘Sir Lance-a-lot’ says a lot about this young talent who is always ready to face the competition and explore new horizons; such as taking on a moniker that is unlike that of any of the other DJs. His adventurous nature is akin to the exploits of his hero – Sir Lancelot, the undisputed Knight of the Round Table.
While in Canada pursuing studies in computer networks, Lance got to ‘hook up’ with an enthusiastic bunch of deejays and was exposed to a broader spectrum of the entertainment field, including radio, the party scene and sound systems, while on campus. He holds his Diploma in Computer Network Administration.
Lance’s three-year stay in Canada set up his introduction into the deejaying business. He did some brief stints as a radio DJ, hosting his own show with a live stream. On returning home, he scouted around for opportunities for about 18 months, initially producing his own commercials before he got his first break with Radio Caribbean International (RCI) in 2006/07. He was employed as a production manager/radio announcer/deejay for two years.
This was one of his two stints with RCI, before moving to Blazin FM, where he has been employed for the past three years. He describes his transition to Blazin FM as an intervention that rejuvenated his career and gave him creative freedom.
Lance was adjudged first-runner up at both the 2013 Groovy Soca and Soca Monarch competitions. He was also involved in singing the theme song for the St Lucia Zouks at this year’s inaugural CPL T20 tournament, and considers it a great accomplishment and a major breakthrough in his career.
Sir Lancealot was on the edge of his seat ‘eager to explode’ as he took Dazzle Magazine on a trek into his life’s adventures.
Dazzle: What prompted you to take up a career in the entertainment field?
Sir Lancealot: From the inception, music has always been my passion and I always knew that I wanted to do something that embodied music. I was young and naive and though I’m not quite sure why, I just knew that my passion was music. I was linking with a bunch of deejays and having fun, not realizing that I was actually beginning to embrace and re-create the craft. I had just graduated from school and was employed with Cable &Wireless at the time – now LIME. What really propelled me into the music was that, whilst driving, I grew tired of hearing the same monotonous songs on the radio station so I started to create my own mix tapes. I then shared my mix tapes with some of my colleagues and never really took it serious until I left Saint Lucia to further my education.
However, my whole vibe was just music … When I went on to do my studies I felt that a part of me was trying to satisfy my parents’ expectations of me, but at the same time I felt it was time for me to do something for myself.
Dazzle: How were you able to flex between your stints as a deejay to become a Soca artiste?
Sir Lancealot: I was introduced to soca in 2007; the same year that Ricky T bust up the place with a song entitled ‘Pressure Boom.’ That song penned by Iwa was initially written for me to sing. At the time, I felt I would not have done justice to it because I was not ready. I must give a big ‘shout-out’ to Iwa and Penn from Studio 758, as these are the guys who have been instrumental in shaping my career as a soca artiste. They are the ones who really stuck behind me and believed in me, even when people doubted me.
I decided to put my singing talent on the line since I felt that I had nothing to lose in exploring my abilities. I gave it a shot in 2008 with my first soca song called ‘My Band is the Best,’ written by me and produced by 758. Penn has really been the one pushing me to take up the art even when I was not sure of myself. I began by visiting the studio. We developed a beat, the melodies came in and everything followed, and it was like clockwork. I later enrolled at the School of Music to do vocal training.
Dazzle: Upon reflection, and in your estimation as a soca artiste, has 2013 been your best year thus far?
Sir Lancealot: Yes, within the soca arena and by the grace of God – and with an amazing team. The reason why I was able to accomplish so much this year is because my team was behind me, and there was a lot going on behind the scenes that we had to put in to make it happen. Just the fight to get to that final round and then execute it was a real challenge. (Thank you Filamena Day, Brandon Ramjeawan, Steve Chitole, Jelani Paul and Krystal Jn.Baptise)
Dazzle: So what next for you? What is your thrust and your goal?
Sir Lancealot: My mantra has been and will always be Saint Lucian. In everything I do, I just need to put Saint Lucia on the map in an even bigger way. We are on the map but I want to take it to another level. I put God first, and I do it for my family and friends, but I feel that I have to give something back to my fans. They support me one hundred percent in everything I do, and really and truly I want to do something for Saint Lucia.
The message in my music has always been the same. It is love and unity. If you ignore these two virtues, the foundation gets weak. We really need to come together and build this brand as Saint Lucians. We have our own indigenous style that we need to embrace and market, because the Trinis, Bajans, Antiguans, Jamaicans and the rest, they are creating change and opportunities for themselves.
Maintaining consistency in my work is definitely crucial to me. I feel good, I feel very positive, and I am optimistic about everything that I do. Gratitude has always been my watchword and I am just very thankful for every single opportunity that I get, even the opportunity to work with Dazzle Magazine. It is an honour and a blessing … and even this is a major step forward for me.
Dazzle takes this opportunity to wish Sir Lancealot good luck in his pursuits and hopes he succeeds in fulfilling his dream of ‘doing something big’ for his country.
