‘Spankin - A Tribute’

Austin “Super Blue” (formerly “Blue Boy”) Lyons, was born in St. Andrew’s, Grenada. He migrated to Trinidad & Tobago at a young age and became famous from his first foray into the calypso tent world in 1980 with Soca Baptist - a song he penned in 1979, and which won him his first Carnival Road March title. Lyons’ premiere into the calypso art form took Trinidad & Tobago by storm. 

In 1981, Lyons repeated his win with Ethel and in 1983 it was Rebecca, the selection which also clenched the National Panorama title for Desperadoes Steel Orchestra.

He would go on to win the annual Carnival Road March title nine times, the last being for Carnival 2013 with Fantastic Friday. 

The title of Trinidad Soca Monarch (now the International Soca Monarch)  also belonged to “Blue Boy” for a record five times.  By 1991, he was known as “Super Blue.” As his color-referenced moniker suggests, Lyons is famous for wearing blue costumes, and developed a reputation for performing daring antics while on stage for the Trinidad Soca Monarch competitions.

His daughter Fay-Ann Lyons, whose mother is calypsonian Lady Gypsy, is herself a well-known soca musician, composer and performer, and has already herself won three Road March titles.

In 2013, Fantastic Friday by “Super Blue” caught the musical fancy of no less than four out of ten steel orchestras for the annual New York Panorama event. And they all snagged the top four prizes with their respective arrangements and performances, with CASYM Steel Orchestra taking a super Saturday victory lap when they won the Panorama championship that September night playing the song.

Now, Super Blue’s brought back the main track from his 1989 EP (extended play) album of the same name - “Mrs. Pan.” With a partial re-working of the verses, it’s been re-released as Spankin - A Tribute, featured here. Needless to say, its melodic and lyrical content puts it in play for the 2014 Panorama season.