Celebrating life has never been as embraced by our people as it has been since Irma, and life we shall celebrate! St. Maarten’s a mesh of sound, lights, aromas, concerts and parades – and how can we forget Band-Clash; yes Band-Clash is rapidly approaching!!
We’ve gone “Da DiStAnCe”; now we’ll be “StEpPinG-OuT”, which are songs that have both grown to be regionally and internationally acclaimed bangers, with “StEpPinG-OuT” reaching 10k YouTube views in record time and becoming an instant in every home – a Carnival classic. This track is a mixture of pulsating, ferocious and Xciting riddim created by Daddy Dez. The weeping and wailing guitars are done by Ali and Marvin, with Fred destroying the live drum tracking (acoustic by the way), an Xciting treat; MaGiC and Uncle DwayneE add the fuel to MixX!E’s already fire hot basslines (all mixed and mastered by DizellBueno at Great Music Studio), It’s astronomical and we only hope it can get better and better. Oh hey! There is a hint of reggae in this ONE!!
The highly anticipated Band-Clash competition (back to back champions) is where St. Maarten’s top bands display our art form on flat-bed trucks piled high with speakers, amplifiers, instruments and musicians and where we do battle to see who triumphs. Last two years have proven that the competition is extremely fierce and this year proves quadruple the ferocity, but Da BiG BaD XP Band lives for this and we’ll go to battle once more and at the end of the day, we’ll leave it up to God, the judges, our supporters and not forgetting our MUSIC! THANK YOU!
Up next will be the official Opening Jump-Up on April 12 and yes, folks, it will be the road-jam you don’t wanna miss, because here is where we “Step OuT”. Following will be Caribbean Flag-Fest on April 21, where we are back by popular demand as your St. Maarten representatives (third time’s the charm). We were overwhelmed with the support at the past two years’ events from every country attending and the feedback is always amazing – and this year will prove to be exponentially “Bigger and Badder”. We appreciate each and every dance, shout-out, singalong and interaction from each and every one of you – and we THANK YOU!
After that is Jouvert Morning on April 27 at 4:00am, where all we ask is that you just look for Da BiG-BaD XP and Xpect an Xciting kindah Jouvert Morning with an Xtreme performance. Don’t hear about it; be about it!
The Grand Parade is on April 30, followed by the Second Day Parade on May 1 – both promise to be a majestic blend of colours and musical-vybez when we hit the Streets with Our BiG-BaD SOUND2000 Truck-Setup while we accompany RIO Productions as they reveal their “Metamorphosis” throughout the streets of Philipsburg – Oh sweet Sint Maarten land.
On May 2, we end our year-long quest to repeat as St. Maarten’s “Band of the Year” – an honour we earned for the first time last year. Da BiG BaD XP Band firmly believes that our music will again etch our name in the record books and this definitely will NOT be the last time it’s etched in there!
We humbly, gratefully and genuinely thank God for his guidance and blessings while not forgetting our families, radio personalities, sponsors, DJs, promoters, music lovers and last, but furthest from the least, we thank each and every single BiG-BaD XP Band supporter out there. Without you, there won’t be us!
Yours in Muzik,
Darnel ‘MixX!E’ York
XP-LOVE
