Soca songstress Nailah Blackman brought a different wave of Carnival energy to South Trinidad on Saturday night with the “Sokah Origins” concert.

The Trinbagonian vocalist, who turned 22 on December 2nd, celebrated her milestone with a slew of celebrity guest performances from some of Soca’s top entertainers – including Kes, Destra Garcia, Voice, Iwer George, Farmer Nappy, Erphaan Alves and Blaxx.

The event was hosted by American celebrity and model Hennessy Carolina, sister of Grammy award-winning rapper Cardi B, who has often boasted of her Trinbagonian maternal parentage.

Known for her eclectic fashion sense, Blackman wowed the audience with a series of edgy, showstopping wardrobe changes throughout the night from popular designers such as Sandra Hordatt and Shasha Designs.

With her hair

donning ultra-long twists and backed by Sokah The Band, the singer and

songwriter kept her fans’ energy on high during her extended set and performed

some of her most beloved hits including “Showtime” featuring Sekon Sta, “More

Sokah”, “Peppa” with Shal Marshall and “Baddish” which is Blackman’s duo with

Jamaican dancehall superstar Shenseea.

Speaking exclusively to BUZZ after the event, Blackman was grateful for the continued support from her fans and supporters around the world as she continues on her mission to take Soca music global. “It’s truly a humbling feeling to know that this outpouring of love and support from fans is not just for me, but for the artistes that performed tonight,” she said.

A former BET Award nominee for Best New International Act in 2018, Blackman said that looking at the bigger picture is always the focus for her and her team – which includes her managers Anson Soverall and Lorraine O’Connor.

“It’s always a big win for soca music when soca artistes can come together and celebrate our culture as a community. Moments like this have definitely shaped the performer and person that I am today.”

Nailah Blackman is the granddaughter of the late Garfield Blackman, better known as Ras Shorty I, who is credited with the invention of the Soca genre.

Still riding a wave of success from the launch of her debut EP “The Reel” earlier this year, the “Iron Man” and “Baila Mami” songstress will release more new music for Trinidad Carnival 2020 later this month and is expected to perform at numerous events throughout the season, which kicks off in January.

— . Tenille Clarke is an avid wanderlust, Carnivalist and cultural enthusiast who pens about her ongoing love affair with travel, culture and entertainment through a Caribbean lens. She is the Principal Publicist of Chambers Media Solutions and Managing Director of Industry 360@tenilleclarke1 on Instagram/Twitter.