Miguel wants to sing soca

“Funny thing about that, I was just talking to a friend of mine about the possibility. I’m Latino, my father is Mexican, so soca music and all of the rhythms that I grow up with are quite similar so I don’t see that being far off, so that’s exciting,” Miguel said during a press conference at The Villas, Stonehaven, Blackrock, Tobago.

He spoke to local reporters hours before he was due to take the stage for the Jazz Experience as one of the headline acts, along with another Grammy and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.

“It’s an extreme pleasure to be here as it’s my first trip to Trinidad and Tobago. I’m excited to be able to come and have some fun with the people here, the fans, the people, the culture, everything, I definitely am excited. We are definitely going to have a good time. I want to test them and see if they know the music first and then we’re definitely going to have a good time,” said Miguel, who goes by his first name only. His surname is Pimentel.

The California-born singer seemed taken in by the beauty of Tobago.

“I just want to be part of the memory… relax, enjoy music, the good people and the good food, you have all that here so hopefully the music will help heighten that experience. It seems everywhere I go there’s just so much beauty, the ocean, the landscape, the food, I mean, you can’t find that everywhere, that’s special,” he said.

Miguel would have had a chance to hear TT’s soca superstar Machel Montano, who was also billed for the Jazz Experience at Pigeon Point Heritage Park, for the segment titled World Music Night.

The Jazz Experience comes to a climax at the same venue tomorrow. Busy Signal, Kool and the Gang, Jill Scott are among several top local, regional and international performers expected at this year’s event.