Trinidadian soca star Patrice Roberts delivered a dazzling performance at the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival on May 8, headlining the Caribbean Fusion segment. Though no stranger to Saint Lucia, Roberts marked her debut at the Jazz Festival with an electrifying set that left the audience buzzing.
“It was amazing and I’m so happy to be a part of this big festival,” she said after performing. “It just shows that the world is looking and that I’m growing from strength to strength… people actually appreciate my music and see my growth.”
Performing with her full band, Roberts brought energy to the stage, fusing vibrant soca rhythms with heartfelt crowd engagement. For her, the connection with fans is deeply personal.
“I think when I’m performing, I like to feel like I’m home,” she said. “I’ve been feeling the love… and I feel like it’s not a performance if I don’t want to go in the crowd and touch my fans. I feel like my fans are family.”
Roberts, who has also been a regular participant in Saint Lucia Carnival, spoke fondly of her experiences on the island. “It doesn’t feel like anything strange. It’s always enjoyable… to see the fans touching me, enjoying my music and enjoying my presence.”
Also performing on the same night was fellow Trinidadian artist Yung Bredda. Roberts described their connection as vital to the genre’s growth.
“Yung Bredda, together with all the artists in Trinidad and throughout the Caribbean, I would say that we are like family,” she said. “We’ve been working tirelessly to make sure that soca music is being recognized globally.”
Roberts further added that she believes collaboration across genres is key to expanding soca’s global reach, much like the rise of Afrobeats.
“I love Afro music, and I try to release music out of Carnival and just try to push the music as much as I can,” she explained. “If we do collaborate with different genres, I definitely think we will break barriers. And even performing in festivals like this helps us to be recognised.”
