Skinny Fabulous Wins Four Awards at Caribbean Music Awards, Including Male Soca Artiste Of The Year

Port-of-Spain – Last Thursday, St Vincent and the Grenadines soca star Skinny Fabulous won four awards at the Caribbean Music Awards (CMA). He secured the most awards of the night, chief among them, the award for Male Soca Artiste Of The Year.

“Any category that a man like Machel Montano falls in, you never expect that you would be victorious. That’s the one that made me get really emotional,” the artiste, birth name Gamal Doyle, said candidly in the aftermath.

He added that he is now even more motivated to deliver in the Carnival season ahead.

For entertainers like Skinny Fabulous, who hails from one of the smaller islands in the region, the recognition is invaluable.

“Typically, the bigger islands often make off with the recognition – the shine. When you’re from a smaller island and you end up in categories with the big boys from the big islands, and end up victorious, it’s humbling,” he said.

“Now, the geographical lines and demarcations between the islands really do not matter anymore. Now we are operating as one Caribbean melting pot when it comes to soca and that’s a good way forward, I think.”

Three additional awards, Video Of The Year, Soca Collaboration Of The Year and Song Of The Year, in the soca genre, have further cemented the singer/songwriter’s worth in the industry. He said the Caribbean Music Awards has provided a necessary service to the artistes involved in Caribbean music.

“Sometimes, as artistes, we look for motivation from different places and I think this is a place that has given those of us in the industry somewhat of the highest kind of motivation,” said Skinny.

That motivation has indeed worked, as he says he will be back in the studio immediately after New York’s Labour Day celebrations.

Come Home, the 2023 Road March contender, collaboratively sung with Trinidad and Tobago’s Nailah Blackman, delivered the additional awards to the artiste. Skinny says the song’s success is a testament to the hard work of the production team and both artistes’ management teams.

“It’s one of those things that helps you confirm that you cannot half-step on things if you believe in a product,” he said, emphasising the importance of going all out when the product is one that you truly believe in.

“It makes absolute sense to go full hundred on the product if you believe in it. That means investing in visuals, artwork, music videos, investing in the full promotion. You can’t have one foot in and one foot out,” he added.