IT WAS an emotional scene at Soka in Moka on January 5 as soca songstress Patrice Roberts leaped out into the crowd to embrace fans and party patrons during her performance.
It was during her performance of her 2021 hit Soca Therapy. She had been itching to get down into the crowd since the start of her set while she performed her 2025 hit Cyah Hear Yuh and hits from previous years such as Mind My Business. When she did get into the crowd, she was swarmed by patrons who hugged her and jumped up with her singing the refrain:
"Soca is my therapy . It take away all of my anxiety. I tell you that we all need love! Jump up and show me love! Wine up and show me love!
“Soca make we stronger together, no place that I'd rather be. Stronger together, right now is our energy, stronger together soca is a part ah we. Stronger together.”
The scene was even more emotional, given that it was a little more than a year since her fiance and colleague Ricardo Drue passed away. She thanked patrons for their support through the difficult time.
[caption id="attachment_1131877" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Andre "Viking Ding Ding" Houlder performs during Soka in Moka fete at the Trinity College court on January 5. [/caption]
“I just want to take this opportunity to thank you guys for standing up with me in my lowest moments. If there was anyone who lost someone this year, 2024 into 2025 was very difficult for some people, but most importantly, we made it to see another year.”
She encouraged everyone at the fete to take a toast for life.
But Roberts wasn’t done rocking the crowd. At one point during the performance she did what legendary bowlers such as Glenn Mc Grath and Shane Warne had trouble doing for their entire careers – she bowled out Brian Lara by giving him a fast-paced wine.
Roberts called Lara to the stage to take a delivery of “waist,” but Roberts’ spin and pace were too much for the retired batsman. He was stumped before he could settle in the crease.
“At least he could play cricket,” she said to the crowd as Lara exited the stage.
After her performance she said her love and passion for soca music were literally her therapy as she dealt with the loss of her fiance, and other challenges she faced over the past year.
“I didn’t even know that I needed this until now,” she told Newsday backstage. “Sometimes God puts you through journeys and challenges and you don’t even understand the reason. I understand the reason now. Sometimes he puts you through things so you could be an example and motivate people, especially females such as myself.
[caption id="attachment_1131879" align="alignnone" width="683"] Olatungi Yearwood performs at Soka in Moka. [/caption]
“Soca is really my therapy. This is something that I really love. This is my passion. I’ve seen that I have inspired a lot of women to do bigger and better things. I am a mother, I am an artist, but more so I am a human being. I have been working so hard and I have never taken any time for myself. This time I have taken time to heal and I have
