By SEETA PERSAD Saturday, January 19 2008

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Soca star Denise Belfon...

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SOCA STAR Denise “Saucy Wow” Belfon and comedian Tommy Joseph are among the stars who will be in action in Rio Claro on January 26. They will join chutney artistes Rick Ramoutar, Nirmal Massive Gosine and Raytee Ramroop for the area’s biggest Carnival fete at the Triangle Amphitheatre, on Tabaquite Road, Rio Claro. Music will be provided by Brantec Rhythm International led by Robert Ramroop.

Having had a bumper year in 2007 with her bicycle wine, Belfon is back with a bang this year doing “Rude Gyal Anthem - Bluetooth Riddhim”. In this song she is introducing a soca dance that can go with any ring tone.

She told Newsday she is looking forward to her Rio Claro gig: “The people are hungry for a little Carnival action and I am happy to give my best performance to them.”

Belfon is one of this country’s most sought after artistes and is known for her high energy, complex, exotic and highly controversial on-stage performances.

Belfon, who started singing at age nine, was a dancer and a model before she started singing professionally with the band Black Sheep. She later moved on to Sound Revolution. Her first solo recording was the soca hit “Ka Ka Lay Lay”.

Since then, she has recorded a string of hit singles including “Hard Wuk”, “De Jammette”, “Saucy Baby”, and “Indian Man”.. Tommy Joseph, arguably this country’s best known stand-up comic, is originally from Plymouth, Tobago. He made his debut at the Raymond Reid Basketball Court in Port-of-Spain. It was there that he tried his hand at making people laugh and after that his show-biz career took off as he was called time and time again to bring comedy to the people.

“It is a rewarding experience for me. I just love to make people laugh. After all they say it is medicine for the soul,” he stated.

Coordinator of this event Simbhoonath Kumar told Newsday it is the fete for Carnival in Rio Claro and he is expecting a huge turn out.