In every single Carnival fete, there comes a time when the speakers blast out the words “Spread your hands and leh goooo”. Every person packed into that crowd would lift two hands in the air and sing along with abandon, word for word. This song is one of the high points of a career that had started decades before.

Dexter “Blaxx” Stewart (21 December, 1962 – 28 March, 2022), spent decades as lead singer for various bands. He first sang professionally with ‘Successions Brass’, and then moved to ‘OC Blackman and Upstream’, after he switched to ‘Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires’. This odyssey then took him to ‘Atlantik’ for a very short time, before he spent five years with ‘Blue Ventures’. After such a circuitous journey, he landed at Roy Cape All Stars now known as D’All Starz, where he has been ever since. As the frontline vocalist with D’All Starz, Blaxx consistently released popular songs, many of which are considered to be defining to that particular year’s Carnival in which they were released. He gave us “Tanty Woi”, “Leh Go” and the incomparable “Master of Mas”.

Image Courtesy Abraham Diaz

Image Courtesy Abraham Diaz

The following songs span his illustrious career with D’All Starz.

Rum Ina Me Head- 2022

Brass- 2022

Mash Up- 2022

Rock So- 2022

After Quarantine- 2022

Who God Bless- 2021

Doux Doux-2021

Sunshine- 2021

Same Way- 2021 (4th place International Soca Monarch)

Douen- 2020

Gyal Parole-2020

Soca Link Up- 2020

Black Man Feeling To Party- 2020

Celebrating Life- 2020

Voyage- 2020

Who God Bless- 2020

Cry T&T- 2020

Canboulay- 2020

Doh Blame We- 2019

Warn Dem- 2019

Formula= Rum + Soca – 2019

Just So- 2019

Celebrating Life- 2019

Remove Yuhself- 2019

Gyal Owner- released 2019

Boiling Over 2019

We Own It- 2018

Pass Out- 2018

Hulk- 2018 (2nd place International Soca Monarch)

Keep It Pumping- 2017

Coming Over- 2017

We Da Baddest- 2017

Practice- 2017

Golden Days-2017

Life Over Death-2017

We Own It- 2017

Nat Geo- 2016

Find It- 2016

Imagine Dat- 2016

Day Ones-2016

Persuasion- 2016

Rankin Ting- 2016

Master Of Mas-2016 (3rd place Power Soca Monarch)

Whole Day We Jammin- 2015

Wine And Stagga- 2015

Maddest Crew-2015

Place In Life-2015

Jazzy- 2015

Mash Up D Road- 2014

Ten To One- 2014

Badness- 2014

Contagious- 2014

Awaken The Spirits-2014

Hooray- 2014

Place In Life- 2014

Bounce and Drive- 2013

Hold Meh Liquor- 2013

Stink And Dutty- 2013

Leh Go- 2013

One Drop- 2013

No Sah- 2013

No Getaway- 2013 (3rd place Groovy Soca Monarch)

Move That Body- 2013

Breathing Rum- 2012

Handle It- 2012

Hit Meh- 2012

Sound De Horn- 2012

Inna Band- 2012

Jusso-2012

Good Time-2011

Carnival Jumbie- 2011

Tanti Woi- 2011 (4th place Groovy Soca Monarch)

Zombie-2010

Huntin- 2010

Tusty- 2009 (4th place Power Soca Monarch, 3rd place Road March)

Breathless- 2008- 2nd place Road March

Dutty- 2007

Sources:

“2008 Trinidad & Tobago Carnival Results,” TnT Island, 8 January, 2022, http://www.tntisland.com/carnival2008.html

“2009 Trinidad & Tobago Carnival Results,” TnT Island, 8 January, 2022, http://www.tntisland.com/carnival2009.html

“2011 Trinidad & Tobago Carnival Results,” TnT Island, 8 January, 2022, http://www.tntisland.com/carnival2011.html

“2013 Trinidad & Tobago Carnival Results,” TnT Island, 8 January, 2022, http://www.tntisland.com/carnival2013.html

“2016 Trinidad & Tobago Carnival Results,” TnT Island, 8 January, 2022, http://www.tntisland.com/carnival2016.html

“2018 Trinidad & Tobago Carnival Results,” TnT Island, 8 January, 2022, http://www.tntisland.com/carnival2018.html

“2021 Trinidad & Tobago Carnival Results,” TnT Island, 8 January, 2022, http://www.tntisland.com/carnival2021.html

“Blaxx Mash Up 2022 Soca Trinidad.” Youtube, uploaded by Julians Promos TV, 8 July 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wHmrwcKBiY

Rampersad, Joan. “Blaxx Gets His Voice Right.” Newsday, 27 October, 2007, p. 19.