Bermudian soca fans need to get ready to jump and wave as Byron Lee and the Dragonaires come to the Island once again.

Mr. Lee spoke to from Jamaica and said that locals were in for a great show at Tiger Bay, St. George?s, on Saturday night ? one that will encompass almost all Caribbean music.

?The thing about it is that we are playing all genres of Caribbean music, and through the eras of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s,? said Mr. Lee. ?From ska to rock steady, dance hall, hip hop, calypso and soca we are a Caribbean band playing Caribbean music. This year Bermuda will see a different show ? not only dance hall or soca, but a full range and repertoire, which spreads from the 1950s into the 2000s, and we are playing for ages 16 to 60.

?There are young people who grew up in a household and their fathers and mothers played Byron Lee music and now they are at the stage when they can come out to party and they say, ?Oh, my mother got married to this?, or ?My father had his birthday to that?, and this goes straight through the Caribbean.

?Bermudians love to party and the main accent this year will be a different kind of music for all kinds of people. We are a dance party band and people come to party. We get them to jump up and run about and the next day they ask, ?Was that me on TV?? They can?t believe it! It is the power of massive music and that is where my pleasure is.?

Mr. Lee said he and his band have been together for 49 years, but many people are still unsure of where he is from.

?There are 12 islands in the Caribbean and a lot of people think I am from Trinidad because we play calypso,? he said. ?But I am Jamaican and so are the original members of the group. We have a mixture of band members from all over that region. Today, one of my lead singers is from Trinidad and Tobago and another singer is from Guyana and there are eight of us from Jamaica.

?So, it is easy for us to portray that music as good as anyone out here. Oscar Benjamin is my lead singer, Cindy Lewis is a vocalist and there are three boys and two girls. The band initially consisted of five boys from Jamaica and the other guys in front are the young guys who are playing to the people now.?

?It is a self-contained show and people can stand up and dance and party.?

When asked how Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires had stayed together for so many years, Mr. Lee said: ?Well, we have been able to survive almost five decades by playing what people wanted. Next year we celebrate a milestone which is our 50th anniversary and we are planning the Jubilee Anniversary.

?About three or four of the original members are still in the band, but as time goes by age catches up with us. The new guys who are coming out are from 18 to 23.?

Bands can come and go, but no one can give you a show like his, claims Mr. Lee.

?Where our strength lies is when you come to hear Byron Lee, you don?t have to wait until the last hour at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m.,? he said. ?We come on from 9 p.m. and there are two big shows, which are two-and-a-half hours, so if people come early and have to leave early, and if they come late then they can see the second show.

?When you go we give value for money. We always start on time, which is also one of the main reasons for our success. There are no other acts where the star starts and closes before midnight.

?This is a favourite expression of mine, and (Eddie) DeMello and I have two ticket offices ? one to collect and one to refund and if you don?t have a good time I can guarantee that the refund office will have no line and will close that night. When I say that to all my promoters they laugh, because they know that in the long run I am guaranteeing people their money?s worth.?

The name ?Dragon? has always stuck to Byron Lee.

He first got the name when he played for St. George?s College, his high school, and since he was the one who ?slayed the dragon? in later years he continued to use it for music.

He said his band brought soca and heavy-duty calypso to Bermuda 12 years ago, and they were still doing the same thing. ?With Byron Lee and the Dragonaires you can expect a guaranteed good time,? he said.

?It is good fun and we don?t use foul language. We cater to a family audience so people with young children can bring their kids. Bring your mothers, fathers and grandfathers and get ready to rumble with the return of the Dragon breathing fire.?

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