Synergy Soca Star Chynee is back in the mix

For Richard Valentine, the entertainer known as Chynee, or to some, Macoy – his earlier years in music led him on a journey of development as an artiste.

Years after winning the Synergy Soca Star competition, he is back in the mix, releasing new soca music.

In a media release he said, “In 2009, I was young. When I won the Synergy Soca Star competition, it was a whirlwind for me. I performed at major fetes like Licensing Fete, Insomnia, UWI Fete and even Alternative Concepts – my most memorable because I actually shared the stage with Chinese Laundry and Machel Montano, but it was all happening really fast.”

He said he feels that despite winning the competition, he was not mature enough then to grow and learn the essentials of the music business.

For 2025, Chynee is on the road to a potentially memorable Carnival season, the release said.

“Over the past few years, I’ve been working on my development, recording a lot of music and working behind the scenes with many producers. I’m in the process of completing an EP. I challenged myself to just record music with the understanding that when the time is right, each of the projects would be shared with the world, as professionally packaged as possible.”

Years ago, Chynee had very little understanding of marketing strategies but simply enjoyed doing vibrant, memorable performances. He would, however, grow to understand the importance of marketing and branding.

“I realised that a lot of times artistes would go into the studio with what they believed were great songs, but they would fail to get the attention they hoped for because their marketing and branding just weren’t enough.”

Over the years, Chynee has worked with producers like Badjohn Republic, Zig Boi Entertainment, Backyard Studios, Klase Productions and Richard “Charsu” Ahong – one of the country’s most prolific music producers. He has now teamed up with Sangre Grande’s Chainlinxxx Productions and their latest release is Ben. He says it’s been an amazing journey working alongside Chainlinxxx.

“As an artiste, I’ve come to realise the importance of teamwork. You really do go further when you’ve got a progressive team of people. I have to thank Chainlinxxx, also Unique Productions – a very talented youngster by the name of Allen Sylvester who’s doing the video and editing for Ben. I am also happy to be working with Edward Salandy of E-Video and Photography. They did my photoshoot, which I’m really satisfied with.”

With support from other entertainers like Fadda Moses and rapper Vetta, Chynee says he is grateful for his team.

Amid the state of emergency in Trinidad and Tobago, he has been pensive. “I’m a strong believer in prayer and praying for others. It’s worth more when you pray for other people than when you just pray for yourself, but I also believe that action works in tandem with prayer. We must be vigilant,” he said. He believes something drastic had to be done for a better TT. “I hope it works in favour of all of us.”

The Macoya-born entertainer whose sobriquet Macoy entertains the idea of being “the real thing” and plays on the root of his birth place, is excited for the season ahead. A second single done collaboratively with a new female artiste Majestic, is also in the pipeline.

“She’s a very talented young lady with an amazing voice.”

As he navigates the season, he says he will observe and learn from the artistes who have mastered their craft, built great brands and mastered their marketing.

“I’m naturally a theatrical performer. I will always go the extra mile to leave a lasting impression on the crowd. When I think of Iwer George and what he brings to any stage, I get excited. The crowd loves him and that’s what I would like to experience in my career.”

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