Prince Marcus is back

His return to St. Vincent and the Grenadines comes after a near two-year stint in the British Army.

Before leaving St. Vincent and the Grenadines in January 2003, Marcus “Prince Marcus” James had earned the reputation as a crowd pleaser in the soca arena. He had successfully become a household name through his comical antics as a dramatist, and transferring the comedy into soca was simply an asset.{{more}}

Off the scene for one year and 10 months, Prince Marcus, who originates from La Croix, wasted no time in getting to the studio on his arrival home.

As a result of his hunger and passion for singing, a hot Christmas track called “Jingo Bell” has been blazing the airwaves for some days now.

Prince Marcus said the single, done in soca parang, is about the true meaning of Christmas “which is Jesus Christ and not on the material things”. He said the song was written while serving in Iraq.

And before he returns to his base in Germany on December 23, Prince Marcus will leave a four-track compilation for Carnival. Giving a sample without disclosing too much information he asked Vincentians to listen out for “Never Get” and “Jacob”. One of the compilations is being done with Gamal “Skinny Fabulous” Doyle.

On November 18, 2003, Prince Marcus, who serves as a chef in the British Army, was sent off to Iraq where he did a six-month operation. He is expecting to receive a Class Two certificate as a chef soon.

Reminiscing on his days in Iraq, Prince Marcus said: “It was challenging and at times fearful because your life is always at risk.

“It is not a place you would like to go to, but when duty calls you have no choice.”

He said grimly: “People in Iraq are poverty stricken and I more felt it for the children, because they are supposed to be the future of tomorrow. As far as I can see, the future isn’t that bright at all.

“It’s a whole good feeling to be out of Iraq, knowing you are out of the constant threat,” Marcus sighed.

But of his time in the army, he said: “There is good and bad in everything you do. Some people would stretch out their hands to assist you when you are disciplined and focused, but generally speaking, it’s a challenge.”

He said it’s too early to decide if he’ll stay on in the army when his four-year contract ends, but he is confident he will return to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.