The Never-ending Lyrics Of NUM NUM

    

By Onica Dick aka Neki

 

It is a cool Saturday afternoon at the Botanical Gardens of Scarborough. I have been given the opportunity to chat with Tobago artiste Num Num who is also the reigning October Carnival 2023 Tobago Soca Monarch. The article below gives some details about our conversation.

 

Born on October 25, 1985, Adrian ‘Num Num’ Isaac wanted to become a fireman as a child. However, at the age of 18 he started thinking about becoming an artiste after watching shows such as the Jamaican annual entertainment event ‘Sting’. His younger brother also played an integral role in his interest. Isaac says, “I heard my little brother Foster Isaac aka Foster General on CD; he sounded real good and after that I wanted to hear myself on CD too.”

Pic 1. Adrian 'NUM NUM' Isaac 
Photo Credit - Akeshea Dennis 

‘Num Num’ Isaac who is from Concordia, Tobago is the son of Leon Hughes and Delisia Isaac and has three brothers. He is a past pupil of the Mason Hall Primary School and the Harmon School of Seventh Day Adventist. He remembers Teacher Vida as his favourite primary school teacher, and at secondary school Ms. Francis who taught English. His favourite childhood memories include riding box carts and playing with his cousins during the holidays.

His musical career took off with participation in freestyle and singing competitions. In 2019 he entered the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Inter-Department Calypso Competition and placed second with a song titled ‘They Need We’. He also entered the competition and won in 2020 with a selection titled ‘Cah Tek It’ (La Di Da). He tried to get a spot in the 2020 Tobago Soca Monarch but was not successful. He chose not to give up and last year in 2023 he participated in the audition round of the 2023 Tobago Carnival Tobago Soca Titans and was able to secure a spot in the finals. He gave a confident and superb performance which earned him top place on the night of the competition. His selection ‘Get Over Here’ (Pulling Seine), produced by Gemini Records was also a crowd favourite. “Bare chubble, tell dem seh a bare chubble (twice), bare chubble, well if see ah gyal you like say here fishy, fishy, fishy, Is snapper, red fish, tuna, saltfish, dolphin, Cavalli, it doesn’t matter the type of fish, just bring them all to me,

We pulling seine (twice), we pulling seine, seine, seine, we pulling seine, tell a gyal this year, Get over here, get get, get over here, get over here, we causing a bachannal, you, get over here, get get get ova here, get ova here,

As a little youth man we living by the beach, mi father put mi sit down and one time start to preach, he tell me, mi could get any fish in di sea, just cast out yuh net now and pull it with a ease, so mi go tek his advice and go inside ah fete, ah went up on the stage now, ah went and cast mi net, and when a pull it in now, de ‘mount that me collect, de ‘mount ah fish all now, mi cah stop check,

We pulling seine (twice), we pulling seine, seine, seine, we pulling seine, tell a gyal this, yes you, Get over here, get get, get over here, get over here, we causing a bacchanal, you, get over here, get get get over here, get over here”.

The 2023 Tobago Carnival Tobago Soca Titans Monarch will be defending his title this year in October. 

Pic 2 - 2023 Tobago Carnival Tobago Soca Titan Monarch - Num Num

Photo Credit (Akeshea Dennis) 

Video 1 - Num Num shares some of his lyrics of his winning 

2023 Tobago Carnival Soca Monarch song - Get Over Here (Pulling Seine)  

When asked why he has chosen the name Num Num, his response was straightforward, “In the early part of my life, I was a bit of a troublemaker, and you know long time them old people used to scold a lot. I was stubborn, I used to get a lot of scolding, so because of that whenever they felt my skin, they would ask me, how my skin ‘num num’ so.”

Num Num’s first ever song release titled ‘One Day Christian’ was recorded in 2007. The song was recorded by Klan 9 Entertainment (now Classic Records). He shared some of the lyrics, “See de boy inna work, One day Christian, See de boy inna town, One day Christian, See him anywhere around, One day Christian, See de boy with a girl, One day Christian, See de boy ah work hard, One day Christian, See de boy behaving bad, One day Christian… It all started on a work a Sunday, me carry me tape to run a likkle DJ….”

Num Num sings in different genres of music but his focus is on soca, reggae and dancehall. The artiste who writes all his songs says he also sings Nursery Rhymes. He has recorded about 25 songs and counting so far. In one of his soca songs from 2020 titled ‘Soca Mechanic, he emphasizes, “Dem call me di soca mechanic (4 times), You know fi jack up de bumper, When dem girls back up de bumper.”

He recalls also another song ‘Throw Yuh Waste’ (Recycle) from 2018 which he created to assist the mechanical workshop for a bottle competition that was held under the Division of Infrastructure. His lyrics ensured their victory in the competition.

He shares some of the lyrics with me, “New ting, mechanic dem a tackle, wah fuh call it, call it plastic bottle, if you nah listen to mi title, me have a brand-new style, we call it recycle, cause,

Throw yuh waste, you hah fi throw you waste (thrice), if you know you ha fuh clean up the place, Throw yuh waste, you hah fi throw you waste (thrice), if you know you ha fuh clean up di place.

Every day in de world it have flooding, inna Trinidad, sometime inna foreign, people dem they always complaining and ah dutty up de place, big up to the peeps who ah do de right ting and love to keep a clean surrounding, but any boy who nuh like use a bin, mi does have a question now mih fuh ask him, mek you have such a dutty mind, you just love for litter all the time, if you wah fuh litter, recycle ah di ting we have in style,

Throw yuh waste, you hah fi throw you waste (thrice), if you know you ha fuh clean up the place, Throw yuh waste, you hah fi throw you waste (thrice), if you know you ha fuh clean up di place.”

Video 2 - Num Num shows us why his song 

Throw Yuh Waste (Recycle) 

was able to help the Mechanical Department win the competition in 2018 

He is currently an independent artiste but he had the management services of record producer Stone Tower aka Michael Skeete for a few months. I asked him what sort of impact he is looking to create. He responded by saying “I want to put Tobago on the map, no matter how small our island is. I am willing to forward our brand because it is important that Tobago artistes get a name out there.”

His favourites in the music industry are St Vincent soca artiste Skinny Fabulous and Jamaican artiste Capleton. “Capleton has a sort of energy on stage; it is a long time I have looked at him and to this day he has remained sizzling hot.”

Num Num says that the experiences he has had in relation to live performances were amazing. “To put out energy and get back that energy and more is a good experience every time.  To go and entertain people is something really great.”

He admits that there are also challenges that he has faced as an artiste. “Sometimes your music is stifled; you go to the radio station, they do not play it cause they have favourites. I would say that the radio stations not playing the music of the artistes, that is a serious challenge.”

However, despite the challenges, one of his best moments as an artiste is winning the 2023 Tobago Soca Monarch. “I won the soca monarch competition on my birthday, and I couldn’t ask for anything better than that. A really wonderful feel-good moment.”

Num Num advises those who want to get into the music business to “keep working and don’t give up.” He further adds, “Even though you start now as an artiste, keep working, doing your thing. No matter how long it takes your time will come. Always be your best, win, lose or draw.” He also believes that the music industry needs to give the artistes more opportunities to be heard and to express themselves.

Aside from being an artiste Num Num acknowledges that he has been playing Windball Cricket with the team Bago Rising Stars for the last five years.

He knows that he has a lot of work to do in his musical career. “I must work on my fitness, my vocals, my stage craft because there is always room for improvement. I can never call myself perfect. Num Num also states that he does not mind collaborating with any artiste once they have “the same energy and same wavelength”.

Num Num can be found on social media on Instagram at numnum_officially, on TikTok as killernum23 and on You Tube as NumNumOfficial. In 2022 he released ‘Mud People Time’ and he also has a song for 2024 titled ‘Munkey Gland’ on Spotify and Apple Music under Gemini Records.

His outlook for the next five years is a very positive one. “In five years’, I see myself as an ambassador for our country, our brand, the Tobago carnival brand. I want to be better than where I am now. I will also add that N refers to the fact that my lyrics cannot end. U is for you all to Understand and M is that we will never war with no man”.

Video 3 - Thank you Num Num for Bloggin' With Neki