Paris Coutain has never been afraid of taking centre stage.
At just age five, he stole the show during a performance by the late, legendary calypsonian Winston “The Mighty Shadow” Bailey.
But he did not know that this moment would be a prelude to his own future in entertainment.
The 21-year-old has dabbled in acting, dancing and singing, and has now earned himself a spot in the finals of Ultimate Soca Champion’s youth category. To him, the stage is his home.
The Oropune Gardens, Piarco native attended the Arouca Anglican Primary School, then the Malabar RC Primary School and St Joseph Secondary School.
[caption id="attachment_1139258" align="alignnone" width="676"] Paris Coutain. - Photo courtesy Antonio Achee[/caption]
He embodies the meaning of being dramatic. From his facial expressions to his intonation when telling stories, he is a true theatre kid.
He told Sunday Newsday his interest in the performing arts began when he learnt who Michael Jackson was – after the “King of Pop’s” death in June, 2009.
“I was watching the news and my mother was bawling and screaming, but I had no idea who this guy was. Then they started playing his music videos and I think Billie Jean was the first one (I saw) and I was just hooked. I went on YouTube and just watched all his music videos.”
He recalled the “magic” he saw in each of Jackson’s performances, adding that he was not just a singer but an entertainer.
“His passion and the quality of his performances stood out to me. Everything he did was always at a high standard. And I knew it stemmed from hard work and dedication.”
And he wanted to do that too.
Love for entertaining
[caption id="attachment_1139265" align="alignnone" width="576"] Paris Coutain during his semifinal performance at Ultimate Soca Champion. - Photo by Innis Francis[/caption]
He took this admiration of performing to a Port of Spain concert featuring The Mighty Shadow.
Despite not knowing who Shadow was or how legendary his presence was, he found himself caught up in the energy of the show.
“So he was singing – I think it was Lookin For Horn – and I was just in the crowd, standing with my mom and dem, taking in the performance. Then I was dancing and moving forward and eventually, I reached in the front where he was.”
Laughing, he said five-year-old Paris “just disregarded Shadow’s whole performance.”
When an adult came to move him out of the way, the legendary calypsonian said, “No, no, leave him. Let him dance.”
He said he would often dance during his lunch break throughout his primary school days.
“I just really enjoyed entertaining people.
“It started off with singing, then acting then dancing, actually.”
[caption id="attachment_1139261" align="alignnone" width="604"] In this photo, five-year-old Paris Coutain dances as The Mighty Shadow performs. -[/caption]
When he was in standard five, he began creating comedic videos and uploading them to social media.
“But then I had a serious conversation with myself. And I was like, ‘Okay, I want to make music, but I
