There are two words that come to mind after holding a conversation with Terrin Callendar: Driven and clever. The man, who has become the brand known as Superjigga TC, is a rising force in entertainment, always thinking about his next step and how it can benefit his career and ultimately make him more money. The King of Swag, TC says making “cream”, as he calls it, is a very important goal, as he believes it is his destiny to take care of his entire family. It’s his family, he says, that keeps him motivated. “For a long time, my dream has been to be the breadwinner. I feel it is my responsibility to take care of my mother, father, sisters and all the grandchildren,” says TC, who is married to longtime friend Samantha and has a three-year-old daughter.
The last of four children and the only boy, TC is very close to his family, setting aside every Sunday, despite his hectic schedule, to spend time with them. He grew up in a religious household, his father a Pentecostal preacher, and while he was blessed with the gift of gab, he couldn’t see himself following in his father’s footsteps because his heart was never into it. Instead, he chose to live life by his own standards, becoming a businessman from very early to fund the lifestyle his parents didn’t allow him to have.
An enterprising spirit, he sold fig at the San Juan market on weekends from the age of 13, graduating to dried goods and then fruit. It’s from his TC Fruit Stall, he says, that he became popular. “On weekends I used to go to the market in town at 3 am, pay a driver $150 to take me there to buy my goods. I used to sell the fruit in front the old Globe cinema in San Juan on a crocus bag,” he reminisces, adding that every day after school he also sold B’s Ice Cream.
He also learned to cut hair, getting a reputation for his ability to wield a razor to carve out a popular design back then. Never content to do anything on a small scale, he opened a barbershop in Curepe, where he managed eight stations. “Back then I was a Bobo Shanti. I was rebelling against my parents and I left home to live in the community, till a woman mash that up.” That woman, now an ex-girlfriend, encouraged him to stop the hustle and enrolled him in a Microsoft course at the University of the West Indies. It was the early 90s and the IT field was expanding. TC lapped up the course, sold his barbershop and entered the corporate world selling pagers for Open Telecom.
Lasting friendships and music
The networking opportunities that job afforded TC proved priceless. He met and became friends with Kwesi Hopkinson aka Hypa Hopper and learned the art of DJing with the RadioActive crew. He also met and developed a lifelong friendship with Shal Marshall, who worked at Royal Bank before becoming a full time DJ with the Jugglers Sound System. He also became close friends with Iwer George. As one of the DJs on Iwer’s Property in Point Fortin, TC toured with “The Boss” eventually helping him to launch his Bashment radio station. “It was Iwer who got me into soca. In 2008, we went to Caribana and we performed from Wednesday to Sunday. When I got my paid, I couldn’t believe the amount, I tell Iwer nah, so how much you does make?”
In 2009, Iwer invited TC to sing on his Coconut Riddim with a song called Turn On the Frontline and followed that up in 2010 with TC Yuh Name Calling, a remake of SuperBlue’s classic Ethel.
That song took him to Soca Monarch and at that point TC took it seriously. “I don’t like to do anything and fail. If I wanted to continue I needed to learn the craft.” And learn he did, taking vocal lessons from Destra twice a week, learning breathing and studio techniques from Nadia Batson and spending three days a week with Darryl Braxton who drilled him on harmonising and other aspects of singing. He caught the attention of the super producers GB and Mr Nutron of GBM Studio in New York where he lived for four years learning the art of Soca DJing and they also helped to develop his sound, writing last year’s Speakerboxx and this year’s big hit Action.
The next Prime Minister?
Thanks to Synergy Soca Star which he hosted for six seasons, TC is a national figure. Now he is expanding his fan base, performing in shows such as the Jamborie Chutney Show with Shal and Battle of the Sexes. “The best thing is the call for me to do mature events such as Ladies Night and Battle of the Sexes. To me that shows growth,” says TC, who sees every fan as a potential base for his political ambitions. I feel it’s my civil duty and I believe I could change the life of others,” he says of his plans to one day run for office. Quietly, TC is also developing a reputation as a motivational speaker, doing multiple sessions each year with the YTEPP and YTC at various events. He is also developing his business side of Superjigga. With new manager Dale Lutchman, TC has picked up endorsement deals with Stag, Converse Trinidad, and more recently, Toyota.
There is still much TC plans to do, finishing his degree in political science chief among them, but whatever he does, bet on him to succeed.
