Raised in the cultural capital of St. Lucia, Sylvinus Charles is a vibrant young man born to two very encouraging parents, Molina Charles and Celus Charles, both of Belle Vue, Vieux Fort. Sylvinus, more commonly known as Sly, displayed brilliance from a very young age; a proud product of the Belle Vue Combined School, where he topped the school at common entrance level. He subsequently studied at the Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School and graduated in the Class of 2008. He furthered his education at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, Post Secondary Department, where he studied the Building Technology stream for two years. His desire to be at the top was further highlighted as he graduated as the most outstanding student and highest academic achiever in his field. His enthusiasm for success is fueled by his favorite quote from Bill Cosby, “My desire for success is greater than my fear of failure”.
Despite currently occupying the post as Assistant Emergency Medical Services coordinator for the south in the St. Lucia Fire Service, Sylvinus’ first love was always music. Having a musical family background, with cultural icons such as Capowal Jones, Elude, Rameau Poleon, and the great Gilo, music became an integral part of his tender years. He developed a passion for instruments and singing, a result of being influenced by those who preceded him.
His artistry was further fine-tuned by being present at live band rehearsals with local bands such as Chant a Fire, his personal trainer, the late Black Roots, and the late great Mr. Moonie. He did much of his improvement through personal development by watching videos from YouTube; such was his determination. Sylvinus is a well-versed instrument player since he started out as a drummer, then became a bass player, and also has some knowledge of keyboards. His musical career took a big shift when he joined bands, where he started working in hotels. It was then he decided to take on singing after being inspired by singers such as Brandon Harding, Renee Samson, but mainly Michael Seraphin. He currently applies his craft at resorts such as Coconut Bay Resort, Serenity, Ladera, and Sugar Beach, where he is the lead singer and band leader.
His musical exploits hit their highest heights when he joined a local community group, the Vye Twizeen Boys, in 2018. Despite being known for his contribution to Vye Twizeen Boys, Sylvinus won an original song competition held in Vieux Fort North in 2008, where he composed two original singles. In 2019, he did the unthinkable and won the Groovy Soca Monarch in his debut year, with his hit song MIX UP. He became the first groovy Monarch from Vieux Fort, which he considers his greatest achievement in music. After creating waves in the local music arena, he was then called to perform at events abroad in countries such as England, Canada, and Martinique. He considers these moments as his greatest achievements in music.
In 2024, Sly won the Groovy Soca Monarch a second time, with the massive hit, Damn Proud Lucian, that propelled him to the top echelon of St. Lucia artists and which was instrumental in earnng him a berth in 2025 on the main stage of the St. Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival, the islands most prestigous musical event, ranked in the top five best Jazz festivals in the world.
Sylvinus, along with the Vye Twizeen Boys, has made great contributions to youth development. They were featured on multiple school tour performances. He has had multiple reading sessions with primary school students, where he took the opportunity to encourage them to work on their talents and never be shy in showing the talents they were blessed with. Being part of the V.T.B group, they made donations of various school supplies to students of the Belle Vue Combined School.
Sylvinus believes he is different in his craft since he loves the use of creative lyrics and dramatic storylines to capture his audience. Those who follow his music closely will realize that all his songs are intertwined and continue a broader story. He hopes to develop and improve his music by applying a more global appeal while integrating his roots and culture. His drive for community outreach sees him currently spearheading a movement to address the crime situation on the island, where music will be the main medium through which the message is disseminated.
Sylvinus uses his career as an example to send out a message to the youth present today: dream big enough until it scares you. Don’t sleep on it, don’t doubt it, LEAP AND GROW YOUR WINGS ON THE WAY DOWN.
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