Ding Dong Revealed. The Rise of A Humble Youth to Caribbean Success.

“I started from Iwer’s station, which was the all soca station, which was the community station in Point Fortin so the passion grew from there seeing the experience with the artist but at the end of the day I know I had to wait for the right moment to jump in.” – DING DONG

His smile is enough to make anyone melt. When he takes the microphone, whether in a spirit of humour or to undertake his contractual obligation as a Soca artist, Viking Ding Dong brings a spirit that is fuelled by happiness and contentment in self. Ahead of Carnival 2023, Andre Houlder, best known as Ding Dong, is already leading the pack. Who would’ve thought? A simple refrain, ‘We come to drink and party all day,” has captured vibe lovers with very little persuasion. In a recent interview exclusively with Ebuzztt.com, Dingers as he’s affectionately called by his friends and fans, said he’s been preparing for times like these, for quite a long time.

The young entertainer’s rise to prominence in Trinidad and Tobago has not been overnight. His humble beginnings in Point Fortin, surrounded by grassroots people who all had a dream for the future, propelled him. “I placed myself in a position to learn,” he quietly attested as we started our chat. He was speaking about that period of his life where soca heavyweight, Neil Iwer George proved to be a helping hand on his way to future stardom. He eventually ended up in Port-of-Spain, where he became a top tier, mainstay DJ at 96.1WEFM. Ding Dong explained that being a DJ afforded him the opportunity to listen to music in a different way- a separate, distinctive ear that artistes typically would not understand. “Playing the music and witnessing the response offers a different angle of understanding,” he explained.