A top Barbadian soca band will be setting Clearwater beach on fire tonight.

And the music group told The Royal Gazette that they want to have lots of audience participation at the concert, stating matter-of-factly: "We don't like chairs.'' Krosfyah's music is a unique combination of soca, reggae, and calypso, noteworthy for its positive message and infectious melodies.

The name of the group, originally spelled `Crossfire', was chosen because of the blend of different personalities and styles that influenced the group's sound.

Having inspired what was known as "The Bajan Invasion'' into Trinidad's 1996 Carnival, Krosfyah was also a hit at Carnival '97.

Lead singer and songwriter for the band Edwin Yearwood, who also wrote this year's hugely popular song "All Aboard'', said Krosfyah played every night for a month during this year's Trinidadian fete.

Their first CD entitled `Ultimate Party -- Pump Me Up' received international accolades and recently went gold in Canada with hits like `Pump Me Up', `Crank It', and the `Run Tings Again' remix.

They are currently working on a new album, `Haunting Melodies', which they plan to finish upon their return to Barbados.

In an interview with The Royal Gazette , members of the band talked about their commitment to the youth and their desire to build through music.

"The reason we write these positive lyrics is because we came exactly from there,'' said Mr. Yearwood.

"We grew up in neighbourhoods that had a lot of problems with drugs, so we know that growing up is the hardest part of life,'' he added.

"At the same time, we've also seen people who wanted to amount to something in life who were totally mistreated and misjudged.

"We've seen it so often that it's become a part of our psyche. It's only natural that it comes out in our music.'' Leslie Lett, who covers keyboards, songwriting, and vocals for the band, is a former schoolteacher who continues to teach through music.

He explained that Barbadian youth were "heavily maligned'', and one of Krosfyah's plans were to provide a working example of success.

"We want the youth to see that there are non-traditional ways that you can succeed,'' said Mr. Lett.

Mr. Yearwood chimed in, saying: "We had a lot of pressure from family. We had a goal to prove that working in the music industry can be one of the biggest money-making careers in the world, as long as you are committed and focused.

"We wanted to prove something about Caribbean music. For a lot of the earlier artists, the rest of the world wasn't ready for the music yet, and didn't take it seriously.

"But now we are encouraged when we go places like New Orleans, where there are almost no West Indians, and people really love the music.

"Our unique sound probably comes from the melodic structure in most of our songs, and we want to be recognised not only as a music group, but as serious recording artists.

"You have to remember that there are two parts to the word `show business' -- it's time to stop `showing the show', and time to `get down to business','' he added with a smile.

Gates open for the concert at 6 p.m. and showtime is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the gate. For more information call 236-7341 or 291-0572.