Does Soca music outside of TnT make the Grade?
- By Dre aka The Carnival Ref
- Published 18-Jul-07
We all know that Trinidad & Tobago is the mecca of Soca music. However, let's not sleep on the other islands that also produced quality Soca/Calypso music season after season.
Carnivals in Barbados (Crop Over), St. Vincent, Antigua, St. Kitts & Nevis and Grenada (Spice Mas) to name a few, are serious breeding grounds for many talented artists; some of which have participated and even won titles in TnT's Carnival competitions. Like Bajan Biggie Irie who won the 2007 Int'l Groovy Soca Monarch in TnT Carnival. And artists like Atlantic Recording artist Rupee (who Trinidad loves as one of their own), Alison Hinds, Peter Ram, Lil Rick, Timmy, Fraud Squad, Sheldon Douglas, Tallpree, Baby Killa, Problem Child, Bomani, Jamesy P (the original Nookie Man), Ricky T and Kevin Lyttle (hailing from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, who had a worldwide hit with the interpellative soca ballad, "Turn Me On" which was recorded by Lyttle and the Dancehall artist Spragga Benz) are all well known names in the Soca industry.
With that said, what's your take on Soca music produced by artists outside of Trinidad & Tobago? Does it make the grade? Do the artists have what it takes to mash up a fete in TnT any day of the week, year after year? We've seen both Problem Child (St. Vincent) and Ricky T. (St. Lucia) prove to be quite a success in 2007 with "Party Animal" and "Pressure Boom" respectivitely.
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17 Responses to "Does Soca music outside of TnT make the Grade?" 
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said this on 26 Sep 2008 2:55:56 PM UTC
It is evident that the other islands are spreading their influence because their artists and producers have become more professional. They can no longer be ignored and this year in particular I am seeing so many of the catch phrases from other islands music being incorporated into the Trini Music. Nadia Batson’s ” Let them talk” song uses the punch line blah blah blah from St. Lucia’s Soca Monarch Kakal’s patois selection.
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said this on 26 Sep 2008 2:56:15 PM UTC
I think St.Kitts-Nevis might be the next “hot spot” for soca. i think the quality of their music, particularly in recent years, is just as good or in some cases better than anything out of trinidad. i think their unique style of heavy pulsating beats with beautiful melodies is going to be the new wave of soca. check out songs by d’vybz 2006 and 2008 . These guys are up their with anything out of trinidad. Other st. kitts-nevis soca acts that are good and could match anything from Trinidad is King Konris and Juliette Mills
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said this on 26 Sep 2008 2:57:45 PM UTC
Soca music from out of Trinidad and Tobago certainly makes the grade.
Speaking of St Lucia, a door has been finally opened and I believe this is just a foretaste of even bigger things to come. St Lucia carnival 2008 will prove whether this was just a one hit wonder thing or not. I believe that St Lucia will have an even bigger presence in the soca music world its carnival comes around. Now is the time to work hand in hand with Trinidad and the other islands. Not necessarily to compete or to pretend to be better. |
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said this on 26 Sep 2008 2:58:01 PM UTC
individually there are good artist outside trini but collectively they have much work to do before they can reaches the trini level but if we want soca to be an international force we need to work together cause it really doh matter trini, bajan, vincey or wath because all ah we is one family.
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said this on 26 Sep 2008 2:55:40 PM UTC
I definitely think artists from other islands make the grade and are sometimes even better than what trinidad produces. I am currently studying in the united states and every soca fete i go to, the main mash up tunes for 2007 were and still are: Problem Child’s “party animal” and Ricky t’s “pressure”. I being originally from grenada was suprised to hear Berbice’s “traffic” doing a lot of damage. Dont forget the Rukshun El A kru from Antigua caused with “expose”. Actually Trinidad music is starting to sound like island music. the hook from Last Lap by Destra last year sounds exactly like roadblock sung by copper from grenada and iwer george song over yuh head this year varies subtly from soca banton’s over yuh head from grenada. kmc based on my assumption not facts probably got his idea for party animal from problem child. i could go on but this is a blog what im saying is although trinidad is #1 for soca, the islands are definitely stepping up and in noticeable instances make the grade and sometimes surpass it both in music and performances. Ask your own who listen to and watch performances. Ask some of you radio station… Caibbean unity
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said this on 26 Sep 2008 2:55:11 PM UTC
Yeah i agree with that article. For years TnT has been out in the forefront of soca music (no offense to you and your land of birth) but i think the other islands didn’t get the recognition they were supposed to get and a lot of talent is yet to be discovered. One reason why i think that artist from TNT have been placed above the others is that they have developed higher standards. I assume that there are maybe programms of some sort that assist artists in TNT in self development which i think is lacking in SVG. Some artists in SVG or from SVG i think can put on performances to entertain crowds in TNT.
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said this on 25 Oct 2008 12:07:10 PM UTC
Honestly, I beleive that the other islands do make the grade as Barbados has arguably the queen of modern soca, Alison Hinds. Not to mention, Rupee, Krosfyah, Square One, Lil' Rick, Peter Ram and more. I think if you look at it, some of the most popular tracks internationally have actually come fom Barbados. Also St. Vincent has Kevin Lyttle and St Lucia, Ricky T. No offense, but I think the question is redundant. If anyhing, maybe Trini needs to step up a bit because a lot of the classics, i.e Faluma, Tempted to Touch, Haaaard Wine, Jump etc. came outta Bim. Another big track is Too Much Rum in Your Glass by Ricky T - out of St Lucia - massive track.
No offense ... lol |
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said this on 03 Nov 2008 3:06:01 PM UTC
oh i think that the other are becoming well known, but they were already good & well known in their respective countries! the thing is that t&t was only known for soca music & the other islands were forgotten!! now things have changed & everybody wants to eat & not only t&t!! the other island music is really good just as t&t own!!! (i mean lol)!! everybody want to do soca music! if one try to produce something new & fresh they will never want it! i speak about Dominica BOuyon it's like the soca & it exists longtime & i was there for the festival & i can tell u that their music sound real good!!!! but the problem is that we never heard from them!!!! why?? that means call it soca???
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said this on 31 Dec 2008 12:35:26 PM UTC
Bouyon being less popular than soca will not be claimed to be the soca genre because Bouyon has its originality and differences from soca music. Local bands from Dominica have been promoting their native music for a long time but it was only exposed to the public of Dominica and is now getting recognition from other islands. Dominica cadence influenced soca, Cadence evolved into Zouk re-influencing soca and now Bouyon, causing soca to be confused with Dominican music. Dominica is the originator for these musical waves which have been popularized by other islands now when Dominica play their music it is being classified as what was already heard by the public. Cadence is already popularized by the French Antilles as Zouk, now if Bouyon is called Soca, What is left for Dominica?
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said this on 02 Jan 2009 8:04:06 AM UTC
There was a point in time when the soca music outside of TnT was at a very competitive level at times even bettering Trinbago's music (I hope meh passport eh geh take away with dat one). This was so with the likes of bands like Kassav, Square One, Krosfyah and other ole time artistes (Red Plastic Bag, Guillo, etc...) but I guess there are no bands at that level anymore.... pity the party sessions was going good.
Trinbago's music was following the same pattern but the divisive element was put away and the talents of Mista Vybe, Patrice Roberts, Bunji Garlin and Nadia Batson arose from the smoke... |
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said this on 11 Jan 2009 7:13:11 PM UTC
I think other islands are definitely making the grade especially SVG in 07 & 08. They totally blew away the summer carnivals with their music. I am definitely planning on checking out their carnival in 09.
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said this on 13 Jan 2009 10:48:38 PM UTC
i am a bajan who LOVES calypso no matter what.....i love trini and bajan music so i must say yes it makes the garde..........in trinidad my favorite women are DESTRA GARCIA and PATRICE ROBERT whereas the man of the island is none other than MACHEL MONTANO.....IN BARBADOS there are two much to mention at this time and also in other countries...........altho they might not be on the same level they are still GRADED........(DON'T FORGET PPL GADE THEIR LIKES AND DISLIKES) DON'T HATE
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said this on 18 Jan 2009 7:44:09 AM UTC
The article should read there was once a time where Trinidad WAS the mecca for soca. Trinidad is till the mecca for Carnival but in terms of soca its crown has been displaced. I see "island music"'s influence in Trinidad so much- in fact much of the new ideas (KMCs Living Water comes after Grenada's TWO exploding water songs- Splash and We Like it Wet, Iwer George stealing Block the Road) comes from other islands. Trinidad music is sounding distinctly repetitive and that is the reason why there has never been a break through artiste from Trinidad. I love Machel, but THAT is the reason why he cannot break through internationally. A lot of Trinidad soca lacks longevity outside of the Carnival season- its jump up jump up wave wave. I like it just as much as anyone else but I think the artistes need to step off their pedestals and look to Barbados St Lucia etc and see the winning formulae.
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said this on 26 Jan 2009 12:51:13 PM UTC
Big up Ricky T. That bouyon tune"Pressure Boom", Zouk tune "Put Up Your Hands" and that cadence tune "Too much Rum" mix with a little Soca is fire for real.
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said this on 09 Feb 2009 3:03:54 PM UTC
I agree with many of the people here. I know many Trinidadians will think their country is the land of Soca. However, in todays age the quality of Soca has improved in the other Islands as well. One cannot ignore Vincy land, Bim and Spice land, plus de Lucian and Dominican massive right dey too. I think we have to unite to push Soca music futher in the mainstream and beyond. Instead of saying Trini music, how bout saying the music and culture of de islands. Proud Vincy/Lucian
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said this on 11 Jun 2010 2:13:04 PM UTC
I am the first time on this site and am really enthusiastic about and so many good articles. I think it's just very good.
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said this on 15 Nov 2010 1:19:36 PM UTC
I live in Trinidad and we are a very complacent people. We take it for granted that we are known the world over for Claypso but calypso's baby is soca and the soca artiste of today lack the innovation of their calypso forefathers. About 90% of the soca coming out of Trinidad today are actually melodies "stolen" not burrowed or used by permission of the original artist so the legal term is stolen from their fellow island soca artiste and American and European rock, reggae, country and adult contemporary superstars.
I work in the field and I recognise this. I am a huge supporter of our local talent and for this reason I cannot settle for something that is sub-standard. Calypsonians paid their dues so why can't soca astiste? |
