Does Soca music outside of TnT make the Grade?
- By Chooks aka Daddy Juice
- 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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8 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 MST
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 MST
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 MST
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 MST
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 MST
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 MST
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 MST
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.
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said this on 03 Nov 2008 3:06:01 PM MST
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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