Creating one Caribbean Soca platform on a unified front

Having read some of the comments posted on Facebook after the then concluded 2019 carnival in Trinidad and Tobago, primarily the Soca monarch competition won by Hollis Mapp I am shocked at the level of division I see coming out of those comments. As a Caribbean people where our culture is concerned, we should view an achievement of this magnitude as a boost for our culture against other genres of the world. It means that Caricom wise our culture is growing, and our artist are proving themselves amongst the best in the world where music is concern.

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An artist individual country of origin should only come into focus or be identified on a singular level on said night of competition not going further than competition night. All artists should remain etched in our minds and hearts as Caribbean representatives’ brothers and sisters of our cultural family. This in my view can only happen when we create a unified front that benefits us all as Caribbean people. No matter which country the artist comes from they represent us all and therefore deserve our unfailing, support, and gratitude as compensation for their challenging work and efforts.

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It yields anyone no good when we take jabs at each other. Argue over who is better than whom; or even belittling one another. Such behavior will send the wrong message to the outside world and have a negative impact on our artists performance going forward. If we take a step back and look at where Soca came from and when it started over the years, we will see the genre has improved and evolved over a period. As the youngest genre it has shown great strength and promise where other genres are involved.

A closer look will show you a vast improvement to the art form and genre, respectively. Improvements that come in the form of better compositions, productions, recordings, sales, and the distribution of our music via digital platforms and online stores across the global hemisphere. Advanced technology has now brought us closer to the quality and quantity of Soca music now produced at an international level. Therefore, lovers of the music no longer must wait for periodic releases of songs but can enjoy Soca any day anytime, anywhere they are in the world. A big step forward in displaying our talents and geniality.

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An example of such use of technology is Grenada whose artists no longer travel to other countries to have their songs recorded. The island now hosts several recording studios designed and equipped to get the job done in a professional manner. The same can be said about the other small islands as well. Judging from the criteria of music coming from these islands. Having said that, much work still must be done and room for improvement given to our music in the creation of a Caribbean Soca Platform to highlight our products and build continuously on our industry. Such a venture can only happen with a positive mindset.

There is a need to prove to the world that Soca can compete with any musical genre at any time. We as Caribbean nations need to pull our resources and invest in a product; we all can be proud of. I believe that unless we hear our artists songs playing on television sitcoms; in movie soundtracks; and in advertisements all over the world, we, none of us within any island have a right to claim we are better than the other. Until we make Soca music a threat to the other genres,

We can never claim to be better than anyone else. Pride they say comes before a fall. It is better to build up together than to tear down individually that which we never built up.

Instead of us focusing on a particular by-product which is good we should concentrate on a year-round production of the entire product. If we do not learn to love and support our people in what they do irrespective of which island they come from then Soca will continue to struggle and we will forever be our own worst enemy. Just as Dance-hall and Reggae has evolved to the point people born outside of the culture are now singing it, so too we must endeavor to bring Soca music to and beyond that point. We cannot sit fighting among ourselves while our music and culture die a slow death or suffer loss.

Notably among the smaller islands a drastic rise in the quality of Soca music produced. This gives these nations the opportunity to compete with the much-developed nations to bring out the best in our Soca industry here in the Caribbean. Fresh ideas; development of a younger generation of artists; year-round education into the composition, production, recording, and delivering of our Soca product must be at the fore front of our minds. A way to rise above and beat the odds is what we must focus on and not senseless babbling on social media. It takes a lot of time and energy arguing and giving rise to negativity why not channel these efforts into growing our product for the better good of us all.

Where did Soca music come from and how did it start?

According to Wikipedia “Soca music originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1970’s and is a subculture of Trinidad and Tobago that developed into a range of styles by the 1980’s. This style of music was developed by Lord Shorty in the 1970’s as part of an effort to revive the traditional calypso genre of music. Since its intervention or its origin in the 1970’s the popularity of Soca music has been flagging amongst the younger generations in Trinidad and Tobago. This popularity came about due to the rise of reggae from Jamaica, Soul and Funk from the USA in the early 1970’s.”

Overall, we can be true to ourselves in saying Soca is the birth-child of Trinidad and Tobago but remains a cultural Caribbean family icon. While it may be true that each individual country has its own product to display, market, and promote and should do so respectively we must realize that every single one of us as Caribbean people should make a collective effort to market, promote, and edify Soca music making it the best genre in the world.

Written by N. Regis