Trinidad and Tobago Carnival: Part 2 – Soca Music

Posted by Sarina on Mar 04, 2011 | Comments Off | Print This | | Email This

This entry is part 2 of 9 in the series Trinidad and Tobago Carnival

This post was originally published on February 14, 2007. It has been updated twice since then.

It is hard to imagine Carnival without music. And the definitive music of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is soca. So what is Soca Music?

Well, why not let Soca Superstar Machel Montano say it in his own words?

From Caribbean Music 101 (the original link no longer works unfortunately):
What is Soca?

Soca is a modern form of calypso with an up-tempo beat. There is a popular misconception that soca is a fusion of American soul music and traditional calypso. Hence the name “so-ca,” soul/calypso. Though this sounds plausible, it is simply not true. Soca music originated as a fusion of calypso with Indian rhythms, thus combining the musical traditions to the two major ethnic groups of Trinidad and Tobago.

Unlike calypso music (which revolves around social and political commentary), soca is usually about partying, escapism and feel good vibes. Unlike reggae and dancehall music, soca and calypso have not made an imprint on the international mainstream the way that many think they should have. Whether this is due to poor marketing or a cultural barrier is something that no one can really agree on. However there are some soca tracks that have been breakout hits in North America and Europe. Most notably,

* “Hot Hot Hot” – Buster Poindexter (originally recorded by Arrow)
* “Follow the leader” – Soca Boys (originally recorded by Nigel and Marvin Lewis), a more recent version by S.B.S.
* “Who Let the Dogs Out” – Baha Men (originally recorded by Trinidadian Anslem Douglas)
* “Sweet Soca Music” – Sugar Daddy
* “Turn Me On” – Kevin Lyttle
* “Tempted to Touch” – Rupee
* “We Not Givin’ Up” – Machel Montano and Xtatik (Trinidad)

SIGHTS

The best places to see, hear, experience soca and calypso are the numerous fetes, reviews and tents that pop up over the Carnival season. Growing up there really was only competition that mattered, that was the one to be named Calypso Monarch on Dimanche Gras night. However nowadays, as the genre has grown and splintered, numerous concerts and competitions have popped up to meet the demand for musical expression and recognition.

Additional Soca/Calypso Links:

• TriniSoca.com: Trinidad and Tobago Calypso, Soca, and Carnival
• Muriel’s Treasure (a virtual encyclopedia of calypso links!)
• Trinidad and Tobago: National Geographic World Music

SOUNDS

Nowadays Trinidadian Soca music (itself a sub-category of calypso music) has spawned 3 distinct sub-categories.

1. Rapso : Trinidad dialect ‘hip-hop’ with smooth calypso melodies and bold socially conscious lyrics