Dear Fay Ann...

Soca is a relatively new form of music that is still trying to figure out what it is as a genre.  Artistes like Fay Ann, Bunji, Kees, and Machel are experimenting with different sounds to define soca and carry it beyond Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean, and its Diaspora.  The most recent trend is the fusion with EDM led by Major Lazer and other soca artistes, which they hope will carry the music “international”.

But what does “carrying soca international" mean? It means making the music popular outside of its current space.  Popular in this sense, is selling as much of it as possible to a mass heterogeneous audience outside of the Caribbean.  So Bunji performing on BET’s 106 and Park or having his song played on Grey’s Anatomy did not position Differentology in mainstream popular music.  In the same way, the use of Destra’s Bonnie and Clyde in a Parrot Bay rum ad did not give the song mass appeal.  However, soca did make its presence known in the past. The first major hit for calypso internationally was the Andrew Sisters’ version of Lord Invader’s  Rum and Coca Cola which spent 10 weeks on the US Pop Billboard charts in 1944. Harry Belafonte’s album, Calypso (1956) and Arrow’s single, Hot! Hot! Hot!, which was later redone by Buster Pointdexter )(1982/1987) were also classified as popular. And in recent times, Kevin Lyttle’s Turn Me On (2001), Baha Men’s version of Anslem Douglas’ Who let the Dogs Out (2000), and Rupee’s Tempted to Touch (2004) made their way to the mainstream market.  Although these were proud moments for the Caribbean, the artistes were one hit wonders and failed to keep soca on the global popular music scene. 

Now on to Fay Ann and the Raze music video...Fay Ann Lyons is a great soca artiste, not because she is Super Blue’s daughter or Bunji Garlin’s wife, but because of her songwriting, particularly her ability to create a hook, her strong vocals, and her stage presence.  She is the third woman to capture the Road March title and the first to capture the Soca Monarch title.  She is also the first artiste to win all of the categories in the Soca Monarch competition and win the Road March in the same year. With these achievements, Fay Ann is committed to taking soca out of its seasonal nature and making it a truly popular music genre.  Recently, she has been experimenting with the EDM sound in an attempt to carry the music international.  Her signing with VP records is also a step in that direction. Now, why a successful soca artiste would release such a mediocre music video for the song that she wants to cross musical borders? 

Although Fay Ann believes that Trinbagonians are too small minded and unintelligent to appreciate the production of a music video, there were many small minded wanna-be experts who failed to see the artistic greatness of the video and in true Trinbagonian style, did not hold back their views.

                                                                                                                                                                    

But I don’t think Fay Ann was ready for her own people to share their feelings on the video and she took to traditional and social media to respond:

 “As far as I am concerned I am happy with the video and have no time for negativity”

“Lol thank you, being different has always been ok in my book. Even if no one else thinks so”

“Ok off to bed...but I hope all these experts on videos can point me in the direction of the place where they are in rotation in Trini! TNX”

“Problem is yal say things and think because we artiste we must not respond or say anything. But guess what you wrong”

“Dont know who say vids must depict song, take me to church song watch the vid? All these experts! Locally!! Lol”

“I wonder where these "experts" does be hiding I did the vid I like the vid that's it. Stueps!”

“No sorry, to Trinidad the song old. Don't know why they pretending to care. When they let soca mostly play for carnival:”

“Vids are done with many purpose my dear, do you think I did it with you in mind? Lol nope. The ppl it was done for got it!”

And my personal favorite:

“Lol the vid was not done for a carnival Trini audience, so I am on target with them not getting it. Plus the RIGHT ppl like it”

I really don’t believe that after Fay Ann read the thousands of comments, she literally Lol-ed.  It must have been very hurtful to get such negative feedback particularly when she felt the self directed video was up to international standards. 

So Dear Fay Ann, instead of taking your precious time to read and respond to every single comment from those you perceive as ‘haters” (and we know Trinbagonians can carry it too far), acknowledge the feedback and redo the video. As an artiste, it is important that you do not insult your audience because without the local, there would be no international.

So here are some suggestions from a non expert:

• Get a GOOD video director and videographer

• The most powerful hook in the song is “wake up everyone who sleeping” which is a call to subvert or to unmask within the Carnival.

• Keep the basic concept with the snow, but it needs to be contrasted with something darker like the oil and mud of Jouvert.  Jouvert (“a new day dawning”) represents this awakening and transformation.

• The call to put “all hands in the air” is a significant part of the spirituality of Carnival- a reaching to skies, coming off the earth…it’s all a part of the revelry. We need to see this portrayal.

• These dark scenes would complement the winter scenes, which is a significant image of social forces that restrict freedom in our everyday lives (ok ok, I hear you laughing so I’ll stop).

• I am no expert on fashion so I’ll leave the styling to those who are, but K2K could have done something fabulous here.

• A great editor, producer and director would be able to put all of this together to tell a critical story of getting out of our comfort zones and achieving liberation despite the status quo.

Raze captures so much of the spiritual and physical aspects of Carnival, but the video fails to do the same.  This depiction does not have to be literal in terms of the stage, big truck, mas costumes, or a night club.  So I’m confused about Fay Ann producing a song and a video for 2 different audiences.  Moving from the periphery to the center or carrying the music international is no easy task, but don’t alienate the local audience – don’t tell us that the video is not for us. We are your audience and we know when your work is mediocre, so stop taking it so personal…
Raze is a great song and the video should target anyone who experiences this waking up and transformation that defines the Carnival. 

A Minister of Soca...

A while back I asked my Facebook friends to identify their favorite Machel Montano songs.  I was surprised that so many people responded and many called out songs that I had long forgotten about. With a career that spans almost thirty years, there's no denying that Machel is one of the greatest soca artistes in Trinidad and Tobago and that his Soul Train Music award for Best International Performance is well deserved, particularly for his 2014 hit, Ministry of Road (M.O.R.)

Machel Montano at the 2014 Soul Train Awards

In my opinion, M.O.R. (written by Jelani Shaw, Kasey Phillips, Nikholai Greene and Machel Montano) is one of Machel's best compositions to date.  In a time when power soca tunes were on the decline, M.O.R. was a sure winner for Soca Monarch and the Road March.  The song demonstrates how much more writers can do with the jump, wave, and wine themes that originally defined the power soca genre and like calypso, it can also take on contemporary socio-political issues in Trinidad and Tobago.

His persona as a Minister, whether political or social is the main message in the composition.  His self-presentation is an obvious play on his presumed association with the People's Partnership ruling government and the benefits that he allegedly receives from this association (with specific reference to the TT$5 million payment by the government for the creation, production, marketing, and performance of the Going for Gold album in 2012).  The Minister could also be an ode to Junior Sammy, which is obvious in the video, and as all Trinbagonians know, Mr. Sammy has been the real Minister of Road long before Machel.  This feature forces us to question the financial relationship between Montano and Sammy, Sammy and the Government, or all three.  Could it be that Machel is making a statement on the age old ploy of road construction to gain electoral support?  Or as another blogger pointed out, is he supporting the construction of the Debe-Mon Desir leg of the highway and throwing shade at Dr. Kublalsingh and the Highway Reroute Movement?

But what is obvious in the lyrics is Machel's discontent about the annual congestion to cross the savannah stage on Carnival Tuesday and possibly throwing support behind the socadrome as a source of relief.  And like a true politician, he uses the fix-the-road ploy to gain the support of his constituents (the masqueraders) because they too, are fed up of the route issue:

See fuh dis Carnival, nobody waitin long
Cyah stay in de traffic jam
Or wait by de hospital
Help me tuh make ah mas
De trucks dem Line up in town
People ready tuh run
One million comin down

It's no secret that Machel has some issue with authority, which really came to light with the guilty verdict related to an assault incident back in 2007. The song scoffs at this charge and he seems unremorseful when he boasts that even that set back couldn't keep him down:

Nobody cyah stop we,
If it's not ah charge tuh pay money,
Kill de road we have authority.

In essence, the song is a big up to Machel by Machel. And why not? He deserves it.  He has a long list of hits and titles, a longstanding position in the soca industry, and a vision for the genre that makes him a true Minister of soca...but like our government Ministers, he has his shortcomings, which are hardly recognized by his voters...

Soca and the Spiritual

I really have been wanting to comment on the Machel-Blue tie for the Soca Monarch but I feel that enough has been said and the real winner will always be and always have been William Monro.  Talk done.

I must admit that it was a while before  Machel's Float  grew on me but I'm upset that it took me so long to get on board.  At the time I was caught up with Superblue's Fantastic Friday which seemed early in the game a clear winner, but I really love both songs. It was only on further examination I came to the conclusion that like many other tunes, they connect us spiritually.  I've said this before about Bunji's Differentology, but these songs focus more on physical and emotional movement.

Spirituality is often linked to the "the sacred" meaning that it is "set apart from the ordinary".  In this sense, these songs "take us closer to a larger reality" or connect us with a "divine realm".  But this is not new.  Superblue has been bringing this experience to his songs since Get Something and Wave in 1991 which called for us to lift our hands to the skies.  For many, the heavens, spirits and ancestors are all located above us and exist outside of our reality. The wave that Blue, a spiritual Baptist and self proclaimed high priest of soca, demanded, encouraged us to reach to this divine place.  It didn't end there as the jump that accompanied the wave became an essential movement that took us off the earth and temporarily into the air.  The dance movements for the Shadow, the Iwer, Ronnie McIntosh's Ent, footsteps, jumbie and palance took the individual into the air, closer to the skies.  This movement is also common among the African Masai warrior tribe which is known for their jumping dance and shows the "strength and stamina" of the males from the village. Similarly, the constant jumping that we so expertly demonstrate at fetes, night after night does require exceptional endurance.

In Machel's Float, he speaks about levitating, hovering, drinking helium- all actions to come off the ground, to connect with the sacred above. This sentiment was also present in Higher than High and Jumbie.   For a true fan of soca, it's more than just simply liking a song, but attaining an emotional connection that takes away from the customary. The job of the artiste is then to take the listener to this level.  Like Super Blue says: for every soca that was written to inform, educate, entertain and feel .  When you can really feel a soca tune, it is no longer tangible, it is no longer ordinary, it's a sacred form....

Di Bouncin Start? Fave 2013 Soca Tunes so Far...

Some people mentioned to me that they felt that the soca offerings for 2013 were lacklustre. But I think that it is more a problem of quantity over quality. It seems that every time, I listen to the radio, I am introduced to a new song, but not all are good. I wish the radio Djs would stop mamaguying the artistes and stop playing some of these crap tunes. Even one local newspaper estimated that 400 songs have been released so far. Based on what I've heard, these are my faves:

1. Differentology- Bunji Garlin
If you read my previous post, you would understand why I absolutely love this song. Its lyrics and music are unlike anything I've heard in a long time. If it were up to me, this would be hands down my Road March pick.

2. Manager- Nadia Batson
No, I don't love this one because I have a controlling man and would secretly like to end the contract...I like it because it reminds me that female artistes can use the music to empower other women similar to what Denyse Plummer and Singing Sandra had done.

3. No Getaway- Blaxx
I know that we are afraid to love this since we don't want to be disappointed by his Soca Monarch performance which will be just as bad as we predict it to be. The tune itself is a tribute to all the sexy women of Carnival.  Blaxx's voice does not disappoint on the track while proving why he's a veteran in this business.

4. We doing this owah- Fay-Ann Lyons
This song didn't need to grow on me. It was an instant hit like many of her songs. I do however, prefer this one over De Stage Open, which she will be performing at the Power Soca Monarch.

5. Indian Gyal- Drupatee and Machel Montano
Yes, Drupatee still has the power to cross over with her authentic chutney soca sound... I really do want to hear this song performed live and hope she can place higher in the chutney soca monarch.

6. The Fog- Machel Montano
What i get the most about Fog is that it just sets the tone for the J'ouvert vibes. For me, it's not a strong Soca Monarch or even a Road March contender. In fact I haven't yet heard a Machel tune that can be clearly labelled a winning tune.

7. Wining Queen- Denise Belfon
Can we just say that the original wining queen is back with her own personal anthem...This is the official bruk out tune of Carnival 2013 especially when she gets to her signature song breaks, "eh eh eh eh..."

8. Wine back- K. Rich
K. Rich released this one by Precision  Productions early and it easily became one of my favourite groovy songs. The line "the way how yuh wine yuh waist is a real force of nature so every time you wine on me I does thank the creator" just gets me any time i hear it...

9. 25/8- Lyrikal
"All we need is one extra hour and one extra day..."...well wouldn't that be a perfect world for Carnival lovers...

10. Prescription- Ravi B
I really really didn't want to like this since I'm not a fan of the rum songs, but Ravi this is what a rum song is supposed to sound like, and not something made up by some stale drunk uncles in a rum shop on  a Tuesday night.

Songs I just don't like:
1. Friends with Benefits- Ravi b feat Konshens
Chutney Soca and dancehall are not a match made in heaven or anywhere...

2. No Lokani- Prophet Benjamin
WTF....

3. Unfinished Business- Iwer George
Spell check anyone?

4. Any song about a partier or feter
#Leaveitin2012

5. Any song by All Rounder

I know that some of you would like Superblue's Fantastic Friday to be on this list, but I don't love this song yet. I can see him mashing up Soca Monarch with just the line, "De bouncin start" and the crowd going crazy over "water and powder", yet I just like it...Probably by Soca Monarch finals ( if he qualifies), I will change my mind...

Best of Soca 2012

It's really sad that in Trinidad and Tobago, there's a concept such as "soca switch". If this is the home of soca, why is there a need to "switch"? But if the people who could change this, do not care to change it, then soca will remain the genre that could...But for people like me, soca is 365, whether I'm in T&T or in Jamaica.

But this post is about my fave songs for 2012, so let's move on. Even though 2011 saw the best that soca has to offer, 2012 wasn't too shabby. It must be noted that 2012 was the year of the groovy with very few power songs to talk about. I was even secretly hoping that a groovy would have won road march. Ultimately there's something definitely wrong with the power tunes and it seems like that formula needs revisiting.

I am Soca- Patrice Roberts and Kerwin Du Bois

This is my absolutely my fave song of the year! I felt like if I were a writer, I would have written this song. Loving soca is all about being soca...

Bacchanalist- Kerwin Du Bois

Let's just say that Kerwin was like the salt of soca this year- in every ting! writer, producer, singer, and pleasing to the eye. This song is definitely my 2012 anthem as it embodies how I feel about Carnival and the whole idea of revelry. The first line of the song is also unforgettable- "Hello and greetings, first time we meeting, ah hope yuh not leaving, just stay a lil bit...". In fact, all of the songs on that Antilles riddim are great- Erphaan's In your Eyes, Nadia's Shiver and Machel's Vibes Cyar done...

In your Eyes- Erphaan Alves

I LOVE this song! This is what a groovy song is supposed to sound like- feel good catchy lyrics with amazing vocals. Erphaan has been doing his thing from school's soca monarch and has come a long way as a writer and singer. Soca has to watch out for this young man...

The People's Champion- Benjai

This tune maadddd! I used to think that Benjai was cheesy. I mean who still has gold teeth? and what about that blurry tattoo on his neck? But after an unforgettable song like Trini, it would have been difficult to follow it up with another hit. But it seems that not winning competitions is an inspiration for many tunes...so I can't wait to see what hit he'll come up with after taking 3rd place at the soca monarch groovy...

Bubble on a DJ- Swappi

Swappi is one of this artistes you don't want to like. Sometimes I feel sorry for him because he was not born in Jamaica, but so it go (you are not Kartel). But this tune is a reall bruk out tune. It really makes women feel that they can wine on anything, and men wish that they were DJs...

Stress Away- Kes the Band

You know I must have my boy on this list. So he didn't do too well at the soca monarch but Stress Away (not the remix with Snoop) is a great composition with a creative video. Why can't I be carelessly walking down the street and led to a secret tea party with Kees? Yes, I'm serious. But the line I love in the song is -"For all di suckers dem, ah bring cockset!"

Miss Behave- Faye Ann Lyons

For the rest of the year, this song will be known as "the people's road march". I'm not going into the archaic criteria for choosing the road march winner, but for some reason, the DJs decided that this song will not be played while bands crossed the stage. I'm gonna behave this year and move on...

Come to Meh (part 2)- Iwer George

I know this post is about my fave songs of 2012, but I have to mention this piece of nonsense composed by Iwer. He's lucky that he came second at the soca monarch because if it was up to me, he would have been placed last without apology. How you could sing verse 2 of your song from last year and expect to win? Nah man Iwer, this is not diesel, you can't get off so easily...

Any song by Machel Montano

I will say this many times- there's no one who could match the skill, consistency, originality and professionalism of Machel. Even if you don't like his personality (and I don't know why you would, unless you know him), you cannot dispute that he is way ahead of all of the current artistes in the game. Bottle of Rum, Mr Fete, In charge, Vibes Cyar Done, Represent, On the Avenue, Revelers, Make yuh Rock and PYF reflect Mr HD's versatility and ability to turn out hit after hit in one year. For all his critics in the industry, stop hating and try to learn how it's done.....

This Week's Playlist

I'm glad that I'm not the only person disappointed in Mas camp's soca playlist...you see Bacchanal, people have access to that little invention called "the Internet" which can lead them to sites such as youtube, toronto lime and various trini radio stations that feature 2011 soca... so they are expecting the soca ignorant DJs at mas camp to follow suit. Bacchanal FB's group echoes the disappointment of many soca enthusiasts but ofcourse there's no proactive response from Bacchanal because they know that people will patronize them any way...




With about a week left to the greatest show on earth my (2011) playlist includes:

1. Consider it Done- Faye Ann Lyons


2. Advantageous- Machel Montano


3. Illegal- Machel Montano


4. Wotless- Kees


5. Come Gyal-Kees


6. Bend Over- Machel


7. Give Him Bam Bam- Patrice Roberts


8. Feteing for Days- Michelle Xavier and Imij
9. Carnival Jumbie- Blaxx


10. Ah feel tuh- Terri Lyons

Mess-tra at the Soca Monarch Semis

Who knew the Soca Monarch semis would have attracted so many fans especially since CNC decided to broadcast the Grammy awards instead of the bigggest show to hit Arima. I didn't watch the entire show because the power 106 stream was not the best and the show was extremely long but I was grateful for the little I could catch...I was also able to catch some of the rebroadcast on CNC the following day. My Mom is right when she says that competition always brings out the worst in people and boy did it bring out the worst in Destra. But her behaviour should not surprise us since we've always heard about incidents where her true colours came out...(the 2004 incident with Denise belfon and the cursing incident at the trini posse fete). What I don't understand is that Ms. garcia swore that she would never enter the competition since the judges "cheated" her the last time she entered, but that $2 million dollars could make a dent in her daughter's college fund. It is clear that Destra has too much ego for a competition since she is completely unaware that there are artistes who are better performers or who have better songs than her. Her performance was lukewarm; again she depended too much much on the hype and glamour and too little on singing the damn song. Destra needed to stop talking all that crap about Machel and Faye Ann and perform. It seemed that she was frustrated that she could not get the same reaction that Faye Ann and Bunji got and resorted to low blows. And what was the deal with her trying to ad lib on stage??? fail!

Now on to a real performer, Ms. Lyons; dressed in a black tank top and pants, the only prop she had was her sneakers! No frills, no fuss, she just sang "Consider it done" and let the crowd do the rest for her. Bunji was also able to mash up the velodrome with a simple performance focusing on lyrics and vocal skill. Now the man to watch out for is the Boss; I am not a fan of Iwer George but Iwer has Soca Monarch experience and has his followers, and I have to admit that "Come to meh" is one of his best songs to date. In my opinion, Destra cannot be considered a serious entrant compared to these 3.


Mr Machel did give an okay performance but like Destra, he had to try too hard to get the crowd hyped. At first I didn't think Soca Monarch would be a problem for the HD but the Soca Monarch crowd is not a One fete crowd or a Tribe Ignite crowd; I don't think that it's going to be easy for him no matter how many props he brings on on the night. Faye Ann, Bunji and Iwer all have Soca Monarch experience which Machel lacks as a competitor. The three have their die hard supporters and they know what the crowd and judges want. Backing tracks, lip syncing, and sexy dancers would only get you so far.


My picks for the finals are Faye Ann, Bunji and Iwer for Power Monarch, and Kes, Kerwin Du Bois and Shurwayne or Destra for Groovy.


And I just heard it's about TT$680 or something like that for the platinum section! I don't know about that! But since Machel in the Soca Monarch, there are a lot of people who would never even consider this event on their Carnival Friday line up and would go platinum....I admit, I have not been to SM since 1997...mostly because I could not handle the roughness but I always enjoyed watching the broadcast.... but this year the competition is fierce and I want to be there...

The soca monarch image and list of finalists can be found on the official soca monarch website.

Machel for Soca Monarch!

So it's official! Machel submitted his entry for the Soca Monarch! Who knew that the 2 million dollar prize could attract even the great Machel? I remember in the early days of the competition when the "big" artistes would claim that they don't need competition to prove their abilities...and then there were the sour grape artistes who would claim that they were "robbed" and vowed never to enter the competition again but gradually we see them coming back...boy that William Monroe must be reall grinning this year and happy that he doesn't need a CLICO payout...

The strong contenders for Soca Monarch are: Machel Montano, Faye Ann Lyons, Bunji Garlin and Kes (Groovy). Faye Ann has to bring it 100% and bring the whole of Point Fortin to mash up the venue because it's not difficult for Machel to put on a flawless performance but his following may not be as big or wild as the Faye Ann or even Iwer. So Destra wha yuh saying????

2011: The year of Soca

2011 has presented the best soca I've heard in a while. Some of the artistes have returned to the roots of soca and stopped trying so hard to copy dancehall or hip hop; most of these songs are truly soca songs. Listening to Red 96 online everyday is really amping up my excitement for Carnival....Big kudos to big producers/writers like Kernal Roberts and Kerwin Du Bois for bringing back the soca! But my fave this year is definitely Machel....it is safe to say that Machel is back with a bang! Illegal, Advantage, Hard Wuk and Coming Again prove that Machel still has what it takes to be a soca mega star. Following behind Machel is Kes, oh gosh...all yuh know how I feel about this man! But seriously, 2010 really gave Kes an opportunity to perfect his skills and solidify himself as a true soca artiste but I still find he could do without those back up dancers...My ringtone choice is Benjai's Trini; I LOVED this song when I first I heard it. It's a nice groovy song that makes us all proud to be Trinee and it is a sure road march contender; people do forget that a slower song could be good for the road. My guilty pleasure song is Iwer's Come to meh; just because I never liked any of his songs but this Grenadian- produced song is maadd! All I could say is Soca Monarch better watch out. The out-of-Trinidad fave is Lil Rick's Go Down (love my Bajan peeps!) but especially the mix with Machel. I've been loving the original tune since Miami Carnival and went crazy when I heard the Machel remix...woooiiii

But my geatest concern is what's up with the women? For so long the women were holding their own and giving the men some real competition but I feel like the female artistes are somewhat on the periphery this year. Destra has released so many songs but nothing really grabs my attention except Proppa which has a definite Bajan sound to it and is my kind of wining tune. As always Patrice Roberts has a strong groovy contender, Mas and Wining which is one of my top 5 picks for this year; this song is lyrically sound and captivates the feelings that are synonymous with Trini carnival. The comeback female is without a doubt is Ms Saucy Wow herself with Dance and Dingolay who could still perform a song like this and make some big men blush!

There's still some time for some songs to grow on us and for artistes to release new songs. And we know Machel has about 3 more tunes to drop but these are my picks so far:

1. Illegal- Machel Montano

2. Trini- Benjai

3. Advantage- Machel Montano

4. Wotless- Kes the Band

5. Mas and Wining- Patrice Roberts

6. Proppa- Destra

7. Dance and Dingolay- Denise Belfon

8. Come to meh- Iwer George

9. Go Dung- Lil Rick feat. Machel

10. Hard Wuk- Machel Montano

NO New Soca in Jamaica Carnival?

On Monday, Simone Morgan from the Jamaica Observer wrote a review of the Bacchanal Pre Carnival fete at Mas Camp last Friday: "With the selectors from the hugely popular Renaissance Disco provided patrons with the hottest and latest soca beats, this would set the stage for the what was to transpire at the kick-off event". She continued that the DJ, Kurt Riley... "The Party Animal, not leaving out his dancehall roots, did an excellent job at keeping the revellers warmed up with his wicked selections from dancehall's Demarco, Busy Signal, Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel -- a teaser of what was to come at the wild Bacchanal Jamaica Soca season."

Well good for you Ms. Morgan...because I'm not sure that I agree with your assessment. I know that I'm beating the dead horse but seriously what's up with the music? I can assure you that there were no "latest soca beats"...Unless "latest" refers to the repetition of the 15 pre 2005 songs. And if this is a "teaser for what is to come" this year, then what is there to look forward to? *yawn*. But I will give them credit for the 4 latest songs that were played; 1 of which was played twice.

After some discussion of this issue on facebook, some Jamaicans contend that it's difficult for DJs to introduce new songs because they don't get the desired reponse from the crowd. I totally agree with this...but every song was a new song at some point and how did they get the crowd into these songs? Furthermore, true "soca junkies" should not depend on Djs but are in tune with the songs long before the fete. And I will say this again, soca is seasonal music...each carnival season is defined by the songs of that year which is what makes each season a different experience...no one wants to be stuck in the past...yea it was great but let's party in the now...

Now on to other Jamaica carnival news...Soca Republic will be launching their costume for Bacchanal carnival as wellas their UWI J'ouvert presentation on January 21 at Ashli's Bistro in New Kingston. Gems Jamaica and Island Mas Jamaica will also be hosting another early carnival fete on March 5th. I hope that they would try to give us something different outside of Bacchanal....Move with the times and bring Jamaica in the now of soca music...

New Music Please Mr. DeeJay...

Some of my JA peeps might not like this post but I'm going to say it any way...I'm sending a plea to the DeeJays in Kingston especially to those on the radio and at mas camp (one that I will not name)to get familiar with the 2010 soca songs PLEASE. It is mandatory that new soca songs be released every year because these songs define each Carnival season. It's okay to play a few old songs but the focus should remain on the songs of the current year. I'm tired of hearing the same old argument that Jamaicans prefer the old soca songs and they don't like the ones they haven't heard before...well, there was always a first time to hear any song (even Colin Lucas' Dollar Wine was heard for the first time at some point). If this argument does not hold for dancehall, why then is it used for soca? We are in 2010 and DJs can access the songs on the Internet or even link with another DJ in Trinidad to get some CDs and start introducing the songs from January...so when mas camp opens, the songs are not alien to the patrons and by Beach J'ouvert weekend and the Road March, persons will be wining to all of the latest songs. This would also ensure that Trini soca artistes will be able to perform their most recent songs without lukewarm reactions from the Jamaican audience. So all my JA peeps, who are interested in palancing for 2010 you can go to toronto-lime.com and streaming radio such as www.red967fm.com/nowplaying.aspx. Also ultimax.tv and synergy tv on jumptv.com offer viewing of soca videos and interviews with the artistes. You could also download DJ Private Ryan's Brainwash 2010 Pre carnival mix to your ipod or burn it on a CD so that you can have it in your car, gym, office, home etc. Check it out at www.djprivateryan.libsyn.com