I think Burning Flames,Nu-Vybes,WCK and Jam band are the top small island bands in that order.
Burning Flames have been the top band for almost 20 years and even with the exodus of Onyan back in the early to late 90's the band still was able to maintain as one of the top bands in the caribbean much less the world.
Nu-Vybes is the new kid on the block. Although they have been around for years they really became known and hit it big with their huge hit SUGAR which was released in 2001 and eventually became the anthem for the Indian tour of the West Indies the following year. The song became such a huge hit that their was a movement started to declare the song the caribbean road march for 2002. The band has exceeded the quality and standard of the SUGAR album with their two album releases since. Their 2004 release which is called RELOADED is on track to exceed the success achieved by the SUGAR album.
WCK literally blew onto the music scene with the CONCHSHELL a song which was a huge hit back in the early 90's .They followed CONCHSHELL with hits like Balance Batty and the Train. The band has been through many changes over the years but the core has remained.
Jam Band has won the Virgin Islands road march 16 times which is mind blowing by any standard. Their style is very unique and it has been copied by many bands including Better Band from Anguilla.

yep i agree Shaqdiesel

...but veto band is de hot band in anguilla...better band is made up of ex veto members....veto band has the bigger hits in angulla...ie "liquer" and "more hose" are big hits and should have been pushed internationaly!!!

it's a pitty we don't see all those people who claim to be so supportive on "other islands music" not responding to posts like these. and then dem cuss when someone like myself pulls dem up on it!!!
watch how dem ago come inhere and star cuss me but can't answer the initial questions!! watch!!!

The reason why most of them don't reply is because they're not familiar with these bands being mentioned with the exception of Flames and Jam Band to a lesser extent. Although WCK has been around for quite a number of years alot of people have not been exposed to their music, remember this site is comprised of a very young group of people some am quite sure have never even heard of the Conchshell song by WCK. Most of the people who support this band are Antiguan's and Dominican's tell me honestly Shaq how many times have you ever seen or heard of WCK performing in St.Kitts within the past five years.
NU Vybes music is not one that will break into the Trini or Bajan market very easily because their music is still way ahead in comparison to what NU Vybes is offering we cannot be conceited about this it's a fact that has been brought up many times over.
How long has Small Axe been producing good music and still hasn't made the break. In Antigua I've only heard of one song that made it big there for NV and that's the Sugar song, however they do get job's in Antigua because Kittian's will find it easy to buy a ticket to go over there than in turn generate's revenue for the airlines and promoter's and so it's more for the money than anything else. They also are only know to people from small Islands and a handfull from other Islands.I must say though they have a good marketing team and have a formula that works for them but will definitely not be copied by other bands to get international exposure.
I won't go so far as to call them the top small Island Bands with the exception of Flames and Jam Band , it goes further than having one known hit that's known by a quite a few people and a good album that is supported by your Island people.

i hear you shanny..but my question is DO THEY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE AND BE EXPOSED TO THEM.
AIN'T WE EXPOSED TO TRINIDAD AND BAJAN MATERIAL...WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT FROM THEM. WE PUT THE EFFORT INTO EXPOSING OUR SELF TO THAT MATREAL..WHY CAN'T THEY DO THE SAME FOR OUR MATERIAL..THIS IS 2004..THERE ARE SO MANY MEDIUMS TO GAIN EXPOSURE....THINGS LIKE THE INTERNET MAKE EVERYTHING ACCESSABLE...SAYING THEY ARE NOT "EXPOSED" IS NO AN EXCUSE ANY MORE...WE ARE "EXPOSED" TO THIER MUSIC..NOT SO...WHY?? BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE...WE CONCIOUSLY CHOOSE TO!!! DO THEY???!!!

-quesiton (actually 2) for u shaqdeisel, would Barbados be considered one of the small islands?

-Now once we establed that the above mention bands are the best in the Small islands isn't the next logical argument - are they better than the bigs island(s)??

Yeah but we're in the minority so we will alway's be over shadowed no matter how hard we try. All the small Island's don't make up the population of these two Islands put together. They have the resources and finance to push their music for it to be heard unfortunately for us we don't.
Also in Antigua we have soo many other caribbean nationals living there we can't help to embrace their music. In the bigger Islands their producing soo much of their own music because they're so big it's really difficult to embrace more than a few other songs at a time, and they better be great or else it ain't worth it..

SHAN1 I agree with u when u say that some young folks are not familiar with other bands' music so they dont rate them as high.

But Like u said the WCK band from Dominica is one of the best in the Islands. They have had hits like "Balance batty" and "Conch Shell" and "orginal hold dem" which rocked the caribbean and England some years ago.

www.welimin.com

shan1 what you saying is all truth...but you comming across like you just accepting the situation!!! you like you just makingexcuses...like you ok wid all that you saying...like its OK!!

what you saying is not OK and it's unacceptable in this day and age....yes you are talking the truth...but that truth is unacceptable!!!

Nah baby that's why I gave up my career in singing atleast for now. I chosen to study Business Administration with emphasis in Maketing so that I can go back home and take this to another level, I'm tired of people talking about it but not taking the "Bull by the horns" and doing something about it.
I also study each country as it relates to the music, law's, by laws, influences and what make's them more successful than others in this area. It's pretty deep and for what I've been seeing during my research I can honestly say we're gonna have to work real hard.

just keep in mind that the 2 lead singers from WCK recently started their own band...so we shall see how well WCK does since their departure.

I don't think they realise this, I think they made their departure after this last Album was made though, so let's just see.

well the new cd cover features only skinny & nayee...and it's nex band...but the tunes are nice.

Small Islands does always get a fight from everybody including other small islands. They got the learn to be as one first. It got alot of wicked bands that come from st thomas - jamband, pyour passion, st croix -express band, bvi- showtime band anguilla- musshintong bros & better band st kitts- small axe, grand masters, sugar band, tornado, antigua- burning flames, onyan & the baygon band, da bahn, ela kru, dom. wck, first serenade, raw riddim. st martin- explosion band. And they are plenty more from tyhose islands but nobody does give most of them bands a chance. Small island massive have to support there small island bands. Dont fight each other.

I have read all the comments in this thread and others and I am totally surprise that the few Vincies on this site are absolutely silent on this issue.

Furthermore, I am totally surprise that those who claimed that they're from the small islands have basically mentioned bands from the leeward islands, with the one exception being WCK from Dominica of the windward islands.

Where are the Vincentians on this issue? Surely we can talk about the great bands from that island. Bands like, New Direction (Roll It, Rudeness on de Road, Sexual, etc.), Signal (Everybody, Busy Tone, etc.), Roses Crew (Anaconda, Manager Dyck, Firewood, Spiritual, Miss De Water, etc.), Blacksand (Poor People Anthem, Musical Ride, Motorcade - Bikers Anthem, Don't Fraid It, Hot and Crazy, Bad-Minded, etc.) Touch (Take away somebody's woman and so many others). Touch won 4 or 5 straight roadmarch competition in SVG.

I can go back to the glory days, the 70’s, of great bands from St. Vincent, like ASTERISKS, Revolution, Exodus and more)

And now you have HOTTSAND, whose members, Adrian Bailey (brother of Tony Bailey, one of the founding members of Krosfyah), Maddzart, and Shaunelle, were once part of Blacksand.

The Vincies on this site need let their voice be heard. If you do not support your own, who is going to support you? In other words, if I never brought up the names of these bands and other artists from SVG, the people on this site, and those who are just PEEPING, would not know that St. Vincent and the Grenadines have soca bands that can compete against any in the Caribbean.

Nevertheless, I respect those that have had the strength and courage to share with Islandmix their country's contribution to the soca art form, inspite of the 100-pound GORILLA'S overwhelming presence.

vincy you right...st. vincent don't really get a bly either exept for becks and kevin...but hotsand is a wikked likkle group for real...respect all the vincy bands and artists as well. madzart, roses and de rest!!!
and just a question...

who are the hundred pound gorillas??? :):) LOL!!!