IslandMix - Soca, Reggae, Zouk and Caribbean Entertainment

Caribbean music industry professionals, international academics and media personnel gathered at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill campus to explore the history and sound of the Caribbean music culture last week. This wide-cross section of the Caribbean music enthusiasts were pulled together as a part of “Soundscapes: Reflections on Caribbean Oral and Aural Traditions conference” which was hosted by UWI’s Learning Resource Centre and Ohio University Department of African American Studies between July 25 to 29.

Among the presentations heard at the Pan-Caribbean conference which took place in Lecture Theatre 4 of the Cave Hill campus, was “Technology Constructing Culture or Technological Cultural Redefinition” An inside view of the use of Technology in the Shaping of the Caribbean Soundscape from the mid-1980’s” by Vincentian recording engineer, cultural critic and historian Dr. Cleve Scott.

In his presentation, Dr. Scott used the well-known Vincentian band TOUCH as an example of a Caribbean band “on the cutting-edge of technology” in that decades of the 1980’s and 1990’s. He illustrated how TOUCH’s distinctive sound was a result of the band’s willingness to embrace electronic instruments at a time when other bands were still relying on acoustic instruments. In fact, as Dr. Scott notes, the band even dropped its live drummer after a brief period for the drum machine because of his failure to maintain consistent timing, and play at a reasonable volume or sound pressure level. However, Dr. Scott points out, this move by TOUCH was ahead of its audience’s time and they eventually bowed to criticism in 1989 and hired a drummer to supplement the drum machine. Still, Dr. Scott said, “the drum machine ran things during the soca sessions”.

According to Dr. Scott, not only did Caribbean musicians make electronic musical instruments their own by using them in ways never foreseen by their manufacturers, he argued that Caribbean music has influenced the design if music technologies as, over time, manufacturers of technology have incorporated changes to reflect the needs of Caribbean music.

To demonstrate the changing application of technology in Vincentian music, the presentation includes song bites of soca hits “Hickee” and “Back Off” by TOUCH. Disco Ivy by Astericks and three different versions of Turn Me On by soca star Kevin Lyttle.

The conference also heard presentations from Trinidadian Trina Ramnarine, known for her work on the Indo-Caribbean music space; Bruce Paddington, founder of the Trinidadian film production company Banyon; UWI popular culture lecturer Dr. Curwen Best; among others.

Participants were also treated to a live performance by Vincentian calypsonian Grantley “Ipa” Constance at the conference’s closing ceremony. Ipa did his well known anthem for Caribbean unity “One Caribbean Nation”.