IslandMix - Soca, Reggae, Zouk and Caribbean Entertainment

I was listenning to the Digicell Caribbean Top 30 on Saturday. It is basically a count down of the top 30 caribbean songs in the caribbean. RPB was number 3 with Wrong Gal, and Shontel was number 2 with T-Shirt, don't know what was number 1 but I will take a guess and say Rihana.


Now here is my question. I have no problem with soca being rated with dancehall or even local Hip Hop and Rock (like Kite). But Rihana is the biggest thing in the world pretty much and she has millions behind her production, writing and promotion.

What do you think?

NO!! our music is struggling, too many artists out there can do things for the genre but get unnoticed because we try to be all inclusive.

Explain what you mean.

Rihanna would give soca much exposure to people that don't know it or don't understand it (somewhat) if she actually released a soca built tune or a collabo with Machel or Alison or Destra or something like that

as long as it was good and not some watered down version etc

nah...she's a pop/r&b artist

__________________
www.creme-events.com

Well some how she and Sean Paul hooked up why not try a descent soca tune. It doesn't have to be a up tempo and nice good vibe groove song can start a fire.

Well she did do this.

YouTube - Hurricane Rihanna featuring Rupee







But the danger is if she did a ragga soca song it would be a "reggae" or worse a "reggaeton" influenced song. So it would have to be fast. Release it in the summer as a "summer music" song.

Outside of Rupee's name who is doing some kind of rap - I don't hear no soca. The problem with Rihanna doing anything for soca - do you believe that her record label would waste the money and time to take up space from a possible hit song on her album to allow her to sing a soca song?

I am not referring to any kind of watered down song, soca is not well known, they will do a reggae blend-that genre is well known, people will support reggae. Soca does not have the leverage to do anything for her. So why would a record label want to commit her to that?

Until artists and producers look beyond carnival, the perception of soca as the following will never change and the genre will never progress.

1. Instructional music

2. Summertime music

3. Nothing other than dance music(hate when I hear Caribbean artists say this - it boxes the music into a corner and stifles its development -when the best in the genre can say, this is all there is to an entire genre. Why would any record label be interested in it, knowing the impact of reggae from the same region and calypso in its hayday - like any kind of music there are different styles of soca music, that needs to be highlighted)

4. Realize that not everyone can listen to music moving at 180 beats a minute

5. Songs need lyrics

6. The music needs to progress beyond an unending chorus(5 )

7. Only carnival related(2)

8. Improve production quality of the music

9. Anything goes

10. You must promote

Soca artists need to know that the music needs diversificaton, it is not one dimensional.

That is why I posted this. This is what we need more of

How about this?

YouTube - Please Don't Stop The Soca- Rihanna and Mr. Slaughter

Is this your WAY of TRYING to CHAT UP RIHANNA in a SOCA FORUM?? Moreover, is this your WAY of TRYING to tell us that BAJANS had the TOP 3 SONGS on this CARIBBEAN SHOW U REFERENCED?

U R so PREDICTABLE. But I am sure there will be those who will not REALIZE what you're doing

How about this?

YouTube - Please Don't Stop The Soca- Rihanna and Mr. Slaughter

OMG - I love Rupee and I love Mr.Slaughter - but I cannot even listen to the Rupee song and Mr. Slaugherts is only slightly better - ok - I used to love Rihanna - but she definately cannot do anything close to Soca - but it doesn't matter she is the MEGA-Star = and all the Soca Singers around might be better then her - but she has the big-boys-network behind her and she is gorgeous

Sorry - when I replied I missed that you were talking about the Caribbean Top 30 - that is not Soca - that is just whatever top-songs are also top 30 in the Caribbean - when I replied it was about Rupee and Rihanna and Slaughter and Rihanna - I am sorry - Rupee was way out of his league and Slaughter tried - but if it isn't for the big boys none of these songs will make it - as hard as Slaugther works for it

caribarts, so then what would de plan be, for our music, soca music to overcome our island differences and become recognized as an actual genre of music world wide? all those things you listed right and extremely on point, (lyric content, 5 chours' , music to seasonal, (instructional) jump and wave, run to de back, run down de road, wine... wine rough... wine fast... wine hard..., and de fact dat our music more or less based around partying) but do you propose an entire revamp of what our music is today?