IslandMix - Soca, Reggae, Zouk and Caribbean Entertainment

people keep saying more "imagination" and more "creativity" but provide examples of what you are looking for to be more imaginative or more creative? what do you want to see songs about? what new instruments do you want to see included? what influences do you want to see?

please to provide specific examples of lyrics you would like to see? is anyone on here a producer, singer, or songwriter? can you provide an example of what would be more creative than what is out in the soca scene now?

because right now this banter is nothing more than complaints about what soca shouldn't be and not specifics on what soca should be- I actually like where the soca scene is right now- and if dancehall keeps deteriorating beyond the absolute garbage thats coming out of JA right now- it's absolutely soca's time to shine and spread the carnival culture- even if all the songs are about jumpin, waving, winin, and grindin, etc

also, I like my soca to be about carnival, to be about the fetes, to be about wining- but where do you want the music to take you? what do you want the music to tell you or say to you

I think these questions really need to be answered on here

What do we win if ppl outside of the caribbean start to like soca? What do we win if the west indians that aren't into soca start liking it? Would we all feel immense pride to see our artists collecting grammys and won't we be happy when there is more soca on itunes etc? Yes of course but how important is that really and what does it accomplish if we have to concern ourselves with impressing others rather than just enjoying our music that we understand and relate to? Today kaiso is kaiso and soca is soca. There are tons of tunes that come out every year that make you want to jump to your feet, clap and scream KAISO. Are those tunes on toronto-lime's top 10? nope. Are they the tunes the DJ's play at parties? nope. Those tunes don't share the same prominence and popularity today, the attitude is there is a time and place for them. You can't get mad at ppl for wanting to hear what they want or at DJs for giving them what they want.

I agree with that though I don't think a little dancehall or hip hop influence is so bad (beats & riddim alone not theme or vibe).

Allyuh crazy qui....so tell the dj's doh play what the ppl want huh? I would want my money back if I go a fete and can't get some decent uptempo tunes and is only slow wine and R&B sounding stuff all night.

i did not say play groovy and ragga only; play more of them.

Oh ok. I could see that then. Many soca djs do play the same tunes over and over and don't know how to switch up the pace a lil bit. Then again it also depends on demographic of the crowd and what event the fete may be for ie carnival time ppl for the most part want to hear uptempo tunes to have them in a frenzy.

here one or two examples of chunes i consider creative and imagination: pump me up, turn me on, to the ceiling, go down slow, wine up on me, tempted to touch. there are many more i cant recall at this time.

You talking bout that tune by terry seales and surface w/ the "indian lady" saying wine up on me buh doh wine up on mih nani?

zoelah's song from last year. maybe i did not have title of de song right.

the issue I take with calling these "innovative" or "imaginative" is that they are all songs that have "crossed over" in some way, and I think that there are a lot of innovative, imaginative tunes that haven't crossed over that people don't give credit to because they live in these Hot97/MTV/BET worlds where only songs that pick up steam with the "mainstream" they deem as "great" and I think they either aren't open minded or maybe they fail to support soca music as a whole

when I think of creative or imaginative tunes that represent soca music and the true carnival vibe, I think of:

Imij & Co- Leh Go
Kes The Band- Stay With Me
Kes The Band- Heads High
Krosfyah f/ Khiomal- Til Morning
Teddyson John- Wine Up On Me
Machel Montano HD- Unconditional
Mista Vybe- Life
Ragga- Miss Lady
Taxik f/ Claudette Peters- Things
Zan f/ Machel Montano- Heart of A Man
Zoelah- Together Now
Burning Flames- De Rebel In Me
Maddzart- All The Wine
Lorenzo- So Sweet
Lorenzo- Nice & Easy
Lorenzo- Don't Stop
Lil Bitts f/ Bunji Garlin- Love U Forever
Levi Myaz- Music of My Land
Krosfyah f/ Tony Bailey- There For You
KMC- Up In D' Air
Kimberly Inniss- Carnival Symphony
HS Phaktor- Is Only Love
Harella- Give It To Me
H20 Phlo- A Little Closer
Farmer Nappy- Festival Time (Own Gyal)
El A Kru- Stand Up
El A Kru- Maria
Nnika Francis- Do Meh Wey Yuh Want
D'Landlord- Find Me Dey
Destra Garcia- Sign
Dale Saunders- Never Wanna See You Cry
Blazer f/ Maximus Dan, Bunji Garlin, and Fayann Lyons- Somebody
Mr Killa- Turn It Up
Basil Yarde- Raindance
Atlantik- Sexy Body

yuhhhhhh seeeeee meeeeeee

see VP, I too would like soca music to stretch to the 4 corners of the earth, but I don't need it to be watered down to why something is big hit or for soca music to lose the vibe that currently draws me to it- if you lose the spirit and the vibe of what carnival is all about- then what the point of the celebration of life, love, and carnival through music anymore? I'm not willing to give that up just to get on TRL or Hot97 like you are by not talking about playing mas, j'ouvert, jumping, waving, winin, grindin, fete'n, roti, rum, and all the things that make carnival and the Caribbean special, unique places from the rest of the world- for someone who so passionately represents the POWER OF THE VINCY- you seem to not want to represent what differentiates your island from America or somewhere else that's not in the Caribbean

VP, I appreciate your passion for this issue- I really do- but I would just caution you, like I would caution an artist or a producer to not to sell out for the $$$ or the fame and to support and/or make music that you believe in, make music that makes you feel good, make music that represents the carnival spirit- make music that people want to party to during Carnival for Christ sakes! tunes like Soul On Fire, Pump Me Up, Hot Hot Hot, Tempted To Touch, Turn Me On, whatever are great, well known groovy tunes, but to be honest with you, if that's the formula you want to push, people will get just as tired of that as you are tired of the "flag in the air, rag in the air" style that dominates the soca world now- differentiation is key- for every Vincypowa out there, there are thousands of other folks like me who I appreciate the jump and wave and wine as long as it is accompanied by great production, great lyrics, and that true carnival spirit

for the record, I really love the vibe of where we are at now with soca, and I think that over time (gradually), soca is and will continue to be on the rise

regards,

-SC

Mannnn, it is as if U R not COMPREHENDING what i am SAYING. Again, CARNIVAL did not START in 1993....FETE-ING did not START in 1993....SOCA ACTS performing at MSG did not START in 2007.....it STARTED all the way back in the 80's, so there is nothing NEW here.

My focus is on the MUSIC itself. I gave you a LIST of SONGS that made it BIG outside the ENCLAVES of the CARIBBEAN in NORTH AMERICA and EUROPE. And every one of those SONGS were MAJOR HITS in the Caribbean before getting a BLIGH outside that MARKET. So I do not UNDERSTAND where you're coming with this WATERED DOWN talk.

People R not GOING to get TIRED of GOOD MUSIC, and that is why those SONGS will be PLAYING for a VERY LONG TIME, as already DEMONSTRATED by HOT HOT HOT and PUMP ME UP, over those WAVING FLAGS and RAGS songs EVERY SINGLE TIME.

FLAG and RAG waving CHUNES are DISPOSABLE music. Once the CARNIVAL is OVER, 90% of those SONGS are HARDLY heard from again, unless you're in a FETE atmosphere. But you will FOREVER hear a PUMP ME UP, A HOT HOT HOT, A TURN ME ON, a NOOKIE, etc., for YEARS to come inside and outside of that FETE ATMOSPHERE, because those are songs that have a BROAD APPEAL. You cannot PIGEONHOLE songs of that QUALITY/NATURE to just a FETE setting.

For EXAMPLE: "TURN ME ON," will PLAY on FOREVER because it is of IMMENSE QUALITY. People from ANYWHERE on PLANET EARTH can IDENTIFY with it, especially the LYRICS.

LQQK HOW BEAUTIFUL it is DONE by this WHITE GIRL, although she made one and two little mistakes.



That is REAL MUSIC right there!

That is the KIND of MUSIC that I am TALKING about that I know CARIBBEAN ARTISTS can bring to the FOREFRONT of taking SOCA music beyond its TINY NICHE market.

YUHHHHH SEEEEEEE MEEEEEEEE

I am sick and tired of hearing, she got a big ass, me go wine up on it, look at she ass, she ha wan big butt, mek me see how she can move it. wave yuh flag, wave yuh rag. Our artists producers vocabulary and imagination have to go beyond this when they go to write a song. Gee can I get some lyrics please.


The region is suffering because we have not taken what we have seriously, we have talented musicians and producers, but we put out crap. Our music is part of our culture, it names who we are - replacing it with someone elses is not the way to go. Our people need to get serious, this anything goes is pure BS.