IslandMix - Soca, Reggae, Zouk and Caribbean Entertainment

i can agree on many of dem.

dat is de problem with soca now:too much of de music is carinival chunes, which are disposable after carnival season.

explain how soca music artists are suffering? seems to me if they are talented musicians that put out compelling music for the Carnival season, they can take their act on the road like most bands do and tour throughout the world for their carnival seasons- HD, Kes, Destra & Atlantik, Krosfyah, Shurwayne Winchester & Y.O.U., Bunji/Fayann & Asylum, etc and do fairly well- are they going platinum or diamond in record sales, perhaps not, but any talented musician that understands this industry will tell you its about diversifying your revenue streams and understanding how to make money versus relying on the mainstream to push your music and get you on the Billboard 200

even the artists, as well as brand new artists that hardly leave their islands are still getting booked on their islands to perform shows and as their music and prominence increases, and as they hone their craft and develop their own musicianship and abilities, they to will have the chance to move beyond their islands- things like that take time and patience is a virtue

and VP hate to break it to you, but playing the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, FL is like playing a TGI Friday's with a stage- it's not like selling out (even the theatre) at MSG, or playing some massive stadium in the United States

honestly, the two of yuh just sound like stubborn old timers that not every song is a groovy grammy winner and you want your opinion to force the hand of soca music to some groovy-watered down version so you can make imaginary millions of dollars forcing slow tempo'd r&b performed by caribbean artists out into the mainstream

when in reality- where supporters and promoters and producers of soca music need to focus their efforts in terms of getting people all over the world to understand what CARNIVAL actually IS- where it happens, how it differs from island to island, what it is a representation of, the historical significance of it, and how the music, both past and present is an influence and also the driving force of it- so that the MUSIC in itself has a much deeper meaning than "flag in the air, rag in the air"- and people can look deeper into it and not be so quick to typecast it as "nonsense" music like you two always do...I would figure the two of you- of all IMIX posters- would have a deep understanding the significance of celebrating the "flag"- but instead you want to sing "Turn Me On" and "Pump Me Up" la la la la la until millions of dollars come your way to go push Kevin Lyttle in Japan

and honestly, you can release total bullcrap music in countries like Japan that will do considerably well because young Japanese people are so anti their own culture that they will, instinctively gravitate towards anything that is not original Japanese culture- why do you think dancehall is bigger over there than it is in the US or Canada?

I'm drawn to an innovative or unexpected rhythm or riddim (it really doesn't matter to me) and i beleive soca provides that. Its just that the quality of the sounds heard is poor.

I've been turned off to brassy songs often because they use a synthesizer which takes away from the passion of the music. I like to hear little imperfections in the song; those are missing.

I beleive Soca artists need to learn what sounds to take from Dance Hall and Hip Hop otherwise they just sound like posers. In general there is a lack of grit and rawness that Soca has and i think most artists percieve that and try to bring that, but fail simply becuae they don't posses it.

And another thing. Soca needs to encorporate other genres. Zouk and Kompas Samba and Axe. They should be marketing to large carnival markets like Brazil, Colombia, France and Central America as opposed to the US. They'll definitely be better off for it.

Dem Bahians done teif we tings and calling it Axe. We should giddem de Dub I (W.I.) wine.

__________________
Whether there is a moral component to being less clothed than an European, I'm not getting into because that's a personal thing.
Carnival: carne valle: farewell flesh means it is time to be myself in all my godly glory. I am a man created in God's image, making me beautiful. We get half naked in the bright sun, soak up some vitamin D and jump to a rythm because as human beings, rythms entrance us; they harken to our mothers' rhythmic heartbeat in the womb. Its a natural, healthy experience.

continue

I will END on this NOTE by posting a QUESTION put to Umi Marcano and his ANSWER.

"What is the one thing you would like to accomplish before you die?

To put Trinidad on my back and take us to the world with my music and stamp us there!"

So yes, I RECOGNIZE what NEEDS to take PLACE in the SOCA INDUSTRY for our MUSIC to make it to the NEXT level, and and that is why I do what I do, FREE of CHARGE.

YUHHHHH SEEEEEEE MEEEEEEE

blah blah blah

1993 blah blah blah

superblue blah blah blah

the power of the vincy blah blah blah

kevin lyttle blah blah blah

japan blah blah blah

hard rock cafe blah blah blah

did it ever occur to you that these soca artists in the industry right now enjoy making carnival-time music and perhaps it's not a matter of them making seasonal music- but to them it's more about making the seasonal soca music that they love relevant during non-carnival times with people and fans all over the world?

if you can listen to a carnival soca tune in the middle of September or October or November and you are not in Miami, and still feel the vibe- thats what im talking about- and that's a whole lot better than the stale dancehall garbage that talks about the same topics over and over again- so yeah, I'm here to say it, dancehall reggae is the most tired music on the planet right now and thankfully we have soca artists in the industry that are willing to play shows throughout the Caribbean and across the world, whether they are about carnival topics or not

yuhhhhhh seeeeeee meeeee

You have this ting about Dancehall, you keep bringing it up. If you're a Soca dj and Dancehall is dying, wouldnt that be a good thing for you. Dancehall is not taking up the space that Soca should be. The cake is big enough for every genre of music out there. Wi nah watch unnoo suh unnoo nuh watch wi.

perhaps it does help my cause as a 100% soca selector, but I'm not sure I can make a fully casual argument that in the absence of dancehall, that people will choose soca- I could probably only make that claim if we are talking about in the caribbean diaspora and among caribbean scenes/people/descendants- unless people understand the history and significance of carnival in the caribbean- it's not something I would sit there and force- over time perhaps, and to the uninitiated- it would take some time and some teaching

but dancehall, as a whole, has always served a purpose in briding a lot of gaps to many people even outside of caribbean scenes- my comment was that dancehall, since the death of the 7"- the quality has slacked off CONSIDERABLY, and as a result, the music has turned way too crude, violent, and juvenille- that's not say that the violence wasn't there before a few years ago, but it's even more there and prevalent now as artists that were making somewhat more positive or uplifting music have backed out of the scene because of cost-prohibitive environments, leaving nothing but violence to represent dancehall music

I wonder who Susie from Kansas likes for Road March 2009?

so many good tunes this year she probably can't decide

Dude, i remember once taking a yankee co-worker with me to Eastern Parkway some years ago and he heard Xtatik "Water Flowing" and fell in love with the song immediately. He was like "man that's some great music right there". It was the first time he heard the song and probably the last time.

The point is that there is great music being made in the caribbean and because it is not getting to the ear of Susie from Kansas, it doesn't mean that it is not innovative, new and fresh. "Water" was one of those songs. It was new, fresh and different. Good music is put out there every year. Personally I am quite happy with the variety of music that i've heard for C2k9 so far. If artists want to cross over into wider markets they need to look at the music business. Great music is and has already been in place for years and years.

excellent post and I agree with you 100%- the Susie comment was a joke- and what you just stated is what I try to tell everyone when they say a powerful tune with strong instrumentals or great lyrics is shit or to throw it in the latrine pit (a la VP) when it's not a tune that is likely to land on 106 & Park anytime soon

SUSIE from KANSAS is not CONCERN about ROAD MARCH CHUNES that will be in the LATRINE PIT by the END of the YEAR.

However, SUZIE from KANSAS is HOPING that there WILL be a SONG that could MAKE it BEYOND the CARNIVAL and FETE scene.

YUHHHHHHH SEEEEEEE MEEEEEE