IslandMix

Do you find that people in your island go soca because they know that they will not make money/get air play doing music they really love? What inpact do you think this has on the soca industry?

[quote=warrior;2877437]Do you find that people in your island go soca because they know that they will not make money/get air play doing music they really love? What inpact do you think this has on the soca industry?[/QUOTE]



I think that the question is extremely belittering to the genre, I doubt if artists are doing soca because they know they are not going to make anything of it. Come on what kind of question is this?

One of the problems with soca is that uptempo soca and outrageous soca has defined the genre for too long, this is actually killing the music. Alot of the music have become so ridiculous it is an outrage, the problem is that music that could move the genre to the place where it belongs in conjunciton to other genres go unrecognized.

One of the issues with soca, is that we need to come to an understanding of why people don't like soca music, remembering what is defining it today and seriously looking at that.

I think my question could have been more clear. So I will re-ask it.

The are some people who love music and love a genre in particular (Rock, Rap, Trance..) but live in a soca island. So since there isn't that big a market for there music locally, during Carnival/Crop Over they sing soca just because they can make money doing music, even if it is not the music they love. In fact I have heard that some of these very people do not love soca.

The same is also true for some DJs. The place soca because they have to but they are Reggae/dancehall men or Rap heads.


What effect do you think this is having on the soca industry?

Warrior, you're right on track. Quite a few soca artistes have said to me that they would prefer doing reggae/dancehall music but do soca because that's the way to go if you want airplay. They were doing reggae for years and never got any recognition until they "got on the soca train".

As an artiste/musician myself, while I love all genres of music, I naturally gravitated towards soca music. Why? I just found myself writing more soca songs than any other genre, so I stuck to soca. I'm a genuine lover of soca but not necessarily a purist.

For soca to advance, the artistes must have FAITH that it will. They must have a clear vision of where they want to see themselves and the music. If artistes don't believe in the music, if they do not love it and are just doing it for fame or the money, unless they change their thoughts and actions soca will stay behind. You can't give it half the effort and expect to make it big.

Soca Music Artist, Mantius Cazaubon

People will do this in a small island (as opposed to a larger country of people who could care less) that would otherwise treat you as a traitor if you said you wouldn't go under the guillotine for the "national" music. Sorta like marrying a women though you know you're a gay man. Simmi?

Has nothing to do with said industry. People shouldn't be chained to any genre of music.

[quote=warrior;2877553]I think my question could have been more clear. So I will re-ask it.

The are some people who love music and love a genre in particular (Rock, Rap, Trance..) but live in a soca island. So since there isn't that big a market for there music locally, during Carnival/Crop Over they sing soca just because they can make money doing music, even if it is not the music they love. In fact I have heard that some of these very people do not love soca.

The same is also true for some DJs. The place soca because they have to but they are Reggae/dancehall men or Rap heads.


What effect do you think this is having on the soca industry?[/QUO

Because of the way your premise is stated, I am going to say miniscule. Because my music of choice is Juke Music doesn't mean that I am going to turn my back on what is inherently mine. My people before me, left me something that I am supposed to be proud of and want to see that some parts of it/sound continue into the next generations.

What the genres of calypso and its other forms lack :

Development plan
Marketing
*Money*
Established sales plans for the music

If we had 100 artists signed to record labels and these labels spent $40,000 on each artist for promotion and marketing - don't you believe that this would move the genre ahead? Somebody is going to hear and for the record label they would be hoping that quite a few.

We need to establish our own tracking methods to really see how much CD's get sold. Good charts for our music, not these music charts that are out there for our music, where 80% of the songs come from the same country and the same artist.(how can a genre progress in this manner)


I am going to an event later this month that deals with getting your music into the American market, but I am sure everybody will be thinking rock, pop and hip hop. I will be there to say, my music exists, here is a copy of my CD take a listen. We can produce GOOD music, but we have to have followup through out the year, not limit what get's produced to 6 weeks out of the year.