IslandMix - Soca, Reggae, Zouk and Caribbean Entertainment

IN A WAY I FEEL QUITE NAIVE TO MAKE THIS POST CAUSE I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH ALL MUSICAL ARRANGERS IN THE PAST.

WHO ARE YOUR TOP OR FAVORITE MUSICAL ARRANGERS IN SOCA/CALYPSO?

MINE ARE:

1. (TIE) LESTON PAUL(TNT) AND FRANKIE MACINTOSH (SVG)
3. ART DE CORTEAU (TNT)
4. PELHAM GOODARD (TNT)
5. NICHOLAS BRANKER (BAR)
6. CLARENCE "OUNGKU" EDWARDS (ANU)
7. (TIE) PAT EDWARDS (ANU)AND RORDON EDWARDS (ANU)

NOW WHY AS LISTED?
FOR THIS LIST NUMBERS 1-5 DID SUCH LARGE VOLUME OF WORK IN THE PAST CREATING MOST OF THE SWEET MUSIC WE LOVE.
LESTON PAUL AND FRANKIE MACINTOSH EACH ARRANGED EASILY OVER A THOUSAND TUNES...ART DECORTEAU DID PROBABLY CLOSE TO THE SAME AMOUNT ALSO...SO DID PELHAM GODARD.
NICHOLAS BRANCHER CREATE MANY BIG HITS REGIONALLY IN THE 90'S AND IN THIS CENTURY. OUNGKU HAS COUPLE HUNDRED TUNES UNDER HIS BELT HAS SHOWN ALOT OF VERSATILITY WITH UPTEMPO TUNES AND OTHER GENRES OF MUSIC THAT I HAVE YET TO SEE WITH THE OTHER BIG ARRANGERS BUT HE HAS ONLY WORKED WITH BURNING FLAMES. PAT AND RORDON EDWARDS MAKING SOME SWEET CALYPSOES IN ANTIGUA

Now we shall see who truly knows Music.....................

Good List BFF, forgive meh hear but my list is going to be a bit exclusive (all TnT), not by choice but by knowledge base.

1) Leston Paul
2) Pelham Goddard
3) Merchant (RIP)
4) The Chankar Brothers (hit after hit....Wet Me Down, Bees Melody, Sing in She Party) Read Here
5) 'Fitzmello' Thomas (does most of Shadow's tracks)


Young Producers Musically talented(no longer called arrangers, which is another story in itself)

1) Shel $hock
2) Fr Kirk (RIP)
3) Jason Lee (Atlantik)
4) Fr Octane (listen to meh sig)
5) Sean Noel (Sensation/ Desperados aka Bunji Band)

Frankie McIntosh

Leston Paul

Errol Ince

IF AH HAVE TIME I WILL LOOK UP SOME OF THE ALBUMS THESE GUYS WORKED ON SO YOU ALL CAN GET AN IDEA OF WHO IS WHO.

None of these ARRANGERS can TOUCH the MAESTRO that is FRANKIE MCINTOSH.

AH going out on a LIMB...haha

Frankie McIntosh is really great. I have to choose Nicholas Brancker responsible for production of so many Krosyfah hits and some for Square One and many more.

RAGGA, YOU REALLY VINCY TO D BONE BOY...NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT....VINCENTIANS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TREMENDUOUSLY TO THE CARIBBEAN ARTFORM WITH MCINTOSH, BECKETT, WINSTON SO SO, AND NOW WITH POZER AND KEVIN LITTLE. KEVIN LITTLE DOING SOME CUTTING EDGE STUFF TOO.

BELIEVE ME, LESTON PAUL AND ART DE COUTEAU HELD THERE OWN TOO. LESTON PROBABLY DID THE MOST WORK. I WOULDN'T CHOOSE EITHER LESTON OR FRANKIE OVER EACH OTHER.

BUT THESE THREE ARE THE TOPS PROBABLY ALONG WITH ERROL INCE CREATED ALOT OF THE MUSIC FOR SOCA AND CALYPSO HITS IN THE 60'S, 70'S , 80'S AND A MOST OF THE 90'S THROUGHOUT ENTIRE EASTERN CARIBBEAN.

FRANKIE MCINTOSH WAS AT ONE TIME THE KEYBOARDIST (AND I WOULD ASSUME ARRANGER TOO ) FOR ANTIGUA'S PREMIERE BRASS BAND...LAVISCOUNT BRASS.

AND THE DRUMMER AND ARRANGER FOR STARLIFT STEELBAND IN ST.VINCENT

I HEARD HE IS A TOP PERCUSSIONIST

You're right, Frankie has done a lot of producing/arranging/engineering for many musicians in the Eastern Caribbean.

You're also correct about Leston Paul.

He is definitely up there with the great Frankie McIntosh.

The arrangers and producers that I know of are Darron Grant and Nicholas Branker they been making hits for a while. RIP to Kirk Mitchell but he was good producer. Also Ken Holder and ShelShock. I can't foget about KMC he been producing big tunes since like 98-99. Peter Coppin is good too and Kerwin DuBois. Also Shawn Noel from the Desperadoes band. They have some more but I can't remember right now.