Soca’s evolution

Standing under the whirling multi-coloured lights at O2 Park, Chaguaramas last Tuesday, it seemed as if one was getting set for a major music festival like a Cochella, SXSW and/or Womex. The soca concert, now in its fourth year, had a lineup of artistes who showcased that soca now stands on a global platform headed for stardom.

While there were no Rihannas or Adeles, there was a touch of something extraordinary to the performances - a cross between intimacy and professionalism.

The line-up included Jamaican reggae icon Barrington Levy, the Bajan line-up of Rupee, Alison Hinds and Edwin Yearwood, Ronnie McIntosh, MX Prime, Ravi B, Farmer Nappy, 2016 Soca Monarch winner - Voice, Nailah Blackman and Kes the Band.

While these are all acts many would have seen or heard before, the styles of performances showed an enhanced and growing soca. Hinds exercising her vocal dexterity and Kees Dieffenthaller doing a cover of Shadow’s Dingolay with a slower soulful touch to it at the centre of the audience, was not dissimilar to what one would expect to see at major music events the world over.

Lending even greater credence to soca events morphing into major music events, the gates opened promptly at 8 pm and the show started promptly at 8.20 pm with Farmer Nappy taking the stage.

He rang through his set, backed by the Barbadian Red Boyz band, warming the swelling crowd. There were no lapses to set up anything.

The only break that was had, was when he introduced Barbadian Marvay to sing his 2017 hit Know the Face. Nappy announced Destra Garcia would not be performing with him at last Fridays’s International Soca Monarch (ISM) finals and instead introduced Barbadian Nakeeta who gave an almost replica-like sound to Destra as the duo sang Technically.

After Nappy finished his set, which included songs such as Big People Party and My House, the crowd was kept energised as DJ Ryan Sayeed.

When Dieffenthaller came on stage at approximately 10 pm with Incredible, the audience was primed and ready for him to sail through the compendium of his songs along with his friends.

Blackman and Kees pitted the audience against each other as they sang Workout.

The event also bridged the age gap as a lot of the younger members of the audience sang verbatim as Yearwood belted out past hits such as Sweatin and Pump Me Up.

Hinds exercised her vocal muscles while singing Roll it Gal and then grooved the music- hungry audience with Iron Bazodee.

Rupee took the audience back as well with his hits Blame It on the Music and Tempted to Touch among others before delivering his new hits Tipsy and I’ll be Okay.

Barrington Levy sang most of his songs acapPella - encouraging the audience to sing with him.

As the concert drew close to an end, MX Prime and the Ultimate Rejects added the icing to a full palate of music with their popular Full Extreme.

Dieffenthaller said during one of his many performances that the future of soca is in good hands as he looked at younger performers such as Blackman and Voice but it was evident by Tuesday on the Rocks that the platform for soca’s global succession and staying power had been set by the likes of them.

The show ended at 2 am.