Saluting Soca Royalty

Well, it's 2018. For some the new year begins with trepidation. Who knows what it will hold? For others it's a time of anticipation...new possibilities, new adventures, new achievements. I'm usually rather blasé about it. Still to have reach the age I've reached, that's an achievement. So, this year, I'm going to use this blog to encourage, to inspire sometimes and certainly to showcase local talent. 

Thank you to everyone from the different parts of the world, who've been viewing these posts. I see viewers from the UK for the first time. My writing's not viral, but it's good to know someone sees these posts - and views more than one sometimes. 

Today, I'm going to highlight the work of three of Barbados' cultural ambassadors, so honoured for their body of work over the last 20-plus years and their contribution to national culture - albeit our Crop Over festival. I've highlighted their work before so I hope these are as enjoyable.

Our Soca Queen 

This young lady has been making music since her teenaged years, when she was one of the lead singers of a popular band on the local hotel and nightclub circuit, Square One. Then in the 1990s, they forayed into Crop Over as a group. In 1996, their Crop Over hit and that year's road march tune, "Ragamuffin" with Alison on lead vocals took Barbados and the region by storm. In 1998, Alison led on the song "Faluma", which was rendered in the language of the Saamaka tribe of Suriname. That was another huge hit across the Caribbean. Then in 2004, Alison left the band and pursued a solo career. Here she is with "Faluma" and the 1992 Caribbean Song Contest-winning duet with John King, "Hold You In A Song".

 

              Faluma/Makelele, Alison Hinds (Credit: alisonhinds, 2012) 

 Hold You In A Song, Alison Hinds and John King (Credit: Bajanbloom Bloom , 2010)

The Lyrical Master

Stedson "Red Plastic Bag"/"RPB" Wiltshire is a multiple winner of Barbados' national calypso competition, during the annual Crop Over Festival. He first won as a young man in 1982 with "Mr. Harding" and "Sugar Made Us Free". He continued to win the title several times over the next 30 years before moving on to the more recent Sweet Soca competition, which he has won as well. 

Here he is with the song that marked his move into ragga soca, "Ragga Ragga" - a social commentary on the then emerging dancehall movement's effect on party-goers of the day. It was the first song, by him, expressing sentiments with which I agreed 100%! 😀

          Ragga Ragga, Red Plastic Bag (Credit: Clayton Mann, 2012)

This one won road march (the most played song on the road for the parade of costumed bands, Grand Kadooment) in 1987! He strung together the name of almost, if not, all of the places in Barbados named Hall as he sang about the disappearance of a fugitive from justice, Winston Hall (now deceased).

Can't Find Me Brother, Stedson "Red Plastic Bag" Wiltshire (Credit: Scorpio Petey, 2008)

The Maestro

Dr, Anthony "Gabby" Carter is another multiple calypso monarch having won a title or two in each of the last 5 decades. His vocal orchestration is one of his unique features. Very few calypsonians subsequently have been able to replicate his vocal skills - no matter how fine a rendition they give . Here he is with the classic, "Jack", which won the road march title in 1982. Today, he still rocks the house with it when performed nationally - and every bajan can sing along word for word with great verve.

          Jack, Anthony "Gabby" Carter (Credit: Bajanbloom Bloom, 2012)

Today (January 7, 2018) tribute was paid to these three artistes as they were officially celebrated as Barbados' cultural ambassadors.

Here's to you!