Look at Sparrow, he sang about his bad boy experiences, remember these lyrics “Melda oh you making wedding plans, carrying meh name to obeah man,” now that song is stuck your head too isn’t it?
Men like Lord Kitchener with lyrics like, “Dey cyah play pan, they tell we so, you country band, go back Toco,” lyrics that represented his life in the pan world.
Fast forward to present time where the first names that pop up in your google search for “Trinidad music stars” are Soca artists like Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, Faye Ann Lyons and Destra.
Hey, don't get me wrong, I know they all possess something special, that's why they're who they are. But Machel’s most famous song to date talks about holding on to a woman’s 'bumper' and all the things you should and shouldn’t do to it, remember “Big Truck”?
Okay, I admit...I really like that one...and yes, yes, I know, Bunji won a Grammy for “Differentology,” another great offering and well, congrats to him, but what has the consistent message been in most of our accepted local offerings?
Think Destra; Queen of Bachannal…
Hey, don't get me wrong, I know they all possess something special, that's why they're who they are. But Machel’s most famous song to date talks about holding on to a woman’s 'bumper' and all the things you should and shouldn’t do to it, remember “Big Truck”?
Okay, I admit...I really like that one...and yes, yes, I know, Bunji won a Grammy for “Differentology,” another great offering and well, congrats to him, but what has the consistent message been in most of our accepted local offerings?
Think Destra; Queen of Bachannal…
...I rest my case.
Our music has gone from representing what we experienced, living in a tropical island and having a unique and wonderfully vibrant culture to a portrayal of frenzy and chaos. It has gone from sending a message that truly captured us as a country to creating an unidentifiable image.
It’s been this way for years, but you probably never paid notice because mainstream music came to our rescue. We were so engrossed in what was happening internationally, that we lost sight of our local music scene. I ask you…have you ever felt like every year at Carnival the quality of music decreases? I swear, one 'riddim', five songs and each of them having the same theme, I mean really bruh, really?
It’s been this way for years, but you probably never paid notice because mainstream music came to our rescue. We were so engrossed in what was happening internationally, that we lost sight of our local music scene. I ask you…have you ever felt like every year at Carnival the quality of music decreases? I swear, one 'riddim', five songs and each of them having the same theme, I mean really bruh, really?
So we take a deep breath each year, and hope for the best next year, only to get deeply disappointed but still we accept it. We are what we listen to and maybe what we've been listening to has been suppressing our own creativity. Maybe...
Well not this year! This year we saw a change, a shift in the balance...as if some sort of hold was finally broken. A voice was heard, a voice from far, shifting its way through the musical mayhem and emerging victorious to the delight of all. That voice was…well…Voice.
Aaron "Voice" St Loius created a wonderful upset this year at the International Soca Monarch competition, with his positive message of loving self and self motivation. It was different, it was refreshing and it was still vibes! It's what we want, something that's entertaining but still makes sense. Things are changing and consciousness is shifting, people are beginning to think differently. I bet no one knew he's been writing for Machel for years, well now you know. Talk about a breakthrough. |
| Aaron "Voice" St. Louis |
So what does this shift mean for the future of our music? Do you think the power lies in us, the audience? Would other artists take a page from his book and give the people what they need instead of what they want? Will we make full circle and start producing internationally recognized quality music like Haddaway and Billie Ocean did all those years ago? And what about singing of who we are like Sparrow, Kitchener and other artists like, Ras Shorty I and David Rudder did in the good old days?
Hmmm, maybe just maybe, we do need a revolution...
"My music is the spiritual expression of what I am-my faith, my knowledge, my being.
When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hangups, I wanna speak to their soul."
- John Coltrane
