Both of my parents were originally from Guyana, a small country in South America. Although it is not physically part of the Caribbean, it’s still considered part of the West Indies because there is still a shared culture. Specifically, I’d be considered of Indo-Caribbean descent because most of my ancestors originate from India.There’s so many sub-cultures in the Caribbean but for the most part, our cultures are relatively similar to one another. The genre of music that instantly came to my mind was Soca music. I’ve been listening to Soca since I was really young; It was played at every single family gathering, any type of Caribbean party or concert I’ve ever been to. I actually grew up in a Caribbean-dominated community so a lot of my friends were of the same descent and we all grew up surrounded by the culture. 

Soca was invented in the 1970s in Trinidad but has spread to all parts of the Caribbean, including Jamaica, Guyana, etc. This type of music is generally up-beat and happy, it makes you want to get up and dance. One origin story says the name comes from “soul of calypso”; The creator, Lord Shorty, intended to “speed up calypso and give it an Indian twist.” It was intended to combat the takeover of Reggae music that was occuring at the time which Lord Shorty saw as “American-influenced.” Today, it is performed by a lot of young artists who strive to keep crowds hype and full of life at parties, clubs, concerts, etc. The main event for Caribbeans, and the most well-known, is Caribbean Carnival. Instruments that are used in soca have changed over time. Initially, there was dholak, tabla, and dhantal (coming from the Indian side of soca) and steel drums (from calypso.) Now, as times have changed, technology is a lot more advanced and artists use synthesizers, electric bass, and guitar. One consistent aspect is the heavy use of fast/medium tempo percussion with an up-beat melody which is the reason that it makes everyone want to dance. This genre is still greatly tied to my culture but I have noticed a couple of soca songs become popular on NY radio stations like “Turn Me On” by Kevin Lyttle or “Tempted to Touch” by Rupee. The song I chose to attach was one I first heard when I visited Guyana (months before it spread to America). The artist is one of the most well-known, Machel Montano, and the music video does a great job of capturing the experience at a Caribbean Soca concert. Montano sings about dancing to the music and enjoying yourself (man or woman) when the music comes on. The title has the word “Fete” which people may not know but it basically means “to party” so the artist is referring to himself as a party-goer. He sings that Caribbean people are known for being party-people and knowing how to have a good time. 

Links used: https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2011/03/14/134264326/soca-the-music-of-trinidads-carnival and http://www.luxury-caribbean-news.com/a-history-of-soca-music-in-the-caribbean/