THE INCREASING INFLUX OF SOCA ARTISTS ON DANCEHALL RIDDIMS!

By Hasani Walters….,

There has always been a connection between the soca and dancehall genres.

It seems that link is becoming stronger these days as dancehall experiences an influx of recordings by soca entertainers on its rhythms.

This trend was apparently popularised after Shurwayne Winchester’s Wine on JA Productions’ Overproof rhythm was released last year.

The song was a favourite of many due to its dual properties – being on a hit dancehall rhythm but done by a soca entertainer, thus providing the flavour of both genres.

Machel Montano

Several songs imitating the idea have followed including, Kes’ My Love on TJ Records’ Summer Wave rhythm, Skinny Fabulous’ Gyal Line Upon Lawless Records’ Marco Polo rhythm and Lil Rick’s Party Everydayon Claims Records’ Cranberry rhythm.

JA Productions’ Patrick ‘Roach’ Samuels spoke about the trend saying that the mix is a welcome one, as the Caribbean’s music should and can be shared among any entertainer from any country as the heritage and culture behind them are very similar.

He spoke of how Winchester came to be on the Overproof rhythm.

“Shurwayne Winchester was here for a while an wi guh roun a di house an see him an him decide fi put a calypso pon di dancehall riddim,” he said.

Alison Hinds

According to Roach, there was nothing strange about the recording as “a dancehall dominate the whole Caribbean. Yuh have three months worth of soca and the rest a di nine months a dancehall music dem play”.

The only difference/difficulty he said was Winchester’s Trinidadian accent.

“Yuh can hear the accent come out. Dem deh pon the key and riddim, a just the different accents,” said Roach.

Shuwayne Winchester

Roach has a soca rhythm that he is currently working on for release in the Crop Over season. It will include artists such as Allison Hinds, Machel Montano and Mavado.

He believes it will do well.

“Anytime di Bajan and Trini people dem hear dis dem a go love it!” he exclaimed.