Soca Music Basics: Soca is a style of music native to the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. It is a blend of traditional Calypso and Indian Music. Soca was invented in the 1960s and is currently one of the most popular genres of Caribbean music in the world.
Lord Shorty: Lord Shorty is a musician credited with inventing soca in the early 1960s when he added Indian rhythmic instruments (like the tabla) to traditional Calypso to create a new sound. He called his genre "solka", as in, "the SOuL of KAlypso". "Soca", a misspelling of his original term, eventually caught on as the generally accepted spelling. Soca is not, as many people assume, a fusion of calypso and American soul music.
Why Indian Music?: Indian people make up a large percentage of the population of Trinidad and Tobago, and have done so for a very long time. Indian music and culture have therefore had a great deal of influence on Trinidadian music.
Soca Lyrical Content: Much like traditional calypso (and its cousin, Jamaican mento), soca music frequently revolves around saucy or bawdy lyrics and thinly-veiled double entendres. Some soca artists also include social commentary in their lyrics, but generally, soca lyrics are silly and playful.
Starter CDs: Mighty Sparrow: Volume One (Compare Prices)
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Byron Lee & The Dragonaires: Soca Tremor (Compare Prices)
Arrow: Soca Dance Party (Compare Prices)
