Although we have and will no doubt continue to discuss on this forum the pros and cons of our music industry I am still mystified by the deterioration in the modern day music of our beloved twin-island state.
Today’s Soca is predominantly jab-jab rhythms or dancehall. The lyrical content of the songs are totally preoccupied with wining on big bumpers or bottoms, drinking excess amounts of Rum to the point where nothing else matters and limited in musical construction. Having spent the last ten days in Tobago, and five prior to that in Trinidad, most noise coming out of speakers were direct recordings of Julian’s Promotion from YOU Tube or ripped off from Islandmix.com
I don’t think there are many Trinbagonians that actually pay for music. Hard as it seems artists are not getting their royalties.
This means people are playing without paying.
I don’t know how any of you really feel, but I find it very difficult to believe people deliberately set out to deprive the artists of a living. If they do, then Trinidad music, like the steelpan, is in jeopardy of imploding.
The young people who get the exposure have very little talent, no musical skills (more importantly cannot sing) but nevertheless are on the radio waves and sound systems more than anyone else.
I attended Trinidad Panorama semi-finals and Tobago Panorama finals last Tuesday only to find in most categories, they are looking at old calypsos and old school Soca for competition material. The modern stuff is just not good enough. I repeat NOT GOOD ENOUGH. CRAP basically.
I know there are young people who are studying music at UWI or UTT but they are not putting themselves forward to be heard or if they are, then there must be a conspiracy to stifling them so that the public are not being exposed to the good stuff. A friend once said, the only advancement humans have made is in science and technology. Everything else has deteriorated watered down or dumbed down so the masses can relate to it.
I listened intently to Birdsong on the drag and on stage. All the comments from those around were “nice but not really for Panorama”. Note no one qualified their statement with “it’s not carnival or J’ouvert” they just said “Panorama”.
I think we must all be guilty of trying to compartmentalise steelpan and consequently contributing to the seasonal product and its limited shelf life.
Personally their offering did not float my boat but I don’t think they would have been out of place on a compilation album.
Back in the UK now…
I’ve just finished listening to a rather bland and long Panorama final show. Quite frankly, there was nothing new on offer. I very much doubt that any of those who attended could truly say they got value for money.
As usual the judging was questionable but nevertheless understandable, given the fact that most local judges are not qualified musically.
In addition to this I am positive those of us or should I say you who were there would not have left singing, humming or whistling any of the arrangements /tunes played.
But I’ll be there next year as usual, you can’t beat the atmosphere.
Randi Curvan
Replies
"you can’t beat the atmosphere." Your last statement says it all. Carnival is an atmosphere- the music is ambience to create a mood for a party. Since carnival was taken away from the street and turned into a commodity for big bucks, it has become "the greatest party on earth" not "the greatest show on earth."
What is said about Birdsong's tune - “nice but not really for Panorama”- could be applied to the other genres. Chucky's tunes were nice , but not really calypso. Shurwayne Winchester's performance was nice, but not really power soca. For Panorama to remain relevant the idea of what a panorama tune is must change.
You are right on......well said..unless one intend to become or play ostrich they must agree. Yo are right on.
n