Boomshots

Category: Soca

  • Machel Montano Rules Carnival With “Waiting on the Stage”—Is He Leading Soca Down The Road To EDM?

    Machel Montano Rules Carnival With
    “Waiting on the Stage”—Is He Leading Soca Down The Road To EDM?

    Trinidad & Tobago’s “Minister of Road” Takes Third Consecutive Road March Title

    Trinidadian soca superstar Machel Montano has won his third consecutive road march title. Since 1932, the Trinidad Carnival Committtee has awarded the prize to the  musical composition played most often at the “judging points” along the parade route throughout Port of Spain during the big carnival celebration. This is the eighth win of Montano’s career. Not since Tambu hit the trifecta in 1988, 89, and 1990 has one artist dominated the competition three years in a row. The winning tune, “Waiting on the Stage,” was produced by Trini production squad Badjohn Republic. But with its strong EDM influence, it almost sounds like it could be a Major Lazer record.  Check out the tune and judge for yourself. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • 2016 Kickoff Playlist

    2016 Kickoff Playlist

        Multi-genre Playlist of Songs That Are Already Moving the Massive Internationally in 2016

    The start of the New Year could not be any better.  This playlist highlights ten notable releases between the end of last year and the beginning of this year, that are stirring up the musical anticipation for the rest of 2016.

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  • Full Moon Playlist II

    Full Moon Playlist II

    Ten Multi-Genre Selections for Your Halloween Party Playlist

       This year, Halloween was preceded by a Supermoon, making this holiday extra spooky. On September 27, 2015, a total lunar eclipse occurred and the moon passed into the Earth’s shadow. The moon appeared  close to the earth with a bright red illuminance. The last time this happened was 1982. Many believe that this type of moon brings about badness in people. The Full Moon Playlist II highlights songs that unleash the dark side of human nature in reggae, pop, dancehall, hip hop and soca. The playlist contains ten tunes focusing on an intrinsic baddness theme, while others go beyond the theme and comment on social issues, and a few are highlighted for a wicked production. Playlist After The Jump…

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  • HEAR THIS: Bunji Garlin & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “The Message”

    HEAR THIS: Bunji Garlin & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “The Message”

    Zilla & The Viking Join Forces Because Music Gonna Teach Them One Lesson

    In 1982—the year MJ dropped Thriller—Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five released “The Message,” a record that forced hip-hop to evolve from throw-your-hands-in-the-air escapism to what Chuck D would eventually describe as “the black CNN.” Thirty-three years later two giants of their respective Caribbean islands and genres—Bunji Garlin and Damian Marley—join forces to release a record of the same title, a song capable of redirecting soca and dancehall reggae (and Trinidad and Jamaica) in a more constructive direction. “I look to the sky and ask Almighty when will it finish? Is this a sign of the last days? The last few minutes?” The answer lies in our hands. But while there is life there must be hope. As the song says, “There is music in your soul, minerals in your soil, children full of beauty worth way much more than oil. While history unfolds, don’t let the good things spoil.” Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Reasoning with Hot 97 On Da Reggae and Soca Tip: “People Expect to Hear New Reggae on Hot 97”

    Reasoning with Hot 97 On Da Reggae
    and Soca Tip: “People Expect to Hear New Reggae on Hot 97”

    This Year They Almost Called It “On Da Reggae Soca and AfroBeat Tip”

    Hot 97’s annual On Da Reggae Tip concert has become the must-see kickoff event for NYC’s Labor Day Weekend every year. But in recent years they’ve added the word “Soca” to the title, reflecting the full range of Caribbean music in NYC. “Because you have so many big Jamaican names that can’t travel that’s hurt the music on this side,” says Ebro of Hot 97. “You’ve seen a rise in soca… We were even tossing around the idea of even adding AfroBeat to the show. You’re seeing them embracing other types of music.”  The 2015 edition, set for Friday September 4th on Governor’s Island, is already Sold Out—with soca boss Machel Montano holding it down for the Trini massive. Reshma B talks to the Hot 97 morning crew: Ebro, Rosenberg & Laura Stylez, as they discuss the current state of reggae, dancehall, and Afro-beat music and look back on some of the highlights of past ODRT shows—from Supercat’s surprise appearance to Spice wining on Rosenberg—and of course look forward to this year’s performances by Machel Montano, Barrington Levy, Gyptian, Assassin, Kranium, Konshens, Collie Buddz and more. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Soca Wuk: Classic Foreigner Frank and New Skinny Banton

    Soca Wuk: Classic Foreigner Frank and New Skinny Banton

     

    New and Old Soca Regarding Employee Benefits

    Summer time brings the hot calypso tunes with the double entrende narratives. These songs make you want to dance and laugh out loud at the same time. The ones regarding employment are interesting and usually involve a days work, where the laboror (also the narrator) is hired to perform specific duties in exchange for employee benefits. One  song that comes to mind is the classic bajan hit by Foreigner Frank, “Lawn Um Down.” This song is so creative, especially with all of its onomatopoeia, the story of working for “Mrs. Bailey” just comes alive. More After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Busy Signal “WhatsApp”

    HEAR THIS: Busy Signal “WhatsApp”

    Turf Prez Inna Soca Style

    Back in 1984 when Byron Lee and the Dragonaires created their classic hit, “Tiny Winey,” they could not have predicted that this song about a provocative dancer could inspire another soca tune, thirty-one years later. Busy Signal explains that he particularly enjoyed the tune’s exuberant narrative—as well as its infectious riddim—and wanted to create a song,  similar in  style. This gave rise to his recent release, “WhatsApp” which is getting heavy rotation throughout the Caribbean, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago. The lyrics don’t stray far from the topic of “wining, ” as in “Tiney Winey,”  but they also address the impact of social media on today’s society. The man stays busy—so it’s no surprise to hear another crossover hit from this artist.  Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Benjai Comes Out To Play

    Benjai Comes Out To Play

    Who can forget the most provocative performance of 2014? Rodney Le Blanc aka Benjai at the  2014 International Soca Monarch Semi Finals on Sunday, February 9, 2014.  Benjai came out in his Joe Boxers and gave an electrifying and memorable performance. The performance went viral and  made women around the world smile with full joy. More After The Jump…

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  • Soca Shakespeare: Skinny Banton

    Soca Shakespeare: Skinny Banton

    A prominent feature of Caribbean culture is carnival, a seasonal time of celebration and soca competitions. This Carnival season, rising star, Shirlan George aka “Skinny Banton,” and his  incendiary hit “Soak It Good,” produced by MPS Studios, shines a spotlight of international interest on the Tri-State of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique.  More After The Jump…

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  • Flashback Friday: Terror Kid “Loose She Man”

    Flashback Friday: Terror Kid “Loose She Man”

    For Flashback Friday, Boomshots Features A Grenadian Soca Song (2011)

    A balanced relationship is analogous to a pendulum in a resting, equilibrium position. Any disruption (disagreement, separation etc.), displaces the pendulum sideways, causing vulnerability to a restoring force, due to gravity. In former Grenada Soca Monarch, Shem Bernard aka Terror Kids’ song, “Loose She Man,” sultry vocals over a symphonic production (Don Omar Riddim) by Lyndon Pope of YoungStarz Production, provides a refreshing soca sound. More After The Jump…

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  • Full Moon Playlist

    Full Moon Playlist

     

    Ten Scary Selections for Your Halloween Party Playlist

    With fall comes one of the most festive holidays, Halloween. Elaborate costumes emulate scary and fictional characters; superheroes and sexy alter-egos. Children trick or treat for sweet candies and visit pumpkin patches. However, the holiday was created to remember the dead saints or “hallows.” This Boomshots full moon playlist highlights songs that comment on the dead rising theme in reggae, dancehall and soca. The playlist contains ten tunes, some focusing on the Halloween/horror theme, while others go beyond the theme and comment on social issues, and a few are highlighted for a wicked production. Audio After The Jump…

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  • WATCH THIS: Kes “Endless Summer” Original Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Kes “Endless Summer” Original Music Video

    Trini Soca Stars Gets Loose On Ricky Blaze’s Uptown Julie Riddim

    Here it is the first weekend of August, and we’re not really ready for the End of Summer. When you’re Kees Dieffernthaler of Kes the Band, your life is an endless summer. Dude can hop on a plane and find the summertime vibes anywhere in the world—maybe because this Trini soca star brings those  vibes with him wherever he goes. Kes recently teamed up with BK hitmaker Ricky Blaze to voice a tune on the big bad Uptown Julie Riddim the result was a sure-shot party-starter called “Endless Summer.” Now comes the challenge of creating a video with vibes to match the music. Video After The Jump…  (more…)