Lord Shorty is the creator of Soca music!

When Garfield Blackman aka Lord Shorty coined the word Sokah to describe his music (a fusion of East Indian music and Calypso) do you believe that the other experimentations done by people like King Wellington (Russo Funk) were similar? Please also add in Shadow and anyone from the rest of the Caribbean region. Now if the argument is that Calypso is the common denominator in the discussion does it mean that all fusions of music with Calypso as the core are the same? I know I already asked a few questions but that is just the problem... there are so many questions being asked with few answers forthcoming. The question of what is Soca seems to be causing great dismay among people from the Caribbean region outside Trinidad and Tobago.

I believe that the problem at hand is one of labeling.  I am not musically inclined to be able to analyze music and be able to say because of some form of drum instrumentation a certain music track can be considered soca. I don't even know where to begin. However, common sense dictates that since Shorty coined the word Sokah that was mistakenly reported as Soca in the press when the Ivor Ferreira examined his (Shorty's) new music then the music that Shorty created and named Sokah is indeed his 'Soca'.

Now I know folks will be against this because they will say he was not the only person who created the music and that is correct to a point. The music that is labeled Soca today is not the same music that Shorty created and that can be easily discerned when you listen to his work.  However, Shorty himself changed the music so that it would not sound too Indian and in effect appease those whom were critical of the original music.  He stated that he put the rhythm of the Indian beat on the drum set and at that time there was still opposition to the style of music with the percussion people wanting to do "their own thing". As I said, he did not do it by himself  (no man is an island) and there are many artists throughout the Caribbean region whom are still adding to the music.

So in the end even if you don't believe that the music that is called Soca today was created by Shorty that is your opinion but remember opinions are meaningless without the facts to support them. Shorty named his music Sokah and the World followed and called it Soca. It is unfortunate that everything else is labeled Soca today... that is not Shorty's fault and it is sad that he is not around to defend his creation. Just maybe those who want to put ownership of the music elsewhere should rename the music and move on but we know that will not happen. Take note because we must remember that  'Who Jah Bless No Man Curse'. 'So Watch Out My Children' because the detractors may soon  lay claim to Jamoo music or state that it existed long before Shorty named it!
Listen to the man and his music:

Post a Comment

Your comments can also become a Post!