Sokah2Soca

I recently read a thread on islandmix.com where the author alluded to the fact that the sub-genre Parang-Soca was created by St. Vincent born music arranger Frankie McIntosh. He makes this claim because the first Soca Parang song that was sung by Calypsonian Crazy (Edwin Ayoung) and titled "Parang Soca" has Frankie McIntosh credited for musical arrangement. We know, for a fact, that Calypsonian Crazy was the first artist to sing a Soca Parang song and that was in the year 1978.

So who really 'created' Parang Soca? Was it Edwin Ayoung also known as the 'lovable lunatic' aka Calypsonian Crazy or St. Vincent-born music arranger Frankie McIntosh? Let's see if we can shed some light on the topic. Maybe it is a case of a few people adding content to a project that resulted in the creation of this music that became known as Soca Parang. As was the case with Soca, many had input into the music but there was one person who conceived the idea of the music and to whom the credit was given (controversial too); that is what we are looking for regarding this sub-genre of Soca called Soca Parang (Parang Soca).

The writer of the post (on islandmix.com) simply takes pleasure making fun of Trinidadians and their claim to the creation of Soca music and other music types including the Steelpan (as a musical instrument) first done by Trinidadians (irrefutably created in Trinidad). He needs to get his facts straight before sensationalizing his story. The article he created was worded topically to create mischief! Not because Frankie McIntosh as musical arranger on the song "Parang Soca" can the claim of the creator of Soca Parang (a sub-genre of Soca) be assigned to him (Frankie).

The following four paragraphs below should shed light on the song and how the sub-genre started. Read carefully! Yes I know the music on the vinyl record was credited to Frankie McIntosh but not because iPhones are made in China does it mean that China created the iPhone... same applies to Parang Soca. It was Calypsonian Crazy's ideas that Frankie worked on... Crazy used Frankie McIntosh to facilitate his ideas for the song - the rest is history!

Now that was easy... wasn't it?!?!

Take a read of the following excerpts from an article that appeared in the Trinidad Newsday on December 4, 2010.

"Crazy said when he composed “Parang Soca” back in 1978, “I was fed up of hearing Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Nat King Cole. They used to control the airwaves and we only used to hear the calypsonian around Carnival time. 

“So what happened is, I ...call my good friend Clibert Harewood who died about eight years ago, he was part of this Parang-Soca thing too. He wrote the words, I took the role of lead singer (opening lines of “Parang Soca”) and I took them and I put the music to it,” Crazy said. 

“When I did that song I had no idea it would have turned out to be such a big hit. What I was doing was experimenting with a Parang song with English lyrics so Trinidadians could understand it, and that is how the “Parang Soca”, called “Maria” by many, was born.” 

Crazy followed that song up with “Muchacha” a song which he said was a tribute to his Venezuelan mother. That was in 1979, and the following year, he released “Merry Christmas”. “That started off the groovy side of Soca Parang, just like how Scrunter does it,” Crazy said."

The author of the article (on islandmix.com) needs to produce concrete evidence that proves the information above to be false. This is not the time to speculate on what happened. At least both Calypsonian Crazy and music arranger Frankie McIntosh are alive and the truth can be sourced from both individuals. In this way, we would not have the disservice that has taken place over the years regarding Lord Shorty's place as the creator of Soca Music. We have an opportunity (with Soca Parang) to avoid the pitfall of who created Soca music now that Lord Shorty is deceased and cannot contribute to the conversation (but take note that there is video evidence of Shorty stating how he created Soca music).

I have a feeling that if both men are interviewed regarding this conversation we may learn that it was a collaborative endeavor. However, until I see information regarding Frankie McIntosh's involvement I will 'wait and see'. Crazy is on record regarding the creation of the song and he stated that he "put music to it". We don't have any statement from the Frankie McIntosh supporters to date! Hopefully, this conversation will lead to an outcome regarding the 'real' creator of this Soca music subgenre.

Please be advised that the music is presented here for your listening pleasure and for promotional purposes only ("Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976). No copyright infringement is intended! .  We encourage you to promote the artists and their music; please don't share the music and rob the artists of needed income!

Please press the play button (below) to listen (small triangle in circle).
Parang Soca (aka Maria) - Crazy