Every year the early Soca mixes arrive midway into summer here in New York City! Surprisingly, it's New York City instead of Trinidad and Tobago! Julian's Promos distributes the songs, and we have the honor of hearing them first. But here is the thing: the radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago responsible for helping the people become aware of the new music are not in 'new Soca mode' until their program directors direct them 'to become Carnival aware'. Despite their claims, it dates back to our colonial period. They may not realize they're doing it, but that's another topic.
Today, we reflect on one of the songs that came early and got left behind by the radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago. We feature "Aye Gyal" by Hey Choppi. This is a terrible shame because the song is great, there are no remixes online, and even the DJs don't know why. Machel Montano's star attraction and hype led everyone down a path that even excluded Kes and his early pioneering cocoa tea! Wow, can you begin to understand how significant that is? Oh wait, what about "Coffee" by Nadia Batson? Sigh...
Ok, enough complaining! We want you to give this song a listen and tell us if you believe it was not excellent enough to be on radio rotation. If you believe it deserves more recognition, we'd love to hear your thoughts on its standout elements. Tell us what you believe makes it successful or why you believe it may have gone unnoticed!
Just watch what is going to happen with the weekly Soca Top 10 by COTT or any weekly charting for Trinidad and Tobago music from now and deep into summer. The chart will have the same 10 songs changing places with a novelty song thrown in once in a while.
This pattern often reflects a lack of diversity in what listeners are exposed to, making it harder for new artists to break through. As the summer heats up, we hope to see fresh sounds emerge and challenge the status quo, bringing excitement back to the airwaves. With any luck, these new tracks will captivate audiences and inspire established artists to experiment with their sound. The music scene thrives on innovation, and the summer months provide the perfect backdrop for creative exploration and unexpected collaborations.
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Production Notes/Music Credits:
Song Title: Aye Gyal
Singer/Performed by: Hey Choppi
Written by: Hey Choppi & Chalmer John
Produced by: AdvoKit Productions
Mixed & Mastered by: Precision Production
Artwork by: “iamkirky"
Origin: Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
Genre: Soca
We present the music here for your listening pleasure and promotional purposes only, adhering to the "Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. Sokah2Soca/Soca Music Blog © 1990 by Santiwah is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-SA/4.0/.