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Yuh know the saying; if yuh didn't know, well, now you know! All this talk about soul calypso and this and that and tralala... Well, that is what this article is all about: clearing up all the misconceptions. Plain talk, bad manners, yes—historical accounts of Trinidad’s music press confirm that the Bomb newspaper was the first publication to spell "Sokah" as “Soca.” Surprise!

The term originated from Lord Shorty (Garfield Blackman), who coined Sokah to describe the fusion of calypso and East Indian rhythms. When the Bomb newspaper printed the word (in the Roy Boyke interview), the editors reportedly changed the spelling to "Soca," either by mistake or for simplicity—and that version stuck.

That single editorial decision shaped the global identity of the genre, transforming Sokah (the spiritual “music of the soul”) into Soca, the marketing name now recognized worldwide.

It’s a fascinating example of how one newspaper headline helped redefine an entire musical movement.

1. Roy Boyke interviews Lord Shorty

During this interview, Shorty explained his new musical direction—the fusion of calypso with East Indian rhythms—and he used the word “Sokah” to describe it.

Shorty’s spelling carried meaning:

“So” = the soul of Calypso (not soul Calypso)

“Kah” = the East Indian rhythmic element  

Together: Sokah, the spiritual blend.

2. The Bomb newspaper picks up the story

After Boyke’s interview, The Bomb published an article referencing Shorty’s new sound.

But instead of printing Sokah, they spelled it “Soca.”

Whether it was:

a typesetter’s error,

an editorial simplification, or

a misunderstanding of the word’s origin…

…the result was the same: “Soca” became the public spelling, and it spread rapidly across Trinidad and the Caribbean.

3. The spelling “Soca” becomes the global name

Once radio announcers, promoters, and newspapers repeated the Bomb newspaper spelling, “Soca” became the accepted term—even though Shorty himself continued to emphasize "Sokah" as the true name and meaning.

Featured Music/Soca/Calypso Insight

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Production Notes/Music Credits:

Song Title: Sokah the Soul of Calypso

Singer: Lord Shorty

Origin: Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.

Genre: Soca 🎶

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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 of 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/.

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