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Bashment Soca is uniquely Bajan-derived; Bashment is just another term used for Jamaican dancehall music. Now let's get to it; to pin down the time Bashment Soca was 'created' is very difficult. However, almost every discussion regarding this music genre usually leads to Lil' Rick. Lil Rick during the early period was a DJ who made a living performing Bajan style Dancehall music (Jamaican derived). Lil Rick used this chanting style and a prominent Bajan dialect to deliver music that was the foundation for Bashment Soca. The Bajan dialect makes Bashment Soca sound different even if you find similarities in the music... it just sounds different to Ragga Soca.
The year was 1996 when Lil' Rick released a song and style that was copied and considered, by many, as the start of Bashment Soca, the song was 'Hard Wine'. Bashment Soca became the music of Crop Over. So how did the genre get the name 'Bashment Soca'? DJ Chilly has laid claim to the name as a member of "Fraud Squad". He stated that while recording the song 'Tight Tight' they called it Soca Bashment but they did not like how it sounded and changed it to Bashment Soca. Here is a quote from an article that was posted to Nation News on August 12, 2016:
“That night recording we [were playing around] and said soca bashment but it did not sound good, so we used the term bashment soca. Because it is not bashment that is changing but soca, so we put soca behind to say what type of soca it is,” said DJ Chilly.
“We are the first group to ever use that term. [Actually] the first ever to use that term because no one used that before us." “Fusing dancehall with soca brought about bashment soca. And when we fused the two from Tight Tight, it evolved to ragga soca and slower beats per minute.”
DJ Chilly made it clear he did not invent the art form but merely the name. He said bashment soca has a future and has room for growth. “This bashment soca is really a Bajan thing. And others have come to love it, including other West Indians, but if we want to take it further, we may have to slow down how we sing. So that the outside fans can understand [what is being said],” DJ Chilly reasoned.
The following discussion was sourced from YouTube:
In this segment from season one, episode three of ZEITGEIST!, Kofi discusses what makes bashment soca, bashment soca. To him at least.
Producer, Director, Editor & Colourist: K.F. Cumberbatch.
Associate Producer, Sound Recordist, Editor & Mixer: Romario Hunte.
Written by: Kofi Jones & K.F. Cumberbatch
Hosted by: Kofi Jones
Cinematographer: Amleya Clarke
Motion Graphics Design & Animation: Vivid Gear Studios & K.F. Cumberbatch
Music:
“Rats Hole Riddim”
Composed by: Kyle "DJ Ky" Walcott
Produced by: Kyle "DJ Ky" Walcott
Mixed & Mastered by: Keron "Scratch Master" Hector
For Promotional Use Only
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Bashment Soca Hype Mix by Dj Puffy