The past has resurfaced. This installment is a repost with a different name. I chose this approach because it tells the story of Parang Soca's creation. Instead of rewriting the post, I simply renamed it 'Parang Soca' and saved it as a page on the blog. The original title of the post was "Parang Soca: Who originated it, Calypsonian Crazy or Frankie McIntosh?" We hope it provides the information you seek.
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 claims that the first Soca Parang song, sung by Calypsonian Crazy (Edwin Ayoung) and titled "Parang Soca," has Frankie McIntosh credited with the musical arrangement. We are certain that Calypsonian Crazy was the first artist to perform a Soca Parang song in 1978.
Please clarify who received credit for creating 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. This process resulted in the creation of Soca Parang. As was the case with Soca, many contributed to the music, but there was one person who conceived the idea of the music and to whom 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 makes fun of Trinidadians and their claim to the creation of soca music and other music types, including the steelpan (as a musical instrument) first developed by Trinidadians (irrefutably created in Trinidad). He needs to get his facts straight before sensationalizing his story. He crafted the article in a topical manner with the intention of stirring up trouble! Not because Frankie McIntosh was the musical arranger of 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 will shed light on the song and how the sub-genre started. Read carefully! Yes, I am aware that Frankie McIntosh received credit for the vinyl record. However, the fact that China manufactures iPhones does not imply that China invented the device, and the same holds true for Parang Soca's ideas. Frankie collaborated with Calypsonian Crazy on his ideas. Crazy used Frankie McIntosh to facilitate his song ideas—the rest is history!
Take a read of the following excerpts from an article that appeared in the Trinidad Newsday on December 4, 2010.
Crazy expressed his frustration with Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Nat King Cole during the composition of "Parang Soca" in 1978. They used to dominate the airwaves, and the only time we heard calypsonian music was during Carnival.
“So what happened is, I ... called 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 that 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. The present is not the time to speculate on what happened. At least Calypsonian Crazy and music arranger Frankie McIntosh are still alive, providing us with the truth. This would stop the long-standing deception about Lord Shorty's claim to be the originator 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).
If we interview both men about this conversation, we might discover that it was a collaborative effort. However, until I receive information about Frankie McIntosh's involvement, I will remain cautious. Crazy is on record regarding the creation of the song, and he stated that he "put music to it." We haven't received any statements from Frankie McIntosh's supporters yet. Hopefully, this conversation will lead to an outcome regarding the 'real' creator of this Soca music sub-genre.