Ragga Soca is a Mixture of Jamaica's Ragga & Trinidad's Soca

Photo © Bunji Garlin/NZR Newzikradio.fr

There was a time, not so long ago, when Ragga Soca was in vogue in Trinidad and Tobago. There were Ragga Soca singers and a short-lived Ragga Soca competition. The competition had a three-year shelf life from 1999-2001. Neil "Iwer George" won in 1999 while the King of Ragga Soca, Bunji Garlin, real name Antonio Alvarez, copped the top spots in 2000 and 2001. 

One final note to avoid confusion. Trinidad and Tobago Ragga Soca music is not the same as Ragga Soca from Saint Vincent. Trinidad's Ragga Soca uses Soca rhythms and vocals stylized like Jamaican dancehall vocals. Ragga Soca and Groovy Soca are considered the same in our opinion. 

Here is an abstract from an article written by Glenda Alicia E. Leung. The article was first published 11/06/2009:

"In the late 1990s, a new musical genre emerged in Trinidad called Ragga Soca. Ragga Soca is described as the product of blending Trinidad's indigenous Soca music with Jamaican Dancehall. One peculiarity of Ragga Soca is the borrowing of Jamaican Creole English phonological features into the performance genre.

Initially, there was much opposition to this genre as it challenged notions of Trinidadian identity and self. This paper considers the linguistic innovativeness of Ragga Soca  artists, in particular, their use of Jamaican Creole English phonological borrowings, demonstrating that they have not only created a new performance genre but have used Jamaican Creole English to mediate their Trinidadian identity."
via http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/

Ragga Soca Competition Winners (Trinidad & Tobago)
This competition was canceled/lost appeal because of the Soca Monarch Competition and lack of Financial support for what was considered a Jamaican style of music that was loved and followed by the young at heart. The business community was not interested in this youthful exuberance exhibited by these young followers of a misunderstood style of music. People saw the sub-genre as a continuation of Dancehall music that once crippled the calypso industry and had people like Lord Shorty seeking alternative ways to stem the tide of the Jamaican music tsunami that rocked Trinidad and Tobago. 

The following information was sourced from the website tntisland.com:
  • 1999 - Iwer George - Iwer And Ah Half
  • 2000 - Bunji Garlin - Chant Down Babylon
  • 2001 - Bunji Garlin - Licks

Here is a Ragga Soca song that I like and chose to post the song simply because it identifies with the name of the music genre, "Ragga Soca"! This song was vocalized by the man who is simply the best Ragga Soca Singer in the whole damn World - Bunji Garlin!

We are also enlisting a late addition to the mix. Along with the track 'Ragga Soca', we are also posting another track entitled 'iRagga', also by Bunji Garlin.

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).
The music of Bunji Garlin, Ragga Soca & iRagga