It is Carnival and Trinidad had one of his major events last night. New Soca Monarch 2012 in the Groovy and Power section both is Machel Montano. Congratulations! Wonder what made him come back to the competition after all the years - just too prove that he is a class of his own?
Really digging this Soca tune from Guyana: Vanilla - Rage. The costumes are African influenced and a pleasure to view.
My remix of Tipanic’s - “Like a snake feat. Emiliano, Acero MC & Mando 5 To 5” is officially released now on the Vienna based label Big’n’Hairy. The EP includes also the Original Mix, Instrumental and a nice Luke Rich Remix. Available now at all digital stores.
It’s Christmas time and many of you might already done with Silent Night Holy Night and a Merry this a Merry that. I’ve put together a mix of Parang Soca, a seasonal music from Trinidad in the Caribbean. So even if you can’t hear any more Christmas music I’m sure you still will enjoy this one. Have a cool drink with it!
Download Marflix - We parangin 2011 supported by Yard Gear.
December edition of my radioshow Riddims Tropicale, guest DJ Silent Pressure (Berlin).
Over 2 1/2h of mixing back to back, travelling through genres: Semba, Soca, Mambo, Bass, House, African, etc. Available at TropicalBass.com or on iTunes.
A Wave of Tropical Bass Hits Rio
Tropical Bass is growing and hits Rio de Janeiro. Rio Times says:
For the uninitiated, tropical bass is a catchall name for bass-heavy dance music that generally originates in tropical climates. Brazil’s main contribution to the mix is funk carioca, the digital hip-hop beat that ricochets all over Rio.
Other examples include Angolan kuduro, South African kwaito, pan-Latino cumbia and reggaetón, Jamaican dancehall, Trinidadian soca, West African hip-hop, Ivorian coupé decalé, and Colombian champeta.
All of these musical styles are, in general, digitally produced – though more traditional cumbia is performed by bands – and draws heavily on hip-hop aesthetics as well as house and techno beats. Kwaito, for example, is the South African name for house music, and often features rappers in native languages like Zulu.
DJs, mostly based in North America and Europe but increasingly in South America, have started to connect the musical dots between these disparate sounds. While a variety of names have been proposed – global ghettotech and world music 2.0, for example – tropical bass has become one of the most prevalent.
Couldn’t say it any better. For more on that genre browse to our webside TropicalBass.com.
Bending the soca beat
Interesting reflection of soca from a Trinidadian view although I think they are mixing two things here.
Tallpree is Grenada People’s Soca Monarch 2011. See his maddd wining performance from this Monday.
Video by soca artist Blood from Barbados: De Experience (Baddy). Full album also available now at all major digital stores. More info at Faluma.com.
New Groovy Soca tune by Benjai - Ah is a Trini. This song will be large for 2011 carnival for sure.
