My brother Russel observes that kaiso/soca has only limited expressive range. I guess he is right. For the most part, it is happy, party music and then some social/political commentary. But what about the themes speaking to how people live with each other? Perhaps not so much there. And even less romance, from my cursory scan of my own musical memory banks (limited for sure). Does the Caribbean have a popular cultural tradition of romance? Romance in the sense of tender intimacy, expressive affection?
So much of Caribbean literature is focused on the ‘big’ themes- colonialism and post colonialism, race, class, slavery, liberation. Are there examples of romantic kaiso/soca amidst all the jam and wine? I have come up with two which appear to be about the interpersonal as opposed to the usual story of lust at first sight (like Bahia Girl).
Mih Lover by Lord Nelson
Mih lover, your love too precious and delicious to lose.
Mih lover, and you too vital and special to abuse
Mih lover, what good for ramgoat is good for gander and goosie too
Mih lover, you must remember the day when you out yonder, protect mih pleasure
And dont go messing up mih mind
My darling, no, let’s have agood good time.
Now I think about it, the words not so romantic. Is he talking about horning? Perhaps it is more the melody that is sweet.
Or Black Stalin: ‘Ah Feeling to Party’, an ode to his wife:
Remember when we were courting
Before the family
Anyway Joey playing
Two people sure to be there was we
But since we start having children
To make them strong we give dance up
So tonight mih darling, we turning back the hands of the clock
When mih fans and dem tell me
They find me career going fine
I does simply have to tell them
You’se the driving force behind
You’se the one that give me courage,
you’se the one that have me great
So for that mih darling, tonight we going out and celebrate.
I think that it is otherwise for reggae. Think of Beresford Hammond. So much of Bob Marley’s music is tender and poetic.
Turn the lights down low
And unfold your window curtain
Oh let Jah love come tumbling
Into our lives again.
Or what about Taurus Riley:
I want her in my life….
Could it be the Jamaicans are more romantic than the Trinis????
Dear Roberta,
This one generated much response. And by the end we may come up with a sizeable repertioire of calypso love songs. My thoughts first went to a very old and beautiful one that I always loved – Louise
Louise, hope is not in vain please come back again
( repeat)…
Maybe this is a tabanca song. I th9ink there are many of these.
Rhoda
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Russell nobodies go cus you. There is a difference between romance and sex. Kaiso/Soca is difinitely a sex thing. And is more wuk up than anything else.
On the other hand when we want romance we ‘turn the lights down low’
But more so the music together with the words inspire the wuk up behaviour. So maybe if we take the same words but change the music we can turn some of them into romantic ballards.
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In response to The GeeMan, don’t be shooting the messenger. My place on the kaiso expertise continuum is not at issue, I just note a few simple and easily recognizable truths:
When we mourn, in our own Caribbean culture, we turn to hyms and soul music;
We don’t have appropriate Kaiso for that.
When we worship we turn to more hyms and gospel and soul music .
We don’t have appropriate Kaiso for that.
When we woo woo woo we turn to pop and soul music.
We don’t have appropriate Kaiso for that.
When we lose love we turn to doleful ballads and soul music.
We don’t have appropriate Kaiso for that.
When we feel introspective and contemplative we emote in classical and Jazz and soul music
We don’t have appropriate Kaiso for that.
Our Kaiso music is for happy times and happier gyrations.
Oh, also its for wineing and wuk-up.
I know somebodies go cus me now.
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Love it! Russell you could write pretty as ….!!
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Russ, great to see you finally make an appearance. I was wondering what it would take. Well you did raise some valid points.
The last time I was in Trinidad for Carnival, I remember the feeling I had early on Carnival Monday, with the pretty pretty mas bands assembling, the music trucks cranking up their bass bins and the whole air of anticipation of bacchanal to follow. Bright sunshine. Positive Vibes all around.
With beauty all around and a cold Carib in hand, I thought to myself “Man, I wouldn’t trade this for anything. Whoever made this all possible -this great feeling, this great vibe… “. Yes, I was thinking of the Big G himself/herself. Yes, God.
Turns out I was not the first to have that feeling, that living feeling of worship, of praise. David Rudder’s ‘High Mas’ captured the way I felt at that moment, and without doubt, the feelings of countless others then, before and after. High Mas continues to evoke that spirit anytime it is played. Hear it here:
Now, for some, when love is lost they turn to the blues or slow tabanka soul. For others, Soca can do more to lift the spirits. Take this fella whose significant other just ‘up and gone’.
Her name is Radika. Check her out here:
So my brother, as you can see Soca is more versatile than some of us think…
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I was focusing more on the kaiso/soca genre but reggae definitely has more of the romantic themes. Dennis Brown made a career out of that and Beres has followed along the same vein.
Sanchez’s ‘Missing You’ would also qualify on the romantic side, and he too has many such compositions.
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Oh I can think of a few too – Machel Montano –
I juss wanna dance with you, A party ova here now for two, Cuz girl I get this feeling that’s so true, Whenever I’m dancin with you…
That one that Bunji and Fay-Ann sang together, can’t remember the name.
Back to Barbados – In the Morning – Betty Griffith-Payne & Geoffrey Cordle
All My Life [2007] TC & Tony (Rebel) Bailey
As I hear myself, I realise that none of these really are songs that the younger folk care for… they seem to all be in the ‘groovy soca’ mid tempo range like the Passion one (good one Jeewan!)… so it seems no romance is to be found in the party monarch/jump and wave sector (sextor).
And let’s face it, ragga soca/groovy soca, sweet soca is hardly fodder for popular culture.
I am sure there is more romance to be found in the music of the zouk loving nations of the region. Ahaa, maybe it’s all in the dancin…
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Yes I was thinkjing about Zouk what with all that dou dou in the lyrics.
And I am wondering about Passion. Is that not more about sex than romance? Not that the two are separate but I am thinking that much of the allusions to sex in soca seem to be of the ‘on the fly’ type, not a part of an ongoing relationship.
The ones that seem more romantic to me are those where the singer appears vulnerable, where he/she is expressing a longing for involvement in the other’s life. Like the Dennis Brown song to which Cora refers.
I am going to check out that Betty Griffith-Payne one.
So what then makes a song romantic????
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I think calypsonians have mainly restricted themselves to social commentary/jam. Some of us fans also do not always accept a ‘sweet’ song from a calypsonian. Guess we want to hear about ‘bum-bum and such.
Reggae definitely takes the prize for romantic lyrics. From crooners like Ken Boothe ‘Rocksteady’ tune ‘Crying over you’ back in the 60’s. He also remixed love songs by other artists like Bread’s ‘Everything I own’
John Holt – sweet voice, sweet love songs.
Alton Ellis – Oowee baby, baby I love you
I love you, baby
Ever since the first day we met
I loved you, loved you darling
I hope you won’t regret
Dennis Brown- ‘How could I leave’… Promise you won’t leave me, promise you won’t hurt me.
Gregory Isaacs ‘Night nurse, only you alone can quench this thirst’.
Daville – (I actually like this version with Sean Paul dubbing) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XEZUi9YIVg
‘Thinking about you, girl I miss you
ever since that day you went away, I can’t live without you
you’re always on my mind…
Jah Cure – Longing for – my baby to love me more, what am I longing for..
BUT kaiso has its lovers. We all remember Sparrow, the king of calypso sang ‘Only a fool breaks his own heart,’ circa 1965.
That was a wonderful, tender song, but probably considered an aberration from his usual style.
From Dominica, our very own De Hunter-
‘Only you’ originally performed with our Michel Henderson. Live version on link below:
‘You’re my sunshine and my rain, to the world I must explain, I love you baby… Only you, you baby only you. could make me jump on a mountain…”
Baron would have been great with some love songs.
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I might remind you that your brother Russell is on the far end of the expertise meter when it comes to kaiso/soca, so I wouldn’t put too much into that.
I can think of two right off the top…
Remember the early, if not first spooge composition, ‘Sweeter than a Snowcone’ ? I am sure that one wasn’t about frozen joice…
How about ‘Passion’ ? Remember that one? You know – I like to feel, your body when it’s close to mine… that’s romantic, n’cest pas? Comes in a sweet groovy soca beat too..
When I get some time, I’ll post some more…
Ah Gone,
Jeewan
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