By Jonathan Anthony Burkett
If you have ever seen footage of Caribbean carnival, with colorful costumes, steel pans and crowds moving down the road in one giant wave, you have heard soca or calypso. These two styles are the soundtrack of carnival, especially in Trinidad and Tobago, where both were born. They are closely related but serve different purposes. Here is how to understand and enjoy both.
Calypso: the people's newspaper
Calypso developed in Trinidad and Tobago, with roots in the songs of enslaved West Africans and influences from French Creole culture and the island's many other communities. Early calypso was often sung in a call-and-response style and became a central part of carnival.
Calypso's great strength is its words. Calypsonians, sometimes called kaisonians, have long acted as social commentators, using humor, double meanings and sharp wit to comment on politics, scandals, daily life and current events. Calypso has often been described as a kind of musical newspaper for ordinary people. Clever teasing between singers, known as picong, is part of the tradition. Calypso tents, venues where calypsonians perform new songs during the carnival season, became training grounds for performers and places where audiences heard the year's sharpest commentary.
Legendary calypsonians include Lord Kitchener and the Mighty Sparrow, both celebrated for their wordplay and long careers. Calypso also reached international audiences in the 1950s, when artists such as Harry Belafonte helped popularize calypso-inspired songs in the United States.
Soca: the soul of calypso
In the 1970s, the Trinidadian artist Lord Shorty, who later became known as Ras Shorty I, set out to give calypso new energy. He blended it with rhythms from Indo-Trinidadian music, reflecting the large community of Indian descent in Trinidad and Tobago. The result was soca, a name usually explained as the "soul of calypso."
Soca kept calypso's carnival roots but shifted the focus. Where calypso emphasized storytelling and commentary, soca emphasized tempo, energy and getting the crowd moving. Over time, it absorbed influences from funk, disco, dancehall and electronic music, becoming faster and more electronic.
Because soca is designed for carnival, many songs come with simple instructions built right in, telling the crowd to jump, wave, wine or put their hands up. New songs are released each year and compete to become the anthem of that season, so the soca calendar moves quickly and fans look forward to hearing what is new.
Arrow's "Hot Hot Hot," from Montserrat, became one of the best-known soca songs around the world. Today, artists such as Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, Destra Garcia and Kes are among the genre's biggest names.
How soca and calypso differ
- Focus: Calypso centers on lyrics and storytelling. Soca centers on rhythm and crowd energy.
- Tempo: Calypso is usually more moderate. Soca is typically faster and built to keep people jumping.
- Setting: Calypso is often performed in calypso tents and competitions. Soca rules the parties, fetes and the road during carnival.
- Styles: Soca itself splits into faster "power soca" for jumping and waving, and smoother "groovy soca" for a slower wine.
Carnival and the steelpan
Both styles are inseparable from carnival. In Trinidad and Tobago, the season builds to J'ouvert, the early-morning street celebration, and the main parade days before Ash Wednesday. Competitions crown winners such as the Calypso Monarch and the Road March, the song played most often as bands cross the judging points.
The steelpan, invented in Trinidad in the twentieth century from discarded oil drums, is part of the same story. Steel orchestras, called steelbands, play arrangements of calypso and soca, and the Panorama competition is a highlight of the carnival season.
Carnival around the world
Caribbean migration carried carnival far beyond the islands. Large Caribbean carnivals take place in cities such as London, Toronto, New York and Miami, and soca and calypso are at the heart of all of them. Many other Caribbean nations also hold their own carnivals, each with local flavor. Every celebration has its own costumes, sound systems and traditions, but the same spirit of freedom, pride and joyful release.
That shared Caribbean culture runs through a lot of music today. Jonathan Anthony Burkett, born in Miami and raised in Jamaica by his grandparents, makes inspirational hip hop and soul, and his signature song One Life features reggae artist Ambelique. Its remix EP even includes a Festival Mix built for big crowds.
Jonathan's favorite street celebration needed no stage at all. During hurricane season in Westmoreland, children and adults from the hill would gather at the crossroads and shower in the rain for hours. He calls those days “some of the best times in my life.”
How to enjoy them
To appreciate calypso, listen closely to the words, even if some references take research, and enjoy the humor and storytelling. To appreciate soca, turn it up, find some space and let yourself move. Both reward an open mind and a willingness to join the celebration.
If you ever attend a carnival, go prepared: comfortable shoes, water, sunscreen and a willingness to get a little messy, since some celebrations involve paint, mud or powder. Most of all, respect the culture and the people who keep it alive year after year.
And when you want more Caribbean-rooted music with an uplifting message, listen to Jonathan's songs on Spotify.
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