Caribbean radio stations and soca music.

by Joseph Paul
(Castries, St Lucia)

What a great opportunity to share my views on soca music!

I feel that not enough soca music is played on the various radio stations in the different islands after carnival. I can speak for St Lucia in particular since this is where I'm from.

Every year, during carnival, the stations capitalize on artists' recordings and play the music because they know that without this music they wouldn't be able to compete with other stations. My humble view is that they're only playing this music because they have to. It's carnival and they must play soca.

But as soon as carnival is over, they resort to American music and Jamaican reggae and dancehall. It's amazing how quickly these stations switch gears. I have nothing against American and Jamaican music but I have a problem with the total disregard for the important contributions that soca artists (in this case St Lucian soca artists) make. American and Jamaicans are already on top. What are the local radio stations doing for our artists? How can they ever progress if their music is not played for the greater part of the year?

Perhaps, it's me who doesn't get it and the various radio stations may have a totally contradictory argument, but as far as I'm concerned, they have a role to play in the development of local artists. They need to stop using the artists during carnival when playing their music is most profitable, and ignoring them for the rest of the year.

My argument is simply that local radio stations do not support soca artists enough. I want to hear soca music all year round not during carnival.

This is typical not only of St Lucia but of all the various Caribbean islands.

Just my humble opinion. Thanks for reading thus far.