Mash in December? Why not, beverage giant, Banks DIH said as it sprang into the Mashramani 2011 race with the launching of its’ Banks Groovy Soca Monarch competition yesterday.
“Groovy soca is becoming more and more popular as one of the genres of Caribbean rhythm,” said the competition’s Director Sean Bhola at the launching at Banks’ Thirst Park complex. In Guyana today, the fast beats of Power Soca reign supreme, while in other Caribbean countries the slower beats of groovy soca are very much up there. Bhola said that until now groovy Soca has never been showcased effectively in any of the competitions held locally.
The company aims to change this but plans to go a step further and promote winning artistes through the year. Already, Bhola said, the competition has attracted top local talent. The competition will be one of the first events for Mashramani 2011 with the finals being held on December 4. The reason for the early launch is to ensure that the music coming out of the competition has “a longer life”, Bhola said pointing out that people would hear the rhythms long before Mash-ramani and they would be more popular.
Bhola said the objectives of the competition are to provide exposure for Guyana’s rich musical talent in a competitive setting; to increase the production of Guyanese music at a time that is most beneficial for tourism and by extension the performers; to provide quality entertainment that will jump-start Mash activities and set the tone for the festivities every year; to produce for broadcast and sale during the Christmas, Mash and Easter seasons music videos for the top four songs, the ‘Banks Groovy Soca Monarch Live’ on DVD, and a CD featuring the 14 finalists from the competition. He said the company plans to market the products locally, regionally and internationally via its website.
The competition is open to Guyanese and those of Guyanese parentage. Entries opened yesterday and the deadline for submission is October 30. Twenty-four semi-finalists will be chosen. The first semi-final will be held on November 20, while the second will be on November 27 and the final on December 4 at Thirst Park. Prizes range from $150,000 for the fourth place competitor to $750,000 for the winner.
Bhola said the company plans to take the winners of the competition on tour to different parts of the country and this will include calypsonians since Banks also sponsors this competition. He said that while pirating is an issue, the CDs and DVDs produced will be sold at a reasonable cost. He said the artistes will be able to participate in other competitions.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony meantime, said that the competition will set the tone and tempo for Mash 2011 which will be launched on October 15. He recounted that Calypsonians have complained that there are no year-round opportunities for singing and said that the competition will improve the quality of music. According to Anthony, preparations for Mash are often cut due to Christmas and “we feel by having activities such as this, it will keep the focus on Mash”. A legacy of the competition will be the CDs and the ministry will work towards making the competition a success, he pledged. He also pointed out that Banks sponsors the Calypso competition. “They seem to be taking over the niche in the singing competition and that is a positive thing,” the minister observed. He too acknowledged that piracy is an issue but said how this is dealt with is still to be worked out.
“We can do quality work here… this is a means of making that happen,” Banks Sales and Marketing Executive Carlton Joao observed.
St Lucian soca artist, Mantius Cazaubon on his SocaFreak.com website writes that Power Soca and Groovy Soca are the two main types of soca. In addition to these main types, other types of soca music include ragga soca and chutney soca.
Power soca music is very fast, with tempos of around 160 beats per minute. The music is largely instructional in nature. Soca artists thrive on motivating audiences to respond to their dancing instructions. Power soca music is largely music to jump, wave and “wine” to. Crowd reaction is key.
According to Cazaubon, Groovy soca music is arguably, a better means of propelling soca music forward internationally. It is much slower, around 115 beats per minute. This newer kind of soca allows for a wider range of topics to be addressed. Unlike the total frenzy that power soca gives rise to, groovy soca is music to sway and dance slowly to, Cazaubon says.
Artistes like Kevin Lyttle and Rupee have demonstrated that this type of music is very palatable to mainstream music markets, with international hits like “Turn Me On” and “Tempted To Touch” respectively. Another artist who has gain international recognition with groovy/ crossover soca is Barbadian artist, Alison Hinds.
