Champion !!!

       The streets are alive with the chants of "Champion!" following the recent, historical triumph by the West Indies in the 2016 ICC World Cup Finals against England. The West Indies team members are champions once again, DJ Bravo is a champion, Gayle is a champion and everyone in the region feels like a champion. Written by West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, the song "Champion" has left no corner untouched, taking the streets of Port-of-Spain by storm. The dance has become even more potent, gaining global recognition for its simplicity in conjunction with its West Indian flare.

West Indian Players from Trinidad Victory Motorcade

   

   In hindsight, the virality of the song is simply an outcome of its purpose. The aim of the song was not only to boost pride among West Indian players but to recognize everyone who is a champion in their own field or their own right. The song has a simple message, one that has been

sent before in song. So think about it....why do we as Caribbean people identify with the song so well? What's the difference between "We are the Champions" written and released by the British rock band Queen in 1977 and "Champion" by Dwayne Bravo in 2016? The answer is provided by Bravo is the song itself when he states that "we love soca and dancehall".

       According to Leu (2000), soca was developed in Trinidad during the mid 1970's as a 

Photo by Brendon Taylor (Sangre Grande) 

sub-genre of calypso music by Lord Shorty who is more affectionately known as "the Father of Soca". His experimentation with the fusion of Indian rhythms and calypso, lead him to increase the tempo of the music and add a laid-back base line with Indian percussion. The evolution of the calypso genre by Lord Shorty has evolved even further in the modern era where soca has been divided into two categories which are Power soca and Groovy soca. Again, the difference between the two types lies in the tempo of the music. Power soca music is very fast, with tempos of around 160 beats per minute. The music is largely instructional in nature where singers opt to motivate crowds to respond through dance. Therefore, Power soca music is largely music to jump, wave and "wine" to. In contrast, Groovy soca is much slower in tempo, hovering at around 115 beats per minute. This type of soca allows the audience to slowly dance and sway while giving the artist an opportunity to address a wider range of topics in the song. (Cazaubon, 2016 ) The song "Champion" is a prime of example of the Groovy soca form, allowing the listener to sway and enjoy a dance.

      

     Childe (1950) has stated that the concept of a city "is notoriously hard to define". However, in the context of Port-of-Spain and other cities of the Caribbean by extension, the city is not only defined by a historical change in economic development but by what we see and hear. From reggae or dancehall in Kingston, Jamaica to the sounds of Zouk in Castries, St. Lucia, our indigenous forms of music are a fundamental part of our experience when we walk the streets of urban spaces. Furthermore, in the same way that calypso evolved over the years into soca as a living organism, we as Caribbean societies are dynamic in nature. As the creators and ambassadors of the music, we are defined by our music. Therefore, music in our urban landscapes gives us a sense of place whether we choose to dance, move or heads to the base or simply sing along. For individuals living in the Caribbean diaspora, hearing these indigenous forms of music provides them with an opportunity to identify with their respective homelands. We therefore believe that our music is engraved in our DNA as a people; it is more than an industry but a way of life!    

References

Cazaubon, Mantius. 2016. "What is Soca Music". Accessed April 2, 2016. http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/13132/entertainment/what_is_soca_music.html.

Childe, V. Gordon. 1950. "The Urban Revolution". Town Planning Review 21 (1): 3:17. Liverpool University Press.

Leu, Lorraine. 2000. "Raise Yuh Hand, Jump up and Get on Bad!": New Developments in Soca Music in Trinidad". Latin American Music Review 21 (1): 45-58. http://www.jstor.org/stable/780413 http://www.jstor.org/stable/780413.