Bouyon soca
| Bouyon soca | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Bouyon, Cadence-lypso/Soca music |
| Cultural origins | Early 2000s, Dominica |
| Typical instruments | Drum set, Drum machine, Horn section, two synthesizers, rhythmic guitar, bass guitar |
| Local scenes | |
| Dominica - Saint Lucia - Antigua - British Virgin Islands - U.S Virgin Islands - French Antilles | |
| Other topics | |
| Windward Caribbean Kulture | |
| Music of Dominica | |
|---|---|
| General topics | |
| Related articles | |
| Genres | |
| Media and performance | |
| Music festivals |
Carnival World Creole Music Festival |
| Nationalistic and patriotic songs | |
| National anthem | Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour |
| Regional music | |
| |
Bouyon soca is a fusion-genre of bouyon music originating from Dominica. Originally from Dominica, bouyon soca typically blends old bouyon music rhythms from the 90s' and soca music creating a unique sounding genre.
History
The nineties in Dominica have been dominated by a new musical form called bouyon music. Bouyon emerged from the attempt of the new generation bands like Windward Caribbean Kulture (WCK) to develop their own style. Bouyon in effect represents a fusion of cadence-lypso, jing ping and lapo kabwit elements in term of rhythms. Bouyon music is very dependent on the drum machine, cowbell and keyboards with guitars receding into the background.
From a language perspective, Bouyon draws on English and Kwéyòl with influences from the chanté mas tradition. Bouyon involves chanting rather than singing and is very much influenced by dancehall-reggae-rap language style, coming out of Jamaica. Bouyon-muffin and reketeng is an off shoot of this tendency. While bouyon lyrics comment on everyday life in the cultural sense, they can also contain explicit social commentary in the political sense.
Origin
The best-known band in the genre is Windward Caribbean Kulture (WCK), who originated the style in 1988 by experimenting with a fusion of Cadence-lypso and Jing ping. They began using native drum rhythms such as lapo kabwit and elements of the music of jing ping bands, as well as ragga-style vocals.
Thought bouyon originated in the late 80's as a fusion of cadence-lypso, jing ping and other traditional dances; the Chanté mas and lapo kabwit drumming has integrated to become the rhythmic heart of bouyon, the traditional carnival music of Dominica. As such, it has a very strident rhythm and is aptly referred to as jump up music by the population in Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Bouyon soca
Bouyon soca:, sometimes referred to as Jump up soca, is a fusion-genre that typically blends old bouyon rhythms from the 1990s and soca music. Bouyon soca, is a term coined by non-Dominican producers and musicians who wish to attribute the current suucess of bouyon music to other islands. In its native Dominica, the concept of bouyon soca is pretty much unheard of. Bouyon is a very specific and original genre and is very much distinguishable from its "colleague" Soca.
While there may have been the occasional fusion, Bouyon has always maintained a very clear, recognisable and obviously different style from soca. This style of bouyon music was originated in Dominica, but is also very popular in Saint Lucia, Antigua, the Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Popularity
Bouyon soca is a style of bouyon produced in Dominica and other Caribbean islands. Dominican bands have been experimenting with bouyon and soca for many years, however, Saint Lucian artist Ricky T released a song "Pressure boom" in 2007 which blended the two genres and became very popular throughout the English speaking Caribbean.