Yuh cyah vex when soca playin

YUH CYAH VEX WHEN SOCA PLAYIN (You can’t be angry when Soca’s playing) ~ Wayne Gerard Trotman

Music is the beating heart of the Caribbean. And as we never tire of saying – every island and country in the region has its unique personality, people, and culture – including its music and dance. From internationally well-known genres like reggae and Calypso in the English-speaking Caribbean to those less well-known styles like Wylers, spouge or bouyon, or salsa, son and merengue in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, and konpa and zouk in the French-speaking countries, the variety on offer is astonishing. But there is one undeniable thing that all these styles have in common: Africa. Millions of Africans were seized and transported around the world for the slave trade, destroying lives and communities on an unimaginable scale. The indescribable conditions of the ships and the cruelty of the traders taking the people to the New World to work on their sugar and cotton plantations ensured that the people had to leave everything they owned and was dear to them behind. Consequently, very few of their precious instruments made the Atlantic crossing. But despite this, the African people’s spirit and culture could not be dimmed, and their culture, stories, music and religion were transported in their hearts and souls to be passed on to future generations. On the plantations, the enslaved people hand-fashioned instruments from materials found around them, whether it was drums made from hollow trees with sheepskin stretched over them or calabashes containing pebbles and stuck on short sticks. Music would recreate memories and the sounds of home and allow some release from their feelings of sorrow. But music would also play an important part in their religious ceremonies and celebrations; it would help them coordinate their work and allow them to use their singing to comment on and criticise their plantation masters. The influence of Africa on global music is immense and spreads way beyond the Caribbean. Without African rhythms and beats, jazz, soul, hip-hop, blues, and gospel music wouldn’t exist. And as elements of these styles have influenced all other modern music, even rock music, African spirituality surrounds us, no matter where we are and what we’re listening to.