LOCAL ARTISTES HAVE REALLY COME OUT TO PLAY – virtually jamming local radio stations with songs for the Crop Over Festival.
About 200 songs, mainly ragga soca, have been submitted to Starcom Network, said programme manager Ronald Clarke, who predicted that many more would come in the lead-up to the major events of the festival.
Dancehall-influenced entries have been dominating, Clarke said, making special mention of the popular Crimeson.
“Bajan dub artists seem to be encouraged by the recent success of their songs, which have been created around the recently held Reggae Festival . . . ,” Clarke remarked.
Established artistes like Mr Dale, Mac Fingall, Adrian Clarke and Blood – the last mentioned receiving praise from Clarke for usually releasing his songs early – are already in the mix.
The entries have passed scrutiny for taste and legal concerns, no song forcing the network to ban it from the airwaves for being vulgar or defamatory.
“What’s happening on the dance floor, in the fete, in the party, on the road, what they like to drink, girl I love you, you love me,” was Clarke’s description of the themes tackled in the songs submitted.
What about social commentary?
Clarke: “Noticeably, there isn’t much social commentary that has been recorded, and that has been the case for the past few years. Many persons opt to perform social commentary in the tent, and the tent will submit a recording of that performance to the radio station.”
Of note, though, he said, was that the production quality of the music had improved.
“We have fewer songs submitted which require us telling the person who submitted the song that there is need for a better product to come to radio.”
But Clarke had words of caution about the amount of airplay to expect, given the number of songs available: “When you have so many songs being available for rotation, all songs won’t be rotated on the same day.” (AH)
