Its always been my theory that because of Soca’s somewhat seemingly blind obsession with making you either break your wrists waving something, or your ankles jumping somewhere, that the lyrical aspect of the music can often be lost. I liken it almost to stereotypical Roots Reggae where Artist A may make a song with the very typical catch phrases like, “Bun dung Babylon”, “Oh Praise Jah” or “Uplift the people” and such, while never really saying anything; the same can be said for Soca at times where Soca Artist B will come in with, “Jump up and wave, misbehave”, almost like a programmed bit. And even as someone myself who LOVES to ‘jump and wave and misbehave’, I have to admit, it definitely does get tiring and I can even appreciate someone who even SLIGHTLY deviates from that standard course. In Roots Reggae, with artists like Sizzla, Lutan Fyah and Buju at the forefront of literally DOZENS of very talented wordsmiths who either eschew the tired and formulaic lyrical approach altogether, or are capable of taking that route and scoring with big (and MEANINGFUL) tunes, even in spite of it. In Soca, definitely things are the same although there are less practitioners of the almost OVER hype style who can add a bit of lyrical dexterity in between jump ups. Of course, the primary example is and has been for quite awhile now Soca Monarch King of Kings Bunji Garlin who at times appears to come off as simply a Dancehall artist playing with a new toy. Dancehall is almost inherently more lyrical (although you listen to a few tunes from Ding Dong or Matterhorn and you might not know it) than it’s cousin from Trinidad, thus, for every Bunji Garlin there are three or four, Vybz Kartels, Busy Signals and Aidonias of this era. Bunji, however, is DEFINITELY one of the most talented Caribbean wordsmiths going right now, particularly in the wing of the freestyle. Just this past International Soca Monarch competition last month he DELIGHTED the crowd, after announcing his intentions to merely support his wife, Faye-Ann Lyons, by placing as first runner up, with freestyle after freestyle aimed at all of their opponents and his own unborn daughter who, through her mother, had taken a lyrical jab at her father just a couple of performances earlier. I’d place Garlin on the level of his aforementioned Dancehall peers absolutely and in particular in the area of freestyle, he may actually be peerless (although Ninja Man may take offense to that). There is also one Ms. Alysha, often described as the female Bunji Garlin. Alysha, although nowhere near Garlin’s level of accomplishment (yet) has been well regarded for her rapid-fire like flows and infusement of a more Dancehall vibes into Soca. Besides those two, there are veterans young and old like Maximus Dan, KMC, Mrs. Bunji Garlin and Jamesy P from out of St. Vincy who are wonderful lyricists as well as younger veterans such as Skinny Fabulous (St. Vincy), Ricky T (St. Lucia) and the CRAZY S.K.I.NN.Y. from out of Dominica, all of whom have proven themselves skilled at taking a more tactful approach to the jump and wave.
Now, I may be the only one who thinks this way but I don’t think that a LYRICIST is the same thing as a SONGWRITER. Yes, a good one of them tends to be a good one of the other, but I take the term ‘lyricist’ to be a more aggressive type of title. Like Bunji Garlin himself is a wonderful lyricist and could probably write a wonderful tune for someone like Destra in the context of a crazy Soca song, however, when Destra finds herself in the mood to sing one of her gospel fueled ballads, the first person she might want to link would DEFINITELY not be Bunji Garlin. However, it might just be someone like Nadia Batson who is proving herself t be equally powerful lyricist AND songwriter through her relatively short time in the game. I only (embarrassingly at the time) have REALLY been following Batson for the better part of three years and primarily within the last two as she has cemented her place as one of Trinidad’s most prominent and SKILLED Soca artists in that same time. The most REMARKABLE thing about Batson, however, is that I had actually heard ‘her’ before I really thought I had because of the EXCEPTIONAL level to which her career as a songwriter had blossomed before her own solo performing career took off. To her credit are tunes like the OUTSTANDING Sleeping In Your Bed from Batson’s good friend Michelle Sylvester which won Sylvester the very first Groovy Soca Monarch crown in 2005 I believe. Nadia Batson also wrote the very strong tune Flames from Jabae which was a HUGE hit a couple of seasons back and before it ran its course produced an even stronger remix which included Destra herself. Were that not enough (and it was) Nadia Batson, even if she never sings or writes another tune EVER again will hold a special place with me as it was actually she who wrote El-A-Kru’s MAMMOTH tune Expose which is most likely my favourite Soca tune of all time and one of my favourites altogether, regardless of genre. Well, now it’s Batson’s turn to take advantage of the good streak which has turned her own personal way and what better way to do that than putting out an album which encompassed the majority of her hits from 2008 (her biggest year undeniably) and back. That album, Caribbean Girl was EASILY one of the best Soca albums from the 2008 season and was a more than welcomed addition to the usual releases from Bunji Garlin, Machel Montano and Shurwayne Winchester. The Caribbean Girl album is her very first and only to date but it definitely went on to help establish her name on an international level, planting the seeds sewn in her meteoric rise on a local level, placing hers alongside her aforementioned peers, in terms of big name Soca artists. And did I mention that it was GOOD too? Caribbean Girl is just as wonderful and DIVERSE as the artist herself and in the proves to be a winner and a great addition to the collection of any hardcore or new fan of Soca music.
Given Nadia Batson’s history as a writer and an industry veteran, I can’t imagine it was THAT difficult for her to get her foot in the door in terms of beginning to receive the opportunities for herself which she had previously worked so hard for others to get. Thus, you have to hold Caribbean Girl up to a certain higher standard than the typical debut, luckily it STILL doesn’t disappoint even under those conditions. Getting the impressing started after a brief introduction which finds Batson giving thanks beforehand and explaining how the album is merely her expressing all the wonderful different parts of her creativity (indeed), is Batson putting her best foot forward with My Posse. I have heard BEAUTIFUL material from Nadia Batson (most of it is on this album), but NONE of it is as downright EARTHSHAKING as My Posse. The tune was a real contender for Roadmarch in 2008 (I think it may have come in fourth) and ended up netting her fourth place for Power Soca Monarch last year (should have been third). My Posse was definitely one of my personal favourites from the 2008 season and I still find myself getting into the vibes BIG TIME whenever I spin it and I love how it’s both a powerful and still kind of a romantic vibes at the same (“Slow, slow, wine back yuh bumpah. Carnival time so sexy woman take over”). The album’s finest, probably the finest of Nadia Batson’s entire career and a HUGE opening for her debut album, Caribbean Girl. Just as they pick up with My Posse, the vibes cool off with the ULTRA-COOL chutney tinged Love Of My Life [Meri Zindagi] one of the signature tunes from Batson and the album. This one just has a PURE romantic vibes and sounds so exotic that you almost expect a Zouk tune to break out at some point but Batson RULES it and begins to show off those crazy impressive vocals in the process. You love that one. Completing the opening for Caribbean Girl is Caribbean Girl the tune which kind of registers somewhere between the two opening tunes. This one is EXCELLENT as well to my opinion and is probably one of the best WRITTEN tunes on the album named after it. Like another tune later on, Caribbean Girl has such a SWEET Caribbean unifying vibes and message to it that should you happen to be West Indian (and I am) or of West Indian heritage, certainly it’ll strike a chord with you, just as it does with me. Altogether, a LARGE opening.
The thing which will most certainly stick out when looking at the tracklist for Caribbean Girl on paper is definitely the amount of combinations. With FIVE in total, Nadia Batson shares more than a third of her album, wonderfully with her friends on some quality tunes. The first is definitely the most high profile and one of the strongest and she is joined by Tobago superstar Shurwayne Winchester on Loving Again. The two do get quite HYPE, but all in all, it’s just a smoother type of vibes where the tune really excels actually on one of the more COLOURFUL efforts on Caribbean Girl. Next up is my own personal favourite combination on the album and one which won’t mean too much in terms of celebrity unless you’re a BIG fan of Trini Reggae (like your’s truly). Nadia checks in on a one drop riddim alongside one of the strongest Trini artists on the Reggae side, Marlon Asher spar Royal Dainties, on the WICKED My Joy. These two may actually be a pair for real, but even if they aren’t, they’re quite well at making music as My Joy is one SWEET SWEET tune. Of course, the Reggae head in me would like to hear Batson do a bit more (Nadia Batson - Queen Omega combination! WHAT!), and I’m confident in the coming years that we just might. Big tune. Its all Soca next as Nadia is joined by KES D Band on one of the bigger tunes on the album, My Land, another Caribbean praising big big song. Batson outshines her friend on the tune (KES lead singer Kees) but when he does jump in, he does well and the two DEFINITELY make a nice pair at the end of the song. Chica is a bit out of my tastes but I find myself frustratingly singing along to it at times. It features Mista Vybe and [Don] Iko and it is Vybe joining Batson again on the SCATHING Start De Race tune. Vybe is a former Caribbean Soca Monarch and I know him from the HUGE tune Ting 4 Da Road which is a big calling card. Start De Race easily is amongst the class of pure Soca tunes and not far behind the absolute best with its crazy powerful ROLLING vibe (listen to that riddim!) (and Batson and Vybe are VERY good friends he actually co-wrote Sleeping In Your Bed, Bounce, another Batson penned tune for El-A-Kru and even My Posse). When on her own, Batson, arguably, delivers even bigger such as the HILARIOUS tune Mind Yuh Business, a tune aimed at the rumour mongers and gossipers out there which just needs to be heard. She namedrops a few of her peers (like Destra, Faye-Ann and Bunji) which is funny and the tune is just so very well done. One of the very first tunes I heard from the artist would have been the BRILLIANT One Island (which was on the Soca Gold 2006 album). Again, looking for a ‘region-wide’ unifying tune, you draw One Island which is adult ‘edutainment’ for adults of the highest order. Think you can’t make a substantive sounding Soca tune, this one, just like the title track comes in with a nice and COLOURFUL message and vibes certain to please and it was one of her bigger hits actually (DUH). As Nadia Batson winds things down on Caribbean Girl she explores her R&B side a bit on both Ready For My Lovin and As My Pen Drops. Ready For My Lovin is VERY straight forward type of a song you’d probably hear from someone like the members of Destiny Child or someone like such and is the stronger of the two to my opinion. And As My Pen Drops may be stereotypical R&B as well, but it definitely pushes a few boundaries (it sounds like something R. Kelly might sing). And, thankfully, as if to make sure you don’t forget what the hell you’re listening to, ending things on Caribbean Girl is the typical jump and wave and misbehave tune and frankly, after the two slower tunes, I just don’t give a damn! The tune, Confusion, is MADNESS, it is one of her biggest hits to date and I love it! Excellent way to end an excellent album.
Overall, Nadia Batson is TOP NOTCH Soca regardless of how this album turned out and luckily it turned out to be VERY well put across. The album has a big claim to being 2008’s best Soca album from a single artist altogether which, in a PACKED year like 2008, is saying quite a bit. The album itself, just as she says it will on the Intro, turns out to be sort of a microcosm to Batson herself. It goes ALL OVER the place, yet it never strays enough or consistently enough to alienate the first group of fans which Nadia won over, the Soca heads, of course. It also just shows how SMART and INTELLIGENT she is which are qualities which aren’t necessarily thrown at musicians, but in this case it is VERY applicable: The woman can write! She can sing! She can arrange! Caribbean Girl is the first, of hopefully MANY more, attempts to show the entire world just how talented the woman is. Hopefully they’ll catch on. If not, then we’ll keeping jumping and waving when she tells us to. Even if we have to pay attention a little more than usual. Very impressive.
Rated 4.5/5 stars
Dynamic Entertainment
2007/2008
http://www.myspace.com/nadiabatson
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