Don’t Let It Fade: Tano’s Heroes Riddim Deserves to Echo Beyond Carnival
By Ananda/Sokah2Soca
in
Blog
June 21, 2025
The content was first published on the blog Sokah2Soca (www.sokah2soca.com). We bring you only the best new music, while Island Vybe Radio rocks it live on the air!
Don't let the music fade! We begin by concluding that we should not allow positive music to fade away after the carnival season ends. I would excuse you if you were up to date on the new music for the upcoming Caribbean carnivals, but most of you in North America who love Trinidad Soca and those of you in the homeland don't really like "small island Soca." Now I have to add that the local radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago are party to the travesty of letting the music fade while waiting for the next season of music offerings... shamelessly so! We find ourselves in familiar territory—watching brilliant local releases quietly drift out of the spotlight. But not today.
Here, at Sokah2Soca, we could not resist and had to rewind and reload one of the best albums released during Trinbago's 2025 carnival, the "Heroes Riddim." The Heroes Riddim, produced by the ever-innovative Tano, features the powerhouse voices of Kes, GBM Nutron, and Coutain. The album is not just another riddim. Each track captures a signature moment—a capsule of rhythm, soul, and anthem-worthy storytelling. Lyrically captivating songs and musically full of vibes, this album deserves to be in the spotlight.
All three artists on the album delivered songs worthy of praise. Kes, known as the girls' dem darling, delivers an unmistakable tone alongside GBM Nutron’s sharp delivery and Coutain’s rising presence—each track is a certified gem. Sadly, as stations shift their focus, local artistry risks falling into the background noise, waiting for “next season.” Sigh...
Let's hit pause on that pattern; let's start with this Sokah2Soca reboot!
While program directors of radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago abdicate their responsibility to our culture, Carnival continues in Grenada, Saint Vincent, Saint Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda, and Barbados. The Caribbean is constantly evolving, and our support for Soca should also remain unwavering. If we are not going to play the new songs from those territories, then why are we not promoting our music? Everyone admits that Trinidad Soca was excellent for carnival 2025 and this album is testament to that excellence.
So today, we celebrate and uplift. We do this not out of nostalgia, but out of recognition. The Heroes Riddim is still relevant, resonant, and rotation-worthy. On Sokah2Soca’s YouTube player, we’re proud to feature the full mixtape and each individual track for your listening pleasure. Let good music play on!
Let us spread awareness of the Caribbean diaspora's culture.
Our goal is to promote Caribbean culture, musicians, and music producers. We are able to honor and promote the rich sounds and tales of the Caribbean thanks to your support. Together, we can ensure that this rich cultural legacy continues to reach a wider audience and foster creativity and connections. While you should always buy music for sale, you should avoid sharing promotional music because it denies songwriters, producers, and artists important revenue. Please be aware that all of our posts are available online via social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and SoundCloud. We recommend exploring your favorite content on FeedSpot/RSS Feed, Threads, Bluesky, and Twitter/X, including email subscriptions. Thank you in advance.
Production Notes/Music Credits:
Song Title: Heroes Riddim Mix
Artist/Performed by: Kes x GBM Nutron x Coutain
Produced by: Tano
Mixed & mastered by Kasey Phillips of Precision Productions
Origin: Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
Genre: Soca ?
Songs:
Medicine—Kes x Tano
Written by: Kes, Tano, Mical Teja
Hero—GBM Nutron x Tano
Written by: GBM Nutron
Jamtown—Coutain x Tano
Written by Coutain, Tano, Mical Teja, Jeruel Saunders, Tano, Mical Teja
Sokah2Soca—Where the Rhythm Lives and CalypSoca Thrives!
? Listen. Share. Amplify. Our artists embody culture not only during Carnival, but on a daily basis.
We present the music here for your listening pleasure and promotional purposes only, adhering to the "Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. Sokah2Soca/Soca Music Blog © 1990 by Santiwah is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-SA/4.0/.
♫ Please click the music player button below to listen now (small triangle in the music player/TV frame).
Big News for Pan Lovers! The 2026 Steelband Panorama Season is Coming In Hot
By Ananda/Sokah2Soca
in
Blog
June 21, 2025
The blog Sokah2Soca (www.sokah2soca.com) first published the content. We bring you only the best new music, while Island Vybe Radio rocks it live on the air!
Oh snap... We are in June, and Carnival 2026 in Trinidad and Tobago is making headlines! Fans of steelband music are in for a treat; the Panorama schedule has been released, and it's important to note that you'll be engrossed in Panorama events when January 2026 arrives due to a compressed and shortened season. There is a need to unhinge Carnival from the Christian calendar to better plan carnival events and maximize the financial windfall that Carnival brings to the islands.
The energy is building already—Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival 2026 is officially set for the 16th and 17th of February, and steelpan fans have even more reason to celebrate. The full Panorama Schedule for 2026 has just been released, and there’s an exciting new addition: Panorama in Tobago on October 25th, 2025, titled "PanOmega."
Of interest is the news that Tobago is hosting a Panorama competition independent of involvement from Trinidad. The love for steelband music will surely have players from Trinidad heading over to Tobago to play for one of the local bands. The outcome will be local bragging rights and it should be fun. The steelpan movement continues to evolve and expand, originating from the National Panorama competitions and the Savannah stage, and now Tobago hosts its very own Panorama competition.
Stay tuned to Sokah2Soca for updates, commentary, and spotlight features as we count down to Carnival and steelband competitions. Are you excited? Indeed, our coverage promises to provide you with unparalleled access to all the available online content.
Here is the Schedule for the steelband competition re: Carnival 2026
- October 18, 2025—Tobago Panorama—PanOmega
- October 25, 2025—Steelpan & Powder Parade—Tobago
- November 9, 2025—National Panorama 2026 Launch
- November 16-24, 2025—Single Pan Preliminaries
- November 29, 2025—Single Pan Semi-Finals
- December 6, 2025—Single Pan Finals
- December 8-17, 2025—Small Conventional Bands Preliminaries
- January 9-13, 2026—Junior Panorama Preliminaries
- January 10, 2026—Small Conventional Bands Semi-Finals
- January 17, 2026—Small Conventional Bands Finals
- January 18, 2026—Junior Panorama Finals
- January 20-24, 2026—Medium Conventional Bands Preliminaries
- January 25-28, 2026—Large Conventional Bands Preliminaries
- February 1, 2026—Medium & Large Conventional Bands Semi-Finals
- February 8, 2026—Medium Conventional Bands Finals
- February 14, 2026—Large Conventional Bands Finals
- February 16-17, 2026—Pan on the Road
- February 21, 2026—Carnival Lagniappe
Let us spread awareness of the Caribbean diaspora's culture.
Our goal is to promote Caribbean culture, musicians, and music producers. We are able to honor and promote the rich sounds and tales of the Caribbean thanks to your support. Together, we can ensure that this rich cultural legacy continues to reach a wider audience and foster creativity and connections. While you should always buy music for sale, you should avoid sharing promotional music because it denies songwriters, producers, and artists important revenue. Please be aware that all of our posts are available online via social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and SoundCloud. We recommend exploring your favorite content on FeedSpot/RSS Feed, Threads, Bluesky, and Twitter/X, including email subscriptions. Thank you in advance.
Production Notes/Music Credits:
Panorama News: Steelband Competitions Schedule 2026
Origin: Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
Genre: Soca ?
Promotional Song: Steelband Music
Artist/Performed by: Mighty Sparrow
Arranged by: Earl Rodney
Music by: Sparrow's Calypso Troubadours
Sokah2Soca—Where the Rhythm Lives and CalypSoca Thrives!
? Listen. Share. Amplify. Our artists embody culture not only during Carnival but on a daily basis.
We present the music here for your listening pleasure and promotional purposes only, adhering to the "Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. Sokah2Soca/Soca Music Blog © 1990 by Santiwah is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-SA/4.0/.
♫ Please click the music player button below to listen now (small triangle in the music player/TV frame).
Don Trent Drops “Baddest Gyal” for Kadooment 2025 — And We’re Hooked!
By Ananda/Sokah2Soca
in
Blog
June 21, 2025
The content was first published on the blog Sokah2Soca (www.sokah2soca.com). We bring you only the best new music, while Island Vybe Radio rocks it live on the air!
I am impressed: De Red Boyz and Don Trent have delivered what most will call a Soca anthem. This style of soca makes me want to play the song on repeat! The vibes delivered for "Baddest Gyal" are undeniable. From the start, I was hooked, but there was a pause—that voice! The voice is smooth, rich, and unexpectedly reminiscent of one of my favorites, Damian Marvay.
Who can deny the brilliance of De Red Boyz? Their unique style is unmistakable and sweet like Caribbean sugar cane. The rhythm hits that sweet spot between groove and energy—the kind of tempo that makes you move without even realizing it.
This is the kind of soca Trinidadians love—groove soca at its best. “Baddest Gyal” isn’t just a song—it’s a full experience. From vocal tone to rhythmic detail, this one brings the heart of the festival season to life. Don Trent has been around for some time, but with this song he steps into the spotlight with confidence, charisma, and undeniable talent. We at Sokah2Soca are loving it.
Let us spread awareness of the Caribbean diaspora's culture.
Our goal is to promote Caribbean culture, musicians, and music producers. We are able to honor and promote the rich sounds and tales of the Caribbean thanks to your support. Together, we can ensure that this rich cultural legacy continues to reach a wider audience and foster creativity and connections. While you should always buy music for sale, you should avoid sharing promotional music because it denies songwriters, producers, and artists important revenue. Please be aware that all of our posts are available online via social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and SoundCloud. We recommend exploring your favorite content on FeedSpot/RSS Feed, Threads, Bluesky, and Twitter/X, including email subscriptions. Thank you in advance.
Production Notes/Music Credits:
Song Title: Baddest Gyal
Artist/Performed by: Don Trent
Produced by: De Red Boyz
Written by Jamaal Miller of Seven Flags Creative Group, Tabari Husani Davis of EyeBarEye and Odwin “Don Trent” Trenton
Music composed by Scott Galt and Michael Hulsmeier
Guitar by Barry “Barman” Hill
Bass by: Damien “Nebby” Neblett
Backing vocals by Rochelle Griffith
Mixed by Anthony Lowhar at Commercial Music Inc.
Mastered by Alex Psaroudakis at The Work Shop
Origin: Barbados
Genre: Soca ?
Sokah2Soca—Where the Rhythm Lives and CalypSoca Thrives!
? Listen. Share. Amplify. Our artists embody culture not only during Carnival but on a daily basis.
We present the music here for your listening pleasure and promotional purposes only, adhering to the "Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. Sokah2Soca/Soca Music Blog © 1990 by Santiwah is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-SA/4.0/.
♫ Please click the music player button below to listen now (small triangle in the music player/TV frame).
Is This Chart Helping or Hurting Soca? A Deep Dive into COTT’s Weekly Rankings
By Ananda/Sokah2Soca
in
Blog
June 18, 2025
The content was first published on the blog Sokah2Soca (www.sokah2soca.com). We bring you only the best new music, while Island Vybe Radio rocks it live on the air!
Any effort to chart Soca music is a welcome step toward elevating the genre. Visibility matters, and I’m genuinely glad to see that COTT (Copyright Organization of Trinidad and Tobago) now shares a weekly Top 10 Soca chart. While I applaud the effort to chart the songs, I will boldly voice my concerns about the lack of representation and how they relate to the chart.
But let’s be honest—how a chart is compiled determines its credibility, and that’s where some real concerns arise. Since Carnival went to sleep, it appears that the same songs are changing places on the chart, with a few exceptions. Every Soca music fan should be concerned about this chart, as it does not chart any of the hundreds of songs released for upcoming Caribbean carnivals.
Then there’s the fine print at the bottom of the chart: “Countdown positions are determined by PLAY COUNT, then by Total PLAY TIME (not shown on countdown).”
COTT’s current chart is based solely on “TV & Radio Play.” While it’s understandable that play in fetes, bars, ads, concerts, and competitions is excluded, what’s troubling is that streaming platforms and digital play are also ignored. In today’s music ecosystem, that’s a major omission. Streaming is how most people discover and engage with music—especially globally. Ignoring this means failing to understand the audience's pulse.
Please clarify how those “play counts” are tracked. Does the tracking process include all radio stations? Who decides which songs get spins and how often? Is it the program director? Radio hosts? Or worse—industry politics or favors influencing airtime?
If listener call-ins drive the chart, it serves as a gauge of public interest. But transparency is key. We need to know:
- Are stations self-reporting or is there independent monitoring?
- Is there a standard protocol across all participating stations?
- How are discrepancies handled?
The Soca community deserves greater clarity from COTT regarding the compilation of this chart. Numerous uncertainties currently depend on the legitimacy of this chart, and the Soca community deserves greater clarity.
Let us spread awareness of the Caribbean diaspora's culture.
Our goal is to promote Caribbean culture, musicians, and music producers. We are able to honor and promote the rich sounds and tales of the Caribbean thanks to your support. Together, we can ensure that this rich cultural legacy continues to reach a wider audience and foster creativity and connections. While you should always buy music for sale, you should avoid sharing promotional music because it denies songwriters, producers, and artists important revenue. Please be aware that all of our posts are available online via social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and SoundCloud. We recommend exploring your favorite content on FeedSpot/RSS Feed, Threads, Bluesky, and Twitter/X, including email subscriptions. Thank you in advance.
Production Notes/Music Credits:
Soca Charting: Top 10 Radio Plays
Period: 5th June to 11th June, 2025
Credited to: COTT
Origin: Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
Genre: Soca ?
Sokah2Soca—Where the Rhythm Lives and CalypSoca Thrives!
? Listen. Share. Amplify. Our artists embody culture not only during Carnival but on a daily basis.
We present the music here for your listening pleasure and promotional purposes only, adhering to the "Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. Sokah2Soca/Soca Music Blog © 1990 by Santiwah is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-SA/4.0/.
♫ Please click the music player button below to listen now (small triangle in the music player/TV frame).
