T&T get ready! An Arima native plans on making a big breakthrough on the soca scene, in C2K12.
A calypsonion for the past 17 years, 28-year-old Hammond Bruce knows the ups and downs of the local entertainment industry. He understands that the calypso genre holds fast to its rules and regulations, and is often stern in implementing such regulations that a high standard may be maintained. He said he is now about to dive head first into the soca industry, and it's not because he doesn't like calypso anymore. He just feels there are less restrictions when it comes to writing and producing soca music.
Learning music inside out
Next year Bruce plans to be among the stars of the soca industry, and disclosed that he just might dabble in the chutney arena, as he believes he has got what it takes to take on artistes in that genre as well. A former finalist in the Junior Calypso Monarch competition and young composer's competition, the Costaatt student is pursuing a BA in Music. Within the curriculum, he said he is being exposed to music production, which he knows will give him an edge when it comes to the final sound of his music. On September 24 the young enthusiast will release his first single ahead of Carnival. "The song is called Letter To My Lover-it's a groovy soca," he highlighted, adding that while he will be getting his foot wet in the soca market, he will not turn his back on his calypso roots.
Dougla Trini Style
Describing his style as a "Dougla-Trini" style, Bruce said his voice usually sounds like that of an East Indian when he sings, but coupled with African beats and soulful rhythms, his music is quite enjoyable. With a vibe and style that he is certain will excite many, the young entertainer said he aimed to be the Bob Marley of Soca. "I don't think many of the soca artistes have the correct formula to make that happen. They don't have the right beats, melody, style-it's a whole package," he asserted confidently, adding that while he strives to be that person to take the music to an international level, even if he doesn't, he is sure that his style and structure may inspire others to get the job done.
Love what's Trini
With tremendous respect for the man who created the soca genre, Ras Shorty I, Bruce said he wanted to achieve the vision that Shorty had for soca music. "You can't know where you're going if you don't know where you came from. We have to know our roots to know where we're going," he said. He called on the people of T&T to show more appreciation for the music of the island, arguing that if the nationals of the country don't show love for the music, no one else could be expected to. "I also want artistes to be patriotic about what they are doing. We emulate the Jamaicans and Americans too much. I'm not saying that we can't listen to them but we shouldn't strive for our music to sound like theirs. We need to be ourselves," he said. With plans to release music that can be listened to throughout the year, Bruce pointed out that one main mistake that made much of the music seasonal, was the use of dates and locations in T&T, to which a non-local audience may not be able to relate. He said that while US artistes can get away with singing about New York and Atlanta because of the familiarity of those places to many around the world, T&T's artistes won't get away with singing about Arima and La Horquetta.
