Music of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
| Music of The Anglophone Caribbean | |
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| Regional music | |
| Local forms | |
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The music of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines includes thriving music scenes based on Big Drum, calypso, soca, steelpan and also reggae. String band music, quadrille, bélé music and traditional storytelling are also popular.
Soca is a form of dance music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from calypso music. It originally combined the melodic lilting sound of calypso with insistent percussion (which is often electronic in recent music) and local chutney music. Soca music has evolved in the last 20 years primarily by musicians from Trinidad, Guyana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, some bands from Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Haiti, Jamaica and the Lesser Antilles.
The nickname of the Trinidad and Tobago national football team, the Soca Warriors, refers to this musical genre.
Big drum music is performed throughout the Windward Islands and is especially known in Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. The drums are traditionally made from tree trunks, but are more often made from rum kegs now. The socially aware or satirical lyrics are usually performed by a female singer called a chantwell, and is accompanied by dancers in colorful skirts and headdresses. Big Drum is commonly performed at weddings and other celebrations, especially the launches of boats.
Calypso, with its satirical and socio-political lyrics, was developed in the 18th century as a fusion of African and French music styles. It eventually accompanied the rise of steelpan music. Steelpan were imported to Saint Vincent quickly. Calypso's political lyrics have continued to be an important part of the genre. In 1984, a Vincentian musician named Becket released a song called "Horne fuh dem", which helped defeat the ruling party in that year's election.
The Carnival is the biggest holiday in Saint Vincent. It is held in the last week of June and the first of July, and is known on the islands as Vincy mas. Festivities include calypso, soca and steelpan performances, many of them in large, competitive formats.
Other holidays with musical components include the Christmas celebrations, which occur beginning on December 15 and include carolling, concerts and bicycle races. Union Island holds an annual calypso competition, as well as the Big Drum Festival.
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