"They thief, they thief, we want to see the score sheet," and so it goes every year, the cry echoes across pan yards and social media platforms: “They thief meh band!”  Today, the pride of South Trinidad Radio and culture warriors radio station, WACK Visual Radio, boldly declared that Skiffle had won the 2025 Panorama competition. Comments in the shout box and from callers support the claim that Kenny Phillips, the radio presenter and WACK head, made. Regrettably, this declaration has turned into a cry of disappointment, a hasty response that frequently stems more from personal allegiances than from the actual judging criteria. They all know better, and Kenny, of all people—a music producer and "culture warrior"—knows better! In the 2025 Large Conventional Steelband competition, the narrative is no different... bush judges proclaimed winners—ahem, all wrong! Some supporters remain adamant—Skiffle was the true champion. But let’s strip away emotions and look at the facts.

 

 

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/.

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!

 

New music keeps coming, and keeping up with all the songs from across the Caribbean basin is no simple task. However, on our sidebar we have "New Soca 2025," where we showcase all the new music via a YouTube player. We also curate posts that highlight songs offering a refreshing change. Today, we feature a song released for Vincy Mas by Kendel Burke, also known as 'Chow Minister.' This song caught my attention because it embodies pure carnival spirit in musical form! The album "New Horizon Riddim" includes the track "This is Carnival." If you haven't had the chance to listen yet, I highly recommend giving it a play. Trust me, vibes cyah done!

So what stands out with this song? Well, we love what we call the 'musical flow'; some may call it the vibe of the song. We all know that it means capturing the music's essence, atmosphere, and rhythm, and this song has it all! Now, while the pace of the song is closer to the Power Soca side of Soca, we believe that the BPM catches the spirit and flow of a true carnival vibe and should become a winner for every Soca music lover. 

Good music without meaningful lyrical content is just noise to a beat! The songwriter crafted this song to provide you with lyrical content that perfectly complements the musical vibe. The song isn't just about the spirit of carnival; it paints a vivid picture that you can 'see as you listen to the song.' It's wonderful when the lyrical content and music and vocal delivery make you feel the excitement of mas, the revelry—every element that makes carnival the euphoric experience we know and love. The song instantly transports you to the midst of a jump-up, with flags waving, sweat dripping, and rhythm taking over.

The vocals capture the listener; after all, Chow Minister has been immersed in the culture since childhood, and as reported in an interview with AnnSVG, he stated, "Dancing behind prominent local artists like Skinny Fabulous and Zola was thrilling, but music was always in his blood."

DJ Jeanie deserves recognition for the music recording, while all production credit goes to IanMusic. HunttaFlow Productions contributed the final touches to enhance the overall flow. Great job, everyone!

So what is our final verdict? Without a doubt, we really like the song. We could have chosen one of many releases today for posting, but this one, as mentioned at the beginning, caught our attention. The track is the kind of song that will have masqueraders chipping down the road, hands in the air, feeling that carnival spirit deep in their soul. It’s not too fast, not too slow—it makes you want to carry the vibes from sunup to sundown.

The Vincys (don't start that conversation with the Trinis, OK) love to boast that they have the best carnival in the Caribbean and Saint Vincent & The Grenadines has been consistently delivering fire soca, and the Chow Minister is keeping that energy alive. If you haven't listened yet, fix that now! Get ready to soak up the vibes, because this season is carnival! We know that you will add this song to your playlist and have it on rewind... enjoy the vibes!

Let us spread awareness of the Caribbean diaspora's culture.

 

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/.

 

 

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/.

 

 

 

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/.