Simbaarley releases new soca

Nathaniel “Simbaarley” Seun Rivet-Leigertwood, 24, sees soca’s endless possibilities. For some, the covid19 pandemic has upended the entertainment industry but he sees this as the perfect opportunity to take soca to new levels.

And for him it first starts with broadening the topics often addressed in soca music.

“We have been in such a time for so long where you would have artistes who would release soca for Carnival. We have songs for the road and songs for different Carnivals.”

He learned that music cannot be made for Carnival alone.

“If you want to look at soca for what it is – the way bashment, dancehall and R&B and hip hop – is all a genre in its own right, we need to get into a way where we are not just releasing soca music for Carnival.”

He said artistes like Kerwin Du Bois and Erphaan Alves were doing that brilliantly.

“It just needs more of us to jump on board to make that possible.”

And he has jumped on with new releases for 2021 like Big People Bacchanal.

The song was produced by Kyle Phillips of Badjohn Republic and KMP Music Labs and it was recorded at Smash Productions Studios in London.

The UK artiste got his Caribbean roots and love for soca from his half-Antiguan, half-Vincentian father, Muriu Leigertwood. He cited his father as one of his biggest inspirations and his songs are first vetted by him before he releases them.

“My father is the reason I love soca,” he said.

Simbaarley is first a performing artist and he sings, dances and acts.

“I teach musical theatre to university and college degree students. Performing arts is something I have been a part of for a very long time. It has been my passion for the longest time…”

When he married his love for the performing arts with his love for soca he had an epiphany: soca was something he was meant to do.

Simbaarley met another soca artiste called Batch who took him into a studio in north London where he recorded his first track called I Doh Care in 2019.

“Then from there I gradually started to perform more. I have only been in the game for a year. It was an interesting transition from being a feter/masquerader to becoming an artist.

“With covid and lockdown, it kind of put things into perspective for me. So I started to network more even though we are at this covid time.”

His debut single was an immediate hit in the UK soca scene, a release said.

Subsequent tracks Intellectual Wine and My Island were equally well received, it added.

The release said Simbaarley is known for his versatility and experimentation with style. It added that he now joins an army of UK soca artists such as Triniboi Joocie, Batch, Ms Desire, all of whom are triumphantly pushing this genre of music in the UK.

He knows that social media is a powerful platform and has used this to his advantage by “getting in contact with the right people, different people and different artistes” he’d listen to as a fan.

Simbaarley said it really took off for him when he met one of his favourite soca artistes called Prince Pronto.

“Pronto kind of ended up taking me under his wing and showing me different techniques on how to record and finding inspiration with me.”

Now, he and Pronto are working on projects together.

A teacher at the UK’s Chicken Shed Theatre – a theatre space in a former shed, offering drama, music performances and children’s shows has taught Simbaarley how to cater to everyone’s different learning styles and abilities.

He believes this gives him an advantage in the soca industry.

Soca has been there for him in the darkest times of his life.

“When people say soca music is life changing. It really is. It changed my life from listening to artistes like Kees, Kerwin, Machel, GBM, Nadia. Listening to people that have created a movement and that allows you to bring up your spirits in really dark moments of your life.

“It really does change a person. Carnival is the one time you can say, ‘I know I can be. I know I can just enjoy my culture for what it is and not having to hold back or tone myself down.’”

For him, it is a movement, an expression and more than music.

He hopes to come to TT after lockdown as he has never been here.