TT, Dominica team up on Dwivayèz riddim

WITH his contribution Overproof, Trinidadian artist Tevin Hartman has joined a list of young, notable Dominican acts on the soca-inspired Dwivayèz Riddim produced by ProducerDlo (Dylan Lowe) and Savion Beats (Savion Augustine), both from Dominica.

Hartman, who was connected to Dlo through fellow Trini and 2020 Groovy Soca Monarch winner College Boy Jesse, says he was drawn to the combination of tones and instruments in the production.

In a media release he said, “In Trinidad we say we love 'sweet' music, music that encourages you to hold your partner and dance. When I heard the production, I got that same vision from it, and I was like yeah, I had to do something on this.”

He said he had always wanted to work with others from outside TT.

“I am grateful for the opportunity for collaborating with somebody from another island, because I always wanted, in the industry, to venture and work with people outside the country, and I must say it was a great, great, first opportunity. I really try to put my best foot forward, especially since I am the first artist out of Trinidad that Dlo has worked with.”

In the French Creole spoken in Dominica, a former French colony, dwivé means to lime or wander aimlessly, known as "dreevay" in TT. A dwivayèz is someone who is liming or aimlessly wandering. The name is therefore rather fitting for feters, who follow the sweet sounds of soca from one party to the next, the release said.

Due to being at home because of quarantine and lockdown measures at the early onset of the covid19 pandemic, Dlo and Savion thought it only fitting to name the groovy beat the Dwivayèz riddim, because as Dlo says, "At the time, the riddim felt like, 'Take me out my house and bring me anywhere to party.'”

The release said TT radio stations have been showing the song some love and Hartman says he is heartened to see the feedback that it is receiving.

“The reception has been really, really nice. People have been loving and giving the opportunity for the production to be heard across all stations and all ears, and it’s nice to see all the work put into the song being realised.”

Dlo is hopeful that this project with Hartman will be the start of many more collaborations with him and other TT talents. Hartman, too, is looking forward to further projects with Dlo and Savion Beats.

Regionally, Jamaican acts Kahsion, Mahrgrade and Krytical were featured on Dlo’s Better Days riddim, which was released last year. The release said that for 2021, he has many other collaborations with international acts in the works planned for release.

Savion has also worked with noted artists outside of Dominica. A two-time RIAA Gold Certified producer, he is currently working on projects for international acts Sean Kingston, YNW Melly and more.

The other artists on the Dwivayèz Riddim are Starsha –System Failure; Shelly –Happy Place; Trilla G –Déliway; and Zwady featuring Fireman Lee – Down Dere.

Two official videos have been released so far, for the songs System Failure and Happy Place.