St Croix’s Adam O - "Warming Up" in soca

THE Caribbean region is bonded by many things beyond geographical space, soca is one of them.

For the 32-year-old Crucian (someone from St Croix, US Virgin Islands) soca artiste/songwriter Adam “Adam O” O’Neal the covid19 pandemic has done a lot to widen the Caribbean’s sound.

He believes that because of the pandemic a lot more people are spending time on their phones and digital devices, craving more and more content. This creates an opportunity for more of the region’s artistes to be heard.

His song Warming Up is currently gaining popularity in TT. He also has Far Away on DJ Private Ryan’s Sunkissed Shores riddim. His I Need is also on the Cabana Riddim which features Preedy and Ricardo Drue and Patrice Roberts among others.

His Fresh Bless is on the Daruma rididm with Nadia Batson and others.

He views the growing need for more content as a good thing.

“And I feel like that is a good thing for the people in the small-island circuit... what they like to call this territory like Antigua, St Kitts, Virgin Islands.

“It is allowing our music to be considered when a mix is put together or something to that effect.”

It was a “super blessing” for Adam O being to be asked to be a part of Private Ryan’s Sunkissed Shores riddim.

“Because I have always looked up to Private Ryan and listened to his mixes even when I was deployed and stuff like that...it kept all of us sane.

“So for him to reach out and give me a riddim to be on. He put my song on the beginning of his mix even before it came out. I am like this is crazy.

“It is like you came from zero to 100.”

Adam O spent ten years in the US Marine Corps, doing tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The former marine said soca kept him sane during his time there.

While he has always had a love for music – playing in his high school and church – it was while in the corps that his musicianship developed.

“I did not take music professionally when I was in high school. I just did it for fun.”

He began taking it seriously when he realised the therapeutic effect it had on him. He used it as his coping mechanism in the marine corps.

He has had a general love for music but his love for soca bloomed on one J’Ouvert morning. It was then he realised that he wanted to sing soca and do so professionally.

“It (soca) is something you keep hearing. I think everyone in the Caribbean could probably hum the melody of Hot and Groovy (Militant)...they might not know the words or necessarily go to fetes and parties and stuff like that..I feel Caribbean music is so infectious.

“That we can’t negate or ignore.”

He did his first, professional soca track eight years ago. Adam O was at a friend’s wedding and was asked to sing.

Legendary Virgin Islands musician and producer Alwyn “Daddy Jones” Baptiste Jr heard him and immediately told Adam O to contact him.

He has consistently released music since then.

Soulsoundent.com says, “Adam O’s style of music includes soca, kompa, zouk, and Afro music fused with R&B. He has performed on stages in front of thousands, such as Uber Soca Cruise, House of Blues Orlando, the Hard Rock Live Universal Studios, Atlanta Carnival, Encore Festival (Amsterdam), and Oualichi Festival (Saint Maarten).”

During the Virgin Islands’ carnival he would interact with artistes from TT and the region. Soulsoundent.com says, “He has graced the stage alongside major artists (sic) like Tessanne Chin, Romain Virgo, Mr Eazy, R City, Kes, and Bunji Garlin, just to name a few.”

Because of the growing popularity of Warming Up, many artistes have reached out to him via Instagram including Private Ryan, GBM Nutron, Ricardo Drue.

Carnival in St Croix usually takes place in December/January and everyone knows then that it is Carnival and soca time.

It was, however, a different December last year because people were home but could not do anything. That time taught him to dig deep and he has started writing songs with “different energies.”

But as the world slowly reopens thanks to vaccinations, Adam O plans to bring his brand of soca to TT’s Carnival 2022.

He has not had the pleasure of being at TT’s Carnival yet since in the military, they would come off of a huge Christmas and New Year break and it was difficult to take time in February – when TT’s Carnival celebrations are usually held.

For him, the pandemic has taught many things both good and bad but it has taught Caribbean people to appreciate things more and has musically brought the region that one step closer together.