Top ten Carnival songs

It's Carnival time and soca music is playing all around you. You can hear it from your neighbourhood DJ as he selects his possible mixes. The teenager at home preparing for a dance routine at their school's Carnival concert. You might even hear the music from a boy who has mounted speakers on his bicycle and blasts it while riding.

Of course the music is in ads, most of the radio stations have increased their soca playlist. For this reason Newsday has created its own top ten releases for the Carnival season with some honourable mentions. The listing is about what seems to be popular to the general public outside of radio playlists. Newsday isn't affiliated with any radio or TV station and has no horse in the race.

The criteria used to decide what made the top ten were as follows:

A compilation by 94.1 music director D Ultimate DJ Shane.

He is frequently asked by other entertainment stakeholders to compile the same. He used crowd reaction at fetes and requests made by listeners on the radio to compile his list. He is also has his Reggae Riders show, which he teams up with host Gail Ann Perrotte. He submitted two reports. One at the end of January and the other one week into February. In both, Bunji Garlin's Hard Fete remained on top while Long Live Soca by Voice and Come Home by Nailah Blackman & Skinny Fabulous remained steady in the top five space. Drink and Party (DAP) by Ding Dong fell from second spot to sixth. Like Yuhself by Patrice Roberts and Machel Montano which wasn't even in the top ten shot up to second spot by the second week. Olatunji's Engine Room moved up one spot from sixth to fifth. Mental Day (Spirit of Carnival Riddim) by Kes, moved into the top ten by week two.

Online survey

A random survey on social media showed that Mental Day, Engine Room, Hard Fete, Like Yuh Self and Lyrikal-Look Back held the top spots while Fay Ann Lyons' Upgrade Yuh Man made a debut at seven.

Trinidad Killa – Trailer Jam Riddim, Mical Teja – Hall of Fame and DAP all tied for the tenth spot.

Physical count

Physical counts were taken from motorists, music street vendors and random samples from pedestrians.

Engine Room, Hard Fete, Spirit of Carnival Riddim controlled the top spots while Young Bredda and College Boy Jesse made their list debut with a remix of Doctor Cassandra by the Mighty Gabby. Trinidad Killa also made the cut with Right Down at the tenth spot

Downloads

According to Apple Music Top 100 TT songs for 2023, Come Home leads the way. Within the two-week period the song moved both upward and downward in ranking. Only Engine Room had an upward movement. Jub Jub by Kes and Shake the Place by Machel and Destra were the new kids on the block.

Online Views

Come Home and DAP held the top two spots while Look Back brought up the rear at ten.

While not many 2023 releases were used by steelband orchestras during competition. Long Live Soca topped the listing. Honourable mentions for Mash Up by Blaxx and Bun Dem by Stalin. While both songs don't qualify for this ranking, they were played the most by bands ranging from the primary school to the large conventional band. While some songs held the top spots in many one or two of the polls, they didn't do as great in others. Engine Room was the only song that rose steadily throughout the period and didn't drop ranking in any of the categories.

A small sample was also taken from the soca chutney/chutney genre.

Top ten songs for Carnival 2023

1. Olatunji: Engine Room

2. Voice: Long Live Soca

3. Nailah Blackman and Skinny Fabulous: Come Home

4. Bunji Garlin: Hard Fete

5. Patrice Roberts & Machel Montano:Like Yuhself

6. Kes: Mental Day

7.Lyrikal x Boogy Ranks:Look Back

8 Mical Teja: Hall of Fame

9. Ding Dong: Drink and Party

10. Kes: Jub Jub

Top four soca chutney/chutney songs for 2023

1 Anil Bheem: The Indian Anthem

2. Gi & Viking Din Dong: 10 Wheeler

3. Ravi B & Tempa: Chutney Steam

3. Daddy Chinee X Hemlata Dindial: We Are One