Adesh Samaroo can be credited for the emergence of the chutney soca genre. In 2002, his hit, Rum Till I Die signalled the start of the genre's now prolific existence. These days, he quietly muses over the evolution of chutney soca, which has happened in merely eight years. "I'm not condemning what's being recorded today, but it is not chutney soca," he said. Samaroo said a lot of what was being produced these days, was taken from Bollywood film songs. "They taking out the lyrics, stealing the melody and putting English into it and saying it's chutney soca, and at the end of the day it is not."
He said chutney was fast paced, and so was soca. As a result, he said, the slow music that artistes were bringing forward, could never amount to real chutney soca. Maintaining that he has no qualms over the production of such music, the artiste, who in 2004 walked away with the National Chutney Monarch title, feels the name of the genre should be adjusted to suit. "If they're using half of Bollywood with English terms, we should call it bollyney or chutwood. As a matter of fact, I am working on a bollyney or a chutwood track for 2011," he laughed.
A passion for parang
Following a near fatal accident in 2005, Samaroo is back on the grind. He said he refused to be left out of the race and insisted he too would lend his voice to the new genre. Before the revelation of that, however, he said his love for the Christmas season took precedence. "I have a new soca parang called, Christmas Without Santa." He said he wrote the lyrics and recorded the song at SM Studio, and credited Ronnie Kalicharan and the members of his parang band for the melody. His fourth such contribution to the local Christmas landscape, Samaroo admitted that while he liked Carnival, he preferred Christmas. "I wish Christmas could come twice a year," he said, adding that he performed at many functions overseas during the season. "I have a ten-year contract for Christmas in Brooklyn, and a five-year contract for performances in Miami. They will both end in 2013. The new song speaks of these two States because of my ties to them."
Giving back on Boxing Day
Beyond the shows outside of T&T, however, Samaroo said Boxing Day meant a lot to him. "For the past seven years on Boxing Day, I always do 1,000 toy bags and distribute to children from Dinsley, Tacarigua, to as far as Spring Village, Valsayn." Samaroo said he had music trucks while on route, and was always happy to give back in this way. The artiste admitted, though, he was in the process of cleaning up for Divali celebrations. "I am a Hindu. I observe all the religious rituals but I do love Christmas. I play soothing Christmas music whenever I feel, even in May," explained the hit-maker.
Identify yourselves
On the issue of the local entertainment industry, Samaroo said in the near future he hoped to see the name of an artiste who sang music of an authentic local genre, attached to an international record label. "I support everyone, but I want the younger artistes, the ones who came out even five years ago, to know that they should show some sort of creativity and professionalism when it comes to their music. "They need to stop piggybacking off the styles and lyrics sung by other artistes." He said just as Shurwayne Winchester was known as the Iron Man, Bunji Garlin as the Fireman, and Machel Montano as the Madman, younger artistes needed to craft their own identities.
Saluting chutney soca artiste, Hitman, Samaroo said, "Hitman still has the traditional chutney style in him, and he does both chutney soca and bollyney. "I don't want the culture to die and leave us. We have to be versatile so we can easily fit into any arena." Hopeful that chutney soca would continue to receive the love and support of thousands around the world, Adesh Samarro highlighted that Government must assist not only from a financial standpoint, but also with the promotion of the art form. This he believes is the only way, T&T will obtain the recognition deserved.