by Howard Campbell
[NEW YORK] – The popularity of soca and Afro Beats in the Caribbean Diaspora influenced administrators at Tuff Gong Radio on SiriusXM to diversify its programming last year with Soca Afrobeats Mix, a weekly show highlighting the genres.
The genres have been such a hit that Cedella Marley, CEO of Tuff Gong International. So much so that she recently announced the addition of the Tuff Soca and Tuff Beats channels. They debuted on March 25 with a revolving roster of DJs.
Both feature the latest sounds in soca, which originated in Trinidad and Tobago. And, Afro Beats, which has roots in Nigeria.
“The story of three generations of Marley music isn’t properly shared without including the full scope of the music of the Caribbean and African diaspora,” said Cedella Marley.
DJ Jel from Trinidad and Tobago and ZJ Sparks out of Jamaica are principal anchors for Tuff Soca. Ghanaian DJ Brooke Bailey will do main duties for Tuff Beats.
Soca
Soca has a massive following in the West Indian Diaspora. The annual carnival season is massive throughout the Caribbean. But, there are also major events in North America. Including the West Indian Day Parade in New York City and Caribana in Canada.
Afro Beats
Afro Beats is a spinoff of Afro Beat, a horn-hooked, percussive sound that emerged in Nigeria during the 1970’s thanks to the genius of multi-instrumentalist and singer Fela Kuti. As a result, Afro Beats is one of the music industry’s trendiest genres. There are albums and songs by acts like WizKid, Burna Boy and Stonebwoy selling strongly in Europe and North America.
