ALISON HINDS as part of Barbados On The Water at Harbourfront Centre’s Concert Stage (235 Queens Quay West), Saturday (May 28), 10 pm. Free. harbourfrontcentre.com. See listing.
When Alison Hinds played Harbourfront Centre’s Island Soul festival last year, so many people attended that you could barely get near the stage. The Barbadian singer, aka the Queen of Soca, is a legend in Caribbean music, so expect more of the same when she lands in Toronto for Barbados On The Water, a celebration of the island nation’s 50 years of independence.
Hinds talked to NOW ahead of her Saturday show.
How has the scene changed since you started out in the late 80s?
There’s a lot more cross-pollination between soca and other genres like reggae, Afro-pop, EDM and others. Because of this, soca has gotten into some mainstream and non-traditional markets that otherwise wouldn’t have heard this amazing, infectious, happy music. We’ve been able to stay true to the essence of who we are through our music, and we are gradually introducing the world to it.
Even though we have made some steps forward musically, it’s still not a fully recognized genre, and the bottom line – our sales – does not reflect how popular our music really is. More still needs to be done to promote and market the music itself as a product of the Caribbean region and not just individual islands alone.
What has 50 years of independence in Barbados meant to you, and how has it impacted your life and community in small and big ways?
It means as a country we’ve been able to stand up for and govern ourselves to a certain level of success. Although it’s far from perfect, we’re still up to the job and we will continue to fight for our place in the world.
On a personal level, I feel the pride of being able to represent this small island in big ways all over the world. Within the community I see people starting their own businesses and wanting to be independent in their own right and trying their best to make that happen.
I’d like to see more patriotism in Barbados, though, especially among the younger ones, but in saying that, we as the adults need to step up and lead by example. Long gone are the days of “Do as I say, not as I do.” We have to be willing to show our pride in our nation, and the kids will get it.
carlag@nowtoronto.com | @carlagillis
