Words by Jesse Serwer—
The 13-minute-long clip for Machel Montano and Trini band Freetown Collective‘s “Represent (Remix)” is definitely not your typical soca video. As much of a short film as it is a music video, the visuals are a continuation of God Loves the Fighter (read our story about it here), director Damian Marcano’s upcoming movie set against Port of Spain’s criminal underworld. And, though the song has a soca riddim, it’s message is a cultural one more typical of reggae.
“Represent” features a pair of characters from God Loves the Fighter, “Dirk” and “Chicken,” as they try to generate income handing out flyers for a carnival fete thrown by a neighborhood bossman. The pre-teen hustlers’ travels take them throughout Port of Spain, and ultimately to a mas camp gearing up for carnival, setting up the performance closes out the video. The end result is definitely a step forward for soca, not a genre known for videos with complex storylines.
Watch “Represent” below, and see the trailer for God Loves the Fighter here.