Words by Marcha M. Johnson
When it comes to soca, Trinidad and Barbados tend to reign supreme. So when a track out of St Lucia crosses over into the airwaves and DJ set lists in other major island territories, it’s a feat worth mentioning.
Teddyson John’s “Allez” is a quintessential feelgood song. A deviation from the celebrations of sexuality and drunkenness typical of today’s soca, John sings a different tune, motivating partygoers to pick themselves up in times of adversity, and celebrate their emotional and spiritual strength. The song’s visuals are just as uplifting, as John taps the talent of his community’s youth to generate colorful, innocent images of blissful revelry. The video is a cultural spectacle, as St. Lucia’s lifestyle and architecture serves as a backdrop to John’s performance, with camerawork that adds complexity to the simple choreography and landscape.
So far, the single has met with positive feedback, predicted as a worthy contender for soca monarch titles, and has even spawned its own dance craze. Not only is “Allez” diversifying your soca playlist, but it re-affirms for us that soca and Carnival is not just about misbehaving, and that it’s a season rooted in solidarity.