Last year I heard a song called Sweetness on a compilation with Swedish reggae by Partillo. The compilation was called; Högre Standard (Higher Standard) and had Partillo's production with most of the Swedish reggae artists. I really liked the tune, but it never cross my mind as Soca.
Later on I heard Fly Away with Machel Montano and Collie Budz, and wait a minute, I'd heard this before. I looked up the tune Sweetness with Joey and realized it was the same riddim! A Swedish producer doing track for the super star of Soca! How did this happen?
Well a bit later in the Trinidad carnival season Partillo releasing the same riddim with new cuts. I contacted Partillo to ask a couple questions:
1. How did you come up with the riddim?
Did you have any artist in mind?
Partillo: As usual I had an idea in my head, sometimes inspired by a tune on the radio or the club, but most of the time
just some harmonies dancing around in my head.
Didnt have any artist in mind eccept that I knew that I probably would get a good tune out of this one.
It was just the feeling I got, cause that melody and beat got me hooked on my own riddim hahaha! still keeps me dancing after 3 years (!!!). Yes, its actually been 3 years since I built it.
I gave the riddim to Joey Fever and some other artists in Sweden, and BOOM, Joey did the Sweetness tune which was an instant hit on the radio and clubs.
2. I have heard the tune in Rotterdam carnival, Trinidad and all over, where you surprised by the success of the cut with Machel and Collie Buds got?
P: I was very happy to see the riddim get that attention, but not very surprised, cause with a combination with a vetaran like Machel and the hitmaker Collie Buddz nothing can go wrong. right?!
I actually met Collie Buddz on a gig in Sweden and gave him the riddim, didnt expect anything, and then after some months I got to hear this tune.
I was actually a bit surprised to hear 2 big artists voicing my riddim, but not surprised that it became a hit.
3. When i first heard it with Joey Fever on Högre Standard i thought of it as a dancehall riddim. Do you think of it a soca or dancehall riddim?
P: I see myself as a reggae/dancehall producer and musician, but soca has also been inspiring me since I visited Barbados in 2003.
When I did the riddim it was ment to be for my dancehall artists and I actually didnt think of it as soca, even though I do soca and
afrobeat inspired music as well.
I must say that Im really glad that many people see it as soca music, cause music should not have rules, its just music and everyone
have their own interpretataion. And because of that, the music spread even more.
4. Whats your impression of soca music?
P: My first real date with soca music was at a show with Square One, here in Sweden, by 1999 or 2000 i think.
I was so amazed that the vocalist (Alison Hinds) got the whole crowd dancing from left to right, back and forth.
Me and my peeps hardly managed to keep ut with the tempo haha. But it was fun! When I went to Barbados, by 2003, we really tried to
get a glimse of the culture so we attended many dances. The difference between dancehall and soca are not that big so it
was kind of easy to adapt. I must say I love it, even if I still cant keep up with that high tempo.
5. Are you promoting it towards tnt carnival?
P: Me and my lable Tunesberg records have been reasoning about it,
but since we just released the album we havent started to promote it towards the carnival yet.
When it comes to soca I must say that I dont have too much connections.
So its up to YOU guys at Soca Revolution to help me out on this one;)
5. Whats your follow up gonna be on this style of music?
P: I got some different types of riddims comin up this year, one heavy dancehall bashment, one ska riddim and one roots riddim.
But THIS style of music, oh I have many ideas in mind, musically, just wait and see.
Cannot promise You any hit song cause music have to come natural, there aint no mathematic rules to make a hit, or maybe there is, gonna try to find that out ;)
Press release:
Finally it´s here!
We are proud to present the release of Perfect Harmony riddim vol1.
The riddim is produced by swedish Partillo and got attention when
Machel Montano and Collie Buddz came out with the song Fly Away.
We are releasing the riddim in two volumes, starting with vol1.
The first release contains artists such as Machel Montano, Collie Buddz,
Joey Fever and many more.
The album is available in online stores such as iTunes and more!
http://itunes.apple.com/no/album/perfect-harmony-riddim-vol-1/id418316953
We also put up a promotion mix including all the songs on the album.
Check it out here:
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