An Historical and Lyrical Analysis of St. Lucian Soca Ekeama Sharon Goddard-Scovel Purdue University
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Purdue University Purdue e-Pubs Open Access Dissertations Theses and Dissertations January 2016 Functions of Gender in Soca: An Historical and Lyrical Analysis of St. Lucian Soca Ekeama Sharon Goddard-Scovel Purdue University Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations Recommended Citation Goddard-Scovel, Ekeama Sharon, "Functions of Gender in Soca: An Historical and Lyrical Analysis of St. Lucian Soca" (2016). Open Access Dissertations. 1470. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/1470 This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. Graduate School Form 30 Updated PURDUE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL Thesis/Dissertation Acceptance This is to certify that the thesis/dissertation prepared By Ekeama S. Goddard-Scovel Entitled Functions of Gender in Soca: An Historical and Lyrical Analysis of St. Lucian Soca For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Is approved by the final examining committee: Alfred J. Lopez Chair Shaun F. D. Hughes Aparijita Sagar Marlo D. David To the best of my knowledge and as understood by the student in the Thesis/Dissertation Agreement, Publication Delay, and Certification Disclaimer (Graduate School Form 32), this thesis/dissertation adheres to the provisions of Purdue University’s “Policy of Integrity in Research” and the use of copyright material. Approved by Major Professor(s): Alfred J. Lopez Approved by: Krista L. Ratcliffe 6/24/2016 Head of the Departmental Graduate Program Date i FUNCTIONS OF GENDER IN SOCA: AN HISTORICAL AND LYRICAL ANALYSIS OF ST. LUCIAN SOCA A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Purdue University by Ekeama S. Goddard-Scovel In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2016 Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Throughout the arduous process of disillusionment and discovery which led to completing my Ph.D., many individuals and institutions aided my advancement. I am grateful to my chair, Professor Alfred J. Lopéz, whose invaluable guidance and belief in this project enabled me to continue even when sources proved hard to find. The other members of my committee, Professor Shaun F. D. Hughes, Professor Aparajita Sagar and Professor Marlo D. David, also aided my progress with helpful suggestions and encouraging discussions. Several others played supportive roles in non-academic ways. Chief among them was my husband, Eric Goddard-Scovel, who kept me grounded throughout this process. My parents Patricia and George Goddard listened patiently and commiserated when I ranted, raved and struggled to complete this project. They also provided a sounding board for my ideas and proffered relevant information and suggestions which helped shape this dissertation. Ann-Marie Simmonds also provided more immediate feedback in the early stages of this dissertation as we worked together at Kaydee’s Coffee shop. Avril Emanus was a source of invaluable information, discussion and access to the behind-the-scenes of one of St. Lucia’s calypso tents, as well as to some of the calypsonians highlighted in this dissertation. Special thanks must also be given to the following organizations, associations, and institutions: Take Over Tent (TOT), The St. Lucia Folk Research Centre, The National Archives Authority of St. Lucia, Radio St. iii Lucia and Purdue University’s Caribbean Student Association. Other individuals without whom this dissertation would have been impossible are: Cecil “Charlo” Charles (TOT manager), Allan “Striker” Hippolyte (host of “Talking Calypso”), Lorna LeBrun (influential calypso personality), Cyril Felix (sobriquet Get Through, and TOT founder), Agnes Lewis (sobriquet Black Pearl), Frances Marileen Baptiste (sobriquet Lady Leen) and Fitzroy Leon (sobriquet Bingo). iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... vi ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... vii INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 Talking Calypso Music: A Brief History of Trinidadian Carnival ...............................6 Short History of Trinidadian Popular Music: Calypso ...............................................10 "Working for the Yankee Dollar": Calypso in the United States ...............................14 St. Lucian Popular Music ...........................................................................................19 Trinidad as Calypso’s Trendsetter ..............................................................................25 The Creation and Rise of Soca: Trinidad and St. Lucia .............................................26 Soca and Technology = Female Commodification ....................................................32 Constraints of this Dissertation ..................................................................................36 Chapter Overview .......................................................................................................36 CHAPTER 1. THE RISE OF CARNIVAL AND CALYPSO IN ST. LUCIA ............. 39 Introduction ................................................................................................................39 Carnival in St. Lucia ...................................................................................................44 The Unlikely Link between St. Lucian Carnival, Queen Show and Calypso Music ..........................................................................................................................57 Calypso Separates from the Carnival Queen Show ....................................................76 History of St. Lucia’s Calypso ...................................................................................81 Federation/Independence/Neoliberalism ....................................................................89 Conclusion ................................................................................................................101 CHAPTER 2. LANGUAGE AND GENDER POWER PLAYS IN ST. LUCIA ........ 104 Introduction ..............................................................................................................104 v Page Music in St. Lucia .....................................................................................................105 Feminism and Carnival Musics ................................................................................111 Transnational Popular Music and Women ...............................................................113 Scholarship on Lyrical Content of Calypso ..............................................................121 History of St. Lucian Calypso ..................................................................................122 Women in Carnival Musics’s Lyrics ........................................................................129 Soca in St. Lucia .......................................................................................................141 Conclusion ................................................................................................................146 CHAPTER 3. THE RISE OF WOMEN IN ST. LUCIAN SOCA ............................... 150 Introduction ..............................................................................................................150 Black Pearl ................................................................................................................154 Gender Representation in Calypso/Soca ..................................................................171 Nicole David .............................................................................................................175 Q-Pid .........................................................................................................................191 Conclusion ................................................................................................................213 CHAPTER 4. LYRICALLY SPEAKING – SOCA AND WOMEN .......................... 217 Introduction ..............................................................................................................217 Soca Instruction, Smut and Gender ..........................................................................221 Soca Instruction of the 21st Century: Smutty Instruction .........................................237 Shifting to Direct Sexual Discourse .........................................................................251 Conclusion ................................................................................................................259 CONCLUSION: “WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE, SOMEBODY TELL ME” .... 261 WORKS CITED ............................................................................................................. 269 VITA ............................................................................................................................... 282 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure ............................................................................................................................. Page 1: St. Lucia's Carnival Queens (1957) .............................................................................. 62 2: Trinidadian Lord Brynner (1966) ................................................................................