Soca Chronicles
Soca Chronicles
Phone Down and Free Up: The Soca Sexualization Dilemma
Sharnz and Arkayo welcome guest Jhelisa for a thought-provoking discussion about the over-sexualization of Soca and how modern technology is changing carnival culture.
• Carnival season updates: St. Lucia Carnival coming up, Vincy Mas results announced with Problem Child taking first place
• Sharnz will be attending both St. Lucia Carnival and Crop Over in Barbados
• Both hosts will be at Antilliaanse Feesten in August
• Song of the month: "Whale Fu See" by OG Park and Rom Lod from Vincy
• Discussion on the cultural misunderstanding of wining through Western eyes
• Evolution of carnival costumes becoming increasingly revealing over time
• How constant recording and cameras at events prevent people from truly "freeing up"
• Safety concerns for women at events and the importance of consent regardless of clothing
• New trend of phone-free events like "Do Not Disturb" and "Blackout Soca" in London
• The importance of educating newcomers about the history and culture behind carnival
Check out Blackout Soca on September 13th in London – a phone-free event where you can truly free up without worrying about cameras.
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@thearkayo
@soca_chronicles
www.socachronicles.com
Sponsored by:
www.acesir.com
Welcome to the Sokka Chronicles. Sokka Chronicles with Sharns and RKO.
Arkayo:Welcome to the 47th episode of Sokka Chronicles, the podcast that brings you everything Sokka. I'm RKO and I'm digitally sitting next to the one and only Sharns.
Sharnz:Yo, yo, yaga yo.
Arkayo:I like the yaga yo that's. You can keep that, that's not a bad yo this month we're gonna be talking with a good friend of ours about the between brackets over sexualization of soka is there such a thing, or is it actually not as bad? We're gonna find out.
Nytro:We're gonna talk, we're gonna come find out.
Arkayo:We're going to talk, we're going to come up with solutions that are probably impossible to implement, but you know, it is an issue within the Soca scene that we need to discuss Definitely, definitely. Besides that, we are really getting started on the Soca season. The Soca season, sorry, the Carnival season. We have Lucia coming up. We have Vinci behind us Kropova coming up. It's getting hot and steamy.
Song of the month:Hot and steamy.
Arkayo:I am excited. The mixes are dropping left and right. This is a good time to be alive as a Soka enthusiast, so I say we get into it. What do you say, chorns?
Sharnz:Say, aye, let's go.
Intro:Let's go. Soca Chronicles.
Arkayo:And I already said it, carnival season is in full effect, and the first thing that's coming up Is St Lucia Carnival. And I happen to be in a digital studio when one of the two people in that studio is going there oh yeah, I wonder who that could be well, I have to say it's not me, so it only leaves. So yeah, you're going to be off.
Sharnz:Yeah boy. So I am attending St Lucia Carnival For the first time. I mean, I've been to St Lucia before and I had St Lucia Carnival booked Me and RKO had it booked.
Nytro:Everything paid for in 2020.
Sharnz:And that bumper clark Covid came and just. Mashed up everything, literally.
Arkayo:I was so excited. I was looking at my trip to the Petal Mountains, but you know, so it didn't happen.
Sharnz:And five years later I said Bonnet, I'm going, yeah, I'm going. So I sold one kidney and I sold my. What else did I sell? Okay?
Nytro:I just sold my left kidney. I'm sure I said my right kidney before.
Sharnz:But you know the story's changing because I'm telling lies and I can't keep up with my lies but anyway so I worked really really hard and saved my money, yeah yeah there we go, so I will be live and direct in, and then, straight from saint lucia, I am flying to barbados, because you know I never, ever miss crop over. So yeah, boy, I will have lots of stories for you in the next episode of soca chronicles that will be the august edition yes, exactly yeah, something to look forward to for sure, for sure, and vincey mass was beginning of this month.
Arkayo:Yeah, true, big up problem child he Big up Problem Child.
Sharnz:He smashed it. He took first place with Freight Horn, second place with Bum Bum, and then Ezra and Spielberg took third place with Red Button. Three absolute bad, bad, bad, bad songs 100%.
Arkayo:Mashing up parties yeah. It's a good season so far.
Sharnz:There we go, and I will for sure make sure that the St Lucia results and the crop over results are posted on our IG page, so be sure to follow us. Soca underscore chronic girls.
Arkayo:Yes, please.
Sharnz:There we go. But before we get into the song of the month, I am dropping my annual crop over mix, so please keep your eyes peeled for that. By the time you listen to this, that mix will probably already be like two weeks old, or maybe a week old, or something. So yeah, check it out I can't wait yeah.
Nytro:It's got my.
Sharnz:SoundCloud DJ Shans, DJ S H A R N Z, or the link will be in my bio or my Instagram, which is also at DJ S sh a r n z but, yeah, I think that's it for me actually.
Sharnz:You know, I have one more thing to add. So we did mention in the previous episode that I am booked for antillianza feister, which is going to be in august, so I will be reporting, not even I, because rko is going to be there as well. So we are going to be in August, so I will be reporting, not even I, because RKO is going to be there as well.
Sharnz:So we are going to be reporting on that in the next episode. So if you haven't got your ticket already, please grab your tickets. Come and join us because we are going to have an absolute movie. It's the 7th the 8th and the 9th of August. Rko and myself will be down there on the 9th Representing for Soca Chronicles.
Arkayo:Yeah boy.
Sharnz:But yeah, now I'm done.
Arkayo:Yeah, I was going to say I think this episode is the one where Sharon stalks the most so far. So congratulations on that award.
Sharnz:But it is time for music. Yes, please, rko's favorite part.
Arkayo:Yep, 100%. And this song is a Vinci song that has energy.
Sharnz:Energy. Yeah, it's an absolute monster.
Arkayo:Yeah, well, it's an absolute way over song. See what I did there, ah.
Sharnz:Can we just have a moment?
Nytro:of silence For our biggest Terrible joke Because what the hell?
Arkayo:What the hell? The song of the month this month is OG Park and Rom Lod Will Fancy.
Sharnz:Set the sail, set the sail, set the sail Big tune Anyway.
Arkayo:As you can hear, it's one of Sharon's favourites. There we go.
Sharnz:RKO. Drop the song, please and thanks.
Arkayo:Let's go.
Intro:This is the song of the month.
Song of the month:Fancy people Fed up Are selfish. Remember you can't see Will or Arnie's Veil Robbers, captain, selfish. We got him drum, we got him drum, we got him back way. We got channel one Me get whale pussy, whale pussy, whale pussy. We got him drum. We got him drum, we got him back way. We got the union Me get whale pussy, whale pussy, whale pussy. Them Southside girls say them wah, send fee me. Whale Fussy, whale Fussy, whale Fussy, whale Fussy. Them Southside girls say they want send fee me. They say, come my bed with you, go get whale fussy.
Jhelisa:So I jump in a speedboat, me and OG From we touching a the harbour.
Song of the month:It's whale fussy Southside harbour. Friendship Whale Fussy Whale Fussy Christian Whale Fussy Ashton. Whale Fussy Friendship, we are Fussy. We are Fussy. Christian, we are Fussy Ashtan, we are Fussy Pink Sun we are Fussy, we got in town. We got in town. We got in bed. We got in channel one. We got in union. We got in union. We got in union. We got in union. We got in union. We got in union. We got in union, we got in union.
Arkayo:We got. That was our song of the month. And that leaves us to go into our discussion when a lot of I think it was a very interesting discussion, but I don't want to spoil too much, so I say we just go into it.
Sharnz:Yep, let's go.
Intro:Let's go. This is Soca Chronicles.
Arkayo:Welcome to this discussion. We are here today with, of course, Sharns, but also Jelisa. Welcome, Jelisa.
Sharnz:Hello, hello Welcome, welcome, welcome, thank you, dank u wel.
Arkayo:I, I'm gonna start out with a very quick introduction on jelisa. So jelisa is part of our, uh, mine insurance friend group and it's actually a funny story how she entered the group, because I've learned, uh, I've got to know her, uh on a soca event actually, and I think it was my birthday, and she said like, oh, you know, I can pass by if you want. And I was like, yeah, sure, fine, no problem. And then she shows up with two bottles of passion fruit, the kiri.
Arkayo:Now yeah if you know any better way of you know just getting into a vet like that, let me know, because I think this takes a price so far that was epic literally and that's Jalisa Boyer so
Sharnz:welcome to the to the podcast. That's me, yeah, so I have a fantastic first impression of Jalisa, exactly.
Jhelisa:I mean how to make better friends than with alcohol.
Sharnz:I mean exactly this is true this is true absolutely alright and that was
Arkayo:three years for it, I think yeah, minimum, three years, I think, yeah, minimum, I think it's four almost Is it only three years.
Sharnz:It feels longer than that.
Arkayo:Yeah, it feels longer than that?
Jhelisa:Yeah, I think it's three years 2022. Yeah.
Arkayo:Damn.
Sharnz:Oh, fair enough. Time flies Literally, wow, yep, damn.
Arkayo:But that's not what we're talking about today. Today, we are going to talk about a very controversial topic for some and a very annoying topic for others, because it's been brought up so many times. It is the sexualization of the soca scene and the dancing, obviously, in particular so we'll be sharing our opinions.
Arkayo:Obviously, these are all opinions. This is what we think. This is what we've seen. Um, if you have a different opinion or a different view, feel free to share it. If you know we get enough of those different opinions, uh, we're happy to either invite other people to this podcast for a nuanced discussion, um, or just to mention it, maybe the next episode, but you know, this is just a friendly discussion with some you know opinions, so if you have your own, if you want to it, please do so on our Instagram page or wherever you find us.
Arkayo:And yeah, I think there's nothing more for me to introduce. I can start with the opening sentence. So I think, obviously, caribbean and Soka dancing in particular is seen by Western eyes as very sexual, because whining is gyrating the pelvic area and that can be seen as very sexual for some in the Western world.
Arkayo:So I think there's like two groups. There's a group that says, oh my God, that's disgusting, that's just dirty dancing. I was going to say do normal, but that's Dutch for act normal. And then you have the other group that says, no, this is actually the liberation, through music you know, of your body.
Arkayo:So what you want to do. Do this is you. This is your time, you know, do what you need to do, and there's obviously some nuances in those, both of those statements, um, so yeah, is there any experience that and I have to ask it to you both, because I don't really have experience with that but is there experience where you, for example, saw a costume that was maybe a bit too revealing, or you found yourself on the floor dancing in ways that you probably didn't want it to be captured on camera? What's?
Sharnz:your experience with it I'll let julissa go first yeah well, the first like costumes.
Jhelisa:I mean, I've seen it evolve from, you know, costumes with a lot of fabric to just, yeah, like little ropes on bodies.
Jhelisa:I mean it's it's it's the more revealing. I get the feeling that every year, the more revealing it is, the better, or that's the way to go. Well, I believe, I don't believe that. I mean the fabric and the stones and everything, the feathers. It's supposed to be pretty. I mean, if you want it to be revealing, I don't hold anything against you. I mean, there are these ladies with beautiful bodies. I mean, if they want to show them, that's fine. But in my opinion there has to be like a line, okay, where I mean when is it a costume and when is it just being butt naked in the parade? Yeah, yeah. So, and I see a shift when is it a costume and when is it just just being butt naked?
Jhelisa:on the in the parade, yeah, yeah, so, uh, and I see a shift. I see a shift, I think, looking back, because I was introduced to like this real soca scene in 2021, at the end of the year, in covid, and then I entered after all the covid restrictions were lifted in 2022. And I see a shift also with uh video, like you said, videotaping or or getting photographed. Um, lately, do you see, like at the beginning of the feds, you get a disclaimer like if you attend this fed, you will be filmed, but not all of them do that, but all of them do that.
Jhelisa:Some just expect that you know this.
Arkayo:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jhelisa:And yeah, I definitely see a shift.
Arkayo:Do you find yourself holding back as well when you get a notification or a disclaimer like that?
Nytro:Do you find?
Arkayo:yourself like oh, let me actually not drink that much, Let me not dance that much, because before I know it I'll be on some Instagram page.
Jhelisa:I think I will be extra on my guard, so I will check where the cameras are, but I try not to mind them because it's still a fact. I still want to have a good time. I know, like the way I party I'm not someone who, like, searched the lines. I'm still in a relationship and I really like to keep this relationship that I have for 10 years. It's not worth to just throw that away. But I'm mindful and we have agreements. You know we talk about it and, like we as a couple, we're very free. So you're free to dance with whomever you want. There's just a line between some types of dances.
Arkayo:Yeah, which is?
Jhelisa:normal to me, but I feel I don't feel like I'm holding back, but I'm mindful of the cameras.
Arkayo:yeah, exactly I want to. I want to get back to the types of dances, but let's, let's go to sharne's first and her experiences okay, um, so I understand.
Sharnz:I understand where Jaleesa's coming from. I do agree, obviously. I've played Mass many times in Barbados and it's like if the costume is too revealing, it puts me off because I don't want to be on the road having a good time and then my pom pom just falls out. Do you know what I mean? I don't want my pom pompom falling out on the vids. So for me it's like these. I've not played mass for about two years now because it's just like a lot of the costumes are too revealing.
Sharnz:It's just like a piece of string in your butt or like a piece of string like covering butt, or like this piece of string like covering your lips or whatever, and I'm just like no, and some of the options they don't give you an option to have, like a more covered up costume. I mean, there are some bands that do offer a I can't even remember what it's called.
Sharnz:I don't even know why I can't think in English right now, like English isn't my first language they give an option for a more covered costume yeah, but it's like some of those costumes, they're not as pretty yeah, yeah, yeah like it's completely different, but they could make them look nicer yeah but I don't know what it is and obviously I've noticed that with some of these youtube pages I'm not gonna name any um, they will single out women whose butts are hanging out or do you know, I mean, who are just very provocatively or scantily clad, as we say, and you know that's like the basis of their content and and it's like you can't go to a party anymore without fear of being caught by these Instagram pages, because I definitely, when I'm in a party, I'm definitely a bit more mindful of what I'm doing because I cannot afford to be caught on these Instagram pages.
Sharnz:Do you know what I mean? So, yeah, it is a shame and obviously, like at the moment they're introducing parties. Well, we've got a couple in london where you're actually not allowed to have your phone that does make sense yeah, they put your phone in like a locked pouch so it's not like you have to like lock your phone away or whatever, but they give you a pouch and you lock your phone in it and it's got like anti-recording devices so the you, you literally cannot record when your phone is in the pouch.
Sharnz:It will even make the video like really blurry yeah, yeah, yeah yeah your video will just be blacked out oh and then they'll have different zones within the party where you can use your phone, but obviously those zones are well away from yeah, the actual party exactly yeah, where all the action is, which is actually really it's a big hit at the moment in London. So it's two new FETs that have been introduced. One's called D&D.
Nytro:Do not disturb, love it.
Sharnz:Yeah, and then the other one is called Blackout Soaker, and I'm actually booked for the next Blackout Soaker, so I'm going to do a shameless plug for Blackout Soca.
Nytro:So the next Blackout.
Sharnz:Soca is on the 13th of September in London, so check it out. Go on the Instagram page at Blackout Soca. So that's B-L-A-C-K-O-U-T-S-O-C-A, check them out, grab your tickets. And, yeah, that's what it's coming to. People prefer and yeah, it's that, that's what it's coming to, where you know people prefer to just party without cameras because they don't want to end up, and then you know it can affect your work life, oh yeah, affect your relationship like it could really impact your life negatively and why should we feel scared?
Arkayo:so that's the thing, right, you know, just free up. You know, now you're putting, you're hitting the nail on the head, because the whole idea.
Arkayo:What I understand, culturally as well, is to free up, but then if you're scared of consequences when you free up, then you cannot free up anymore. So maybe we have to go back to the introduction of mobile cameras, where this started to change, when it was more and more likely that you would get caught or you know differently, Like even myself, like if people have not seen the YouTube videos on us, on our interview, people might not know that I'm white. I'm a white person and whenever I'm in Barbados and I just you know, enjoy myself.
Arkayo:There will be four or five cameras pointing at my face like within 10 minutes, and that also stops me from dancing, and this is something completely different, of course, than the topic that we're talking about. But I just want to say that, with the arrival of mobile phones, with their cameras, and the ease it is nowadays to just go on Snapchat, go on whatever you have, to just start recording within five milliseconds, the barrier is gone to just you know. Let it go and enjoy the party as it is.
Sharnz:Yeah.
Jhelisa:That's it. But you see this shift also with concerts, with all types of events. I don't know what this need is to constantly record everything, to to film everything that you do instead of enjoying the concert, like like this year.
Arkayo:I went to the usher concert and I I remember not filming a lot because I really wanted to experience it I mean, I'm a super fan, so I might I might not believe you've actually been there if you don't have a video.
Jhelisa:I think that's the reason I have I have. I could almost touch him. I was golden circle, though yeah, I don't believe you. I don't believe you I'm kidding, but this, this, this, this need for, for recording, for for filming things, uh, it's, it's a shift that you see throughout all types of entertainment areas concerts, festivals, uh, fets. So I think the shift is not just just in soca, but also, uh well, in entertainment scene overall. Yeah, exactly, and I understand that.
Arkayo:You know it also. I think, charles, what you mentioned is a great idea with the, the pouches for the phones, because you can also see people not doing things like not giving the energy that you would expect from them because of that.
Arkayo:So you can also get less and less exciting because you know you get people saying, oh, it's boring. I think actually there was a reel that we should link to that. Uh, that put it really nicely. Um, yeah, the way that, like people say, they complain that vets are boring or getting boring, but it's because there's 500 cameras floating around, you know, trying to catch anybody who is giving a bit too much of energy.
Jhelisa:So yeah, definitely that's definitely, and I do also get the idea of recording the event, like, for example, uh, the weekenders that they have. You know these, these weekenders. If it's dance hall, soka, it doesn't matter. I understand that they need to record it so they can promote it and get more people to come.
Jhelisa:But the thing is with Soka to me, carnival and Soka it's also culture and the line that they're looking for is to show this entertainment. So showing all these pretty women, some entertaining, showing their booty, like you said, with strings, and all those type of things. But the thing is that I believe that they will attract the wrong crowd, like people expecting something different, expecting maybe, yeah, like a very sexual party instead of actually enjoyment and and, and, dancing and sex sells the line sex sells definitely, yeah, definitely.
Sharnz:But to add on to that um about attracting the wrong people. So it would attract people who are maybe outside of the culture or who don't understand the culture, and then they will go in, and then that's how a lot of these women end up getting sexually assaulted.
Nytro:I mean a guy will try and touch her Exactly.
Sharnz:Yeah, they'll try and touch her private parts or they'll touch her up while they're whining, and just you know things like that, because we're getting a lot of reports of women not feeling safe in parties because there are men in there who just they just don't have boundaries, yeah like literally. I went to a juve the other day and I'm seeing online that women were complaining they were being sexually assaulted and security did nothing about it and they've not heard from the promoters.
Sharnz:Like the promoters have started blocking some of these women who are yeah who have been openly complaining about it and stuff like that, and I'm just like damn, like what is this world coming to. It's like the whole experience is just it's being ruined now it's really being ruined and I have to add to that as well.
Arkayo:I think that those problems and I don't know, to be honest, but I have a feeling with my own experiences that those problems are happening especially in places where caribbean culture meets western culture, so carnivals in european cities or or maybe even american cities. I don't know, I've never been um, but like I feel, especially like my experience with uh nothing hill so far, like, compared to the time on the road in barbados, I've seen so much more things where I was like, uh, that's, that's not, you know, okay to do that so it's a clash between cultures as well, I guess I mean yeah you know, was it a couple of years, years ago, where Rotterdam Carnival wanted to ban whining because it was too sexual.
Jhelisa:It's too, sexual for their culture.
Arkayo:So you know that's the biggest example.
Jhelisa:Definitely, definitely. I think you're right about that the clash between Western culture and Caribbean culture. And I think that the people are not open to understanding what it means, like, for example, nothing Hill. Here in the Netherlands, especially in Rotterdam area, amsterdam area, it's starting to become a hype. People are asking are you going to Nothing Hill Carnival? It was so dope, and this and this and that, yeah, and people fail to educate the others. That's it. And people fail to educate the others or people, the failure of education of what carnival actually means, what it stands for. I think if you would explain it to these people, I would say what I said the wrong crowd. There's never a wrong crowd, but I think people are just misinformed they are educated on what it means and what is to be expected.
Jhelisa:Uh, to have boundaries to respect. If some people are not, like, for example, um a man coming up to a woman who doesn't want to be wined on, I mean if she respectfully just turns around and said, you know, just gestures like she doesn't want to, don't take it as a, as a this, or yeah, exactly, don't take it as a this or as a yeah, exactly. Don't take it the wrong way, because there are maybe 10 other women who want to be wined on and you'll have a great time with them.
Arkayo:Exactly.
Jhelisa:So understanding of the culture. I think that's what's lacking these days.
Arkayo:Yeah, and sometimes men in particular don't want to understand the culture, they will go to their friends and they will just say listen, I've been to notting hill and, oh my god, I've seen so many fine asses and I can, you can just go up to them, you can just dance with them, no problem, it's, it's so cool, just you have to go as well, that's it that's all you can you can sit them down in the classroom, you can explain about, you know, the amazing culture and the history of the caribbean islands.
Arkayo:But they will just in their heads it will just be the monkey with the two symbols ting, ting, ting, and they will just be thinking about yeah, some don't want to understand, that's true yeah, yeah, no, definitely, definitely right, it is becoming a massive problem yeah um, and I think if it continues at this rate, it could ruin the culture I agree
Jhelisa:same yeah, yeah, yeah, I think so too. I think. I believe that that's what happened to dancehall culture in the Netherlands, because dancehall culture was huge like from the early 2000s till like mid 2010. But then it just got ruined Also, I think also due to these factors.
Arkayo:Yeah.
Jhelisa:And I don't want that to happen for Sokka, mean soca is getting, you know, so much more international attention and we want to tap into that momentum. I mean definitely it deserves to get that, that type of attention, the same as, like afrobeats and emma piano has right now.
Arkayo:Yeah, for sure and but this is actually. This is very interesting now that you mentioned that, because you know, for for years we've been talking about this assurance, about you know, for example, why is afro beats become such a success and soca not so much? And I think it does have to do with the link that soca has with feds. Compared to afro beats and like music from africa just being good music, there's no, yeah, other cultural. Well, I mean, the music is cultural, but there's not a festival, carnival event or type of dance. Of course there's types of dance. You know what I'm trying to say.
Arkayo:It's not yeah yeah, as intertwined with carnival, for example, as soka is yeah, I agree.
Jhelisa:Yeah, it's, it's. It's really good music, like people just tap into it and have a good time they listen to it yeah, the cars, and then just just randomly, uh, and that's the thing, because if I, if I talk about soca with my friends, they will immediately jump to.
Arkayo:Oh carnival. Oh, all these women in the band, oh, you know the costumes are so beautiful yeah that is soca, but also that's not soca, if you know what I mean.
Jhelisa:And soca is about carnival and most of the songs are about drinking and carnival, so it's so intertwined with each other yeah, I think, yeah, I think if people have bad experience like the first experience was a bad experience, and they don't get a chance to to, you know, like, relativate it like, like, like to uh see side of it, a positive side of it, they will keep on hanging on to that negative experience.
Arkayo:Of course, yeah, Of course yeah.
Jhelisa:And they won't tap out. And then they're just like oh no, I don't like this. Oh soca music, oh carnival, oh no, you know they will have that feeling.
Arkayo:So what can we do about it?
Sharnz:Yeah.
Jhelisa:I'm not saying we're going to fight. We probably don't have the answers.
Arkayo:You don't have the answers right but you know, are there any suggestions at all.
Jhelisa:Like for me. Like I said, like three years ago, when I got introduced to Carnival Culture, Soca Culture, I was welcomed, like in the DSL family. It was a birthday party one of our friends, that was my first experience. It was a silent party because it was December 2021.
Sharnz:We weren't even allowed to have parties back then. Yeah, yeah, yeah, those headphone parties.
Jhelisa:Yeah, I remember those and I had such a good time and it was so liberating and I had the best time. It was great. And the fact that I was welcomed so warmly because they knew Dennis, they knew my partner, they knew him already and I was just introduced as his girlfriend partner and everyone's so welcome. And they talked, you know, and especially that type of scene it was a house party. You have a chance to chat with people and get to know them and talk about them and ask them what it all, what it's all about, what events are coming up, and the fact that I was introduced like that made me, uh, feel real welcome and I was also educated.
Jhelisa:You know they they explained it to me like, okay, these, these type of fads, or with this song, you have to do this, or yeah I was introduced so well, so warmly and I think if people have this type of experience it will be a positive experience and then they will understand and and also educate themselves, because for me, of course I've learned from them. But then I started to read into it myself, like follow pages, as like, uh, if I may say, know your caribbean it's a page I follow and she, she really explains the cultural um the cultural fact after the cultural facts yeah, yeah yeah, plays it really well so I think, indeed like like
Song of the month:information and and yeah like the teaching of the culture is very important.
Jhelisa:Yeah, I think people should be also open to it, like I was open to it. But you also have people who are not that open to it. Yeah, of course I still think everyone deserves the chance to get educated yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Arkayo:I think you also already mentioned one of the strong points of soca right the community the the feeling of everybody is welcome, you know, like don't matter your, your body type, your color, your, whatever.
Jhelisa:Everybody's welcome and you know, come and have a good time. Yeah, and these communities are there, the uk, in germany, in, uh, france, the netherlands. But you have to know about them, because if it wasn't for my partner, I wouldn't know about dsl. Yeah, exactly that's it, so it's not out there, out there, but you have to go.
Arkayo:Yeah, maybe that's something visibility as well yeah, but especially about these, these, because I think that has to do more with growing the scene itself, but growing it in a way that we don't get issues like what you mentioned with denzel or the over sexualization of Sokka. It is also about the story behind the culture and the history.
Sharnz:indeed, no, definitely Touching on where we spoke about people not really wanting to free up in parties. Somebody could counter-argue against that and be like you know you're going to this party and you know you can potentially be filmed, so just behave yourself, sort of thing. But then that also ties in with what you said, rko, about people complaining that parties are getting boring Well of course they're going to get boring, because people are scared to be their true genuine selves, and I feel that you should be entitled to go to these parties and be able to free up without fear of being caught.
Sharnz:And what I think? Obviously, obviously, yes, there are camera people there, because obviously the event needs the footage to promote their upcoming events, or whatever yeah but if you're posted on one of these pages, they should have the decency. If you contact them privately and just say look, could you please remove this video of me they. They should instantly remove it 100%, straight up 100% but. I know a lot of them don't. They'll just ignore you and they'll leave it up there, which is, I think that's very unfair.
Arkayo:Oh yeah, Very unfair. I'm professional as well.
Sharnz:Yeah, yeah, definitely. So I don't know. And then with women feeling unsafe, I mean they've I've seen I think I've discussed this on a previous episode in a podcast where I've seen that they've introduced safe zones for women, like it might be like a women only section in the party or whatever. But then I think we also touched on the fact that if it's like a party, that's not outdoors, because obviously in the Caribbean you have a lot of outdoor fits, because obviously you have the weather for- it.
Sharnz:Yeah, exactly, you've got more space exactly if it's like in the uk or europe, where we don't really have these outside spaces like that, it will be inside a club yep do we have enough?
Sharnz:space to have a section just for women. So what do we do? In that sense, should we have more security in there so you know, if a woman reports that something's happened to her that you know security can instantly act on it and, you know, remove the person who has definitely, you know, carried out the act against the woman. Um, there definitely shouldn't be security guards ignoring a woman who has just come to you and said I've been sexually assaulted absolutely not which I've seen on many different blog pages at different events and stuff and I'm just like like wow, that's why, Cause?
Sharnz:then let's say for, for argument's sake, if that happened to me, bruv, I'm turning around, I'm smacking you in your face straight up.
Arkayo:I am smacking you in your face. That's what I'm saying, exactly.
Sharnz:And then it's me that's going to get in trouble because I am going to look like the aggressor and I'm going to get removed from the party. Do you know what I mean? But, it's like it's self-defense for me, because why are you touching me in a way that I don't want that? I did not give my consent, so therefore you deserve to be punched in your face, exactly top definitely straight up, and also social security.
Jhelisa:I think maybe also like as women, like for me, sometimes I try to be mindful of my surroundings, like what is happening. Of course do I see a girl who doesn't feel comfortable?
Arkayo:I mean, obviously you're not busy with that because you try and enjoy the fat, but yeah I think we should be mindful of others as well definitely yeah definitely and I I am very happy maybe to to close it out, I'm very happy as well with um the market reacting to this situation, like you said, charles, with the events with the pouches and that sort of stuff. It shows that you know the market is, is look, is seeing it and there's ways to, let's say, make a profit or make a good event where this is regulated.
Nytro:So yeah, if you take away the camera.
Arkayo:It might also remove the incentive of a man doing something weird because his friends are not filming it. You know what I mean. Like it, I don't know.
Sharnz:It might not all be that, but uh, it might help at least yeah, but then that could also have the opposite effect, where people think, oh well, there's no cameras here, so this is an excuse for me to be weird, that's true do you know I mean so it's like I've never been to one of these parties that don't have cameras. Obviously, my first one is going to be the one that I'm booked for. So, I'm interested to see the dynamic of it and how it works.
Arkayo:We need to discuss it, see how it goes.
Sharnz:Yeah, yeah, yeah, so that would be in our September episode of. Circle Chronicles, which will be like our four-year anniversary. Yeah, a four-year anniversary.
Arkayo:That's wild.
Sharnz:Yeah, anyway.
Arkayo:Okay, I uh. We have talked for some time. I think we should wrap it up for now, unless there's anything anybody wants to mention or get off their chests maybe a last topic do you think, like we added, we talked about costumes and how they're so revealing.
Jhelisa:Do you believe that? Because some people say it's not my opinion, but some people say, well, you're, you're addressing that revealing, so you're asking for, you're asking to be assaulted? I absolutely don't believe that. I believe, if you want to address, the way you want to dress? There's still boundaries. Yeah, but do you?
Arkayo:believe honestly. I'm sorry, but even if you decide to show a butt naked, there's still not an excuse.
Jhelisa:So there's never an excuse.
Sharnz:There's never an excuse. No, of course not. Of course not. But there are a lot of people that argue that I don't agree with that at all. It's like why should the way that I dress be saying, oh yeah, you know well, I'm scantily clad, so yeah, come and assault me. No, what the hell Like. Have more self-control for yourself.
Nytro:Do you know what I mean?
Sharnz:Yeah, that's it. That's insane, that is actually insane, like people who actually believe that are insane. Yeah, yeah, they're insane.
Jhelisa:Yeah, that was just a quick question I had, but we're all on the same page, yeah, yeah definitely, definitely.
Sharnz:Because we were brought up very well in society. Absolutely.
Jhelisa:Absolutely. Oh man, oh, that's it.
Arkayo:Okay then, jelisa, thank you so much for joining. I know you had a bit of a cold, so you know you're still here. Thank you so much for your time.
Jhelisa:Exactly. Thank you guys. Yes, I'm wishing you a speedy recovery yeah, exactly Exactly.
Arkayo:Thank you, thank you All right, and with that we're going to go back to the studio.
Intro:This is Soca Chronicles, and we're back in a digital studio.
Arkayo:Uh-huh, yeah, man. I mean, the whole interview was digitally studioed, but anyway, Doesn't matter, doesn't matter, we had a separate interview studio.
Sharnz:You know if doesn't matter, doesn't matter. We had a separate interview studio. You know if such a thing exists?
Arkayo:then yes, yeah, yeah, let's just say that, please. Yeah, thank you 100. So yeah, man, I think we've talked enough. This was our episode for july. It means that now sharon shall be out of office for the next foreseeable future partying and not dropping her poom poom out, hopefully.
Sharnz:Please not on the road. I can't have it dropping out on the road Please. A big big, exactly, yeah, man.
Arkayo:The only last thing I need to say is to listen to our dear friend Super Nitro.
Nytro:Make sure you check out Soca Chronicles. Tag a friend, tell a friend, share the podcast. Let people know that this exists because it's good for the culture, it's good for the vibe, it's good for the energy, it's educational, it's fun, it's funny, it's bantiful and it's good for you to just know a little bit about the people that's making your music and the people that you're, everybody a very good carnival season and we'll be back next month yes, please, if you are going to be in saint lucia or in barbados or crop over, reach out to me on my private instagram or on the circle chronicles page.
Sharnz:Let's link up. Let's have a drink let's make a movie to anybody who's also going to spice mass, enjoy. I will enjoy saint lu and I will enjoy Crop Over. So, yeah, guys, be safe, take care of yourselves, and we will be back next month see you later you've been listening to the Soca Chronicles Chronicles.
