StratVincyBwoy

StratVincyBwoy is a DJ / selector and a Vincentian diaspora relay. His contribution is not musical in the producer sense, he does not sign a riddim, but it is essential to the circulation of neighbouring Caribbean sub-genres inside the SoundCloud ecosystem, which remains one of the historic diaspora amplification channels for Soca, Vincy soca, Dennery Segment and Bouyon. He belongs to that category of DJ carriers, alongside the press, festival and label carriers.

The geographical context sheds light on his role. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is one of the key islands of the contemporary soca panorama. Skinny Fabulous, Problem Child, Skinny Banton are exported Vincentian voices, and its diaspora in London and New York plays an important part in the circulation of riddims between the Carnivals (Notting Hill, the Brooklyn West Indian Day Parade) and specialist radio. StratVincyBwoy fits that logic: his SoundCloud archive works as a bridge between the Vincentian Carnival seasons and diaspora listening in the UK and US, and it is through that channel that Dominican Bouyon riddims have historically crossed towards the ears of non-Caribbean audiences.

One technical distinction has to be named so the sub-genres circulating in his mixes are not confused. The Dennery Segment is a Soca sub-genre from Saint Lucia (115-140 BPM according to the sources) established by DJ Sleem and popularised through the British diaspora. Warm Up is a slowed Bouyon (125-134 BPM) carried by the Guadeloupean New Bouyon Wave (1T1, TIITII NBA, Aknose, Softee). The two have close tempos but distinct origins, and a diaspora selector like StratVincyBwoy circulates them in the same mixes without merging them (Chapters VIII and IX).

His role rests on his relay function and his place in the diaspora circulation chain. StratVincyBwoy names a category of carriers, the Vincentian diaspora DJ, that cannot be erased if one wants to write an honest history of Bouyon's circulation outside the francophone Caribbean.