Saturday, May 21, 2005

rupee is one of the foremost artists in the intoxicating musical movement known as soca (soul + calypso) - the supercharged party music of the caribbean. with his debut atlantic album, "1 on 1," slated for release in the fall of 2004, rupee is now poised to capture the global mainstream audience.  rupee's soca sound is rhythmically complex yet instantly catchy, a non-stop blending of the flavorful, tuneful, and irresistibly danceable. with "1 on 1," he becomes a major force in the eruption of innovative urban-influenced caribbean artists who are changing the face of music worldwide.

"caribbean music as a whole has had a marvelous resurgence in the last two years," rupee notes. "the likes of sean paul, shaggy, and elephant man have opened doors for soca to walk through. it's a beautiful thing. with the background i have, it's natural for me to experiment, and i think it's necessary and good for the music."

i am absolutely tempted to dance on this kind of music. his tempted to touch feature song lights it up from the movie after the sunset - a salma hayek/pierce brosnan/woody harrelson/don cheadle starring film. it also looks like rupee may unleash a new dance on unsuspecting americans; a simple sway and swiveling of clasped hands that anybody can do given the right rhythm. i simply loveeee it.