When you mention Soca music, you have to know its relationship with Caribbean Carnival – it’s a forever marriage. Soca music is the fuel that drives the Caribbean carnival celebrations.
A music this powerful didn’t come from nowhere. It goes back, way back to the original Black Lives Matter movement.

It’s a story of blood, bravery, and revolution resistance. It wasn’t the usual kind of resistance known at that time, but it came to life in the late 18th century, in the mother of all of Carnival celebrations and birth place of Soca Music, Trinidad and Tobago. Black people were slaves, they had to fight for their freedom of expression in order to be part of street celebration which was against the colonial laws at the time. Innovatively they introduced the first ever creative cultural resistance, now known as Caribbean Carnival.

The film follows Trinidad-born, Canadian, Grammy award winning songwriter, and singer Anslem Douglas. Douglas is known for his Grammy winning Soca hit, “Who Let the Dogs Out.”

Anslem gives the audience backstage access to the most amazing performances by Soca’s biggest stars, present day performers, artists, and historians.

With Anslem we discover the creative tools that were used to overturn the plantation era of slavery, change laws, and transform anger into ongoing beats of joy that have been key in building the Caribbean cultural identity that has now spread in most large cities outside of the Caribbean. Well-known celebrations are found in New York, LA, Miami, Paris, London, Berlin, Texas, New Orleans. Etc., and In Toronto, it attracts more than 1 million participants, not to mention bringing in revenue of over $400 million every weekend of the Caribbean Carnival celebration.

As the documentary progresses, we discover that It’s not easy to let outsiders into your marriage, but the relationship between Soca and Caribbean Carnival is a union that goes beyond the stage and into lives that are as passionate as the music.

Anslem Douglas tracks down Trindad and Tobago Artists such as Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, Kes the band, Nailah Blackman and many others let us into the joy of welcoming everyone into the Soca & Carnival Culture. We also unlock stories of humility from North American artists such as Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Drake, Justin Bieber, Ashanti, and Kardinal Offishall who have been inspired by the true essence of Soca & Carnival to record Soca records.