West Africa will get its first taste of a Soca festival early next year when the Soca Invasion Weekend takes over Accra, Ghana.
Barbadian businessman/producer, Roderick Burnett, is the man behind the event and he told Loop Caribbean that it’s time for the region’s culture and music to finally make its mark on the African continent.
Burnett said Africa has a lot of potential and he was able to see it first hand during a visit last Christmas after staging Soca Invasion Weekend in Dubai.
“The major record labels are already investing heavily in African artists like Burna Boy. They have seen how much money can be made in Africa because when the Afrobeats artiste drop a song it gets millions of views and streams in an hour,” he said
“There is huge potential for Caribbean events in Africa. It’s just for us now to introduce ourselves to the market. We have seen how Afrochella has become a major event for Africans and the diaspora when they return home in December and January. We believe Soca Invasion has the potential to be just like that.”
Soca Invasion Weekend is set to take place from January 13-19.
The full package for a single attendee costs USD$1,300 and there are group specials that start at USD$2,570.
Events included in the six days of festivities are a Beach J'ouvert, Afrobeats Meets Reggae and Soca Fete and a tour of the Cape Coast Slave Castle.
Burnett revealed to Loop Caribbean that he’s also working with some influential people in a few other African countries to stage West Indian Style Carnivals.
“If this takes place, it will be epic. Could you imagine how great it would be to see Burna Boy or Davido on a music truck Carnival Monday and Tuesday in Trinidad or Barbados and they are singing Soca and Afrobeats? That will be a huge promotion not just for us,” he stated.