Soca stands for “soul of calypso,” and it was pretty much invented in the 1970s by Trinidadian artist Lord Shorty, who claimed that the soul of calypso was as multicultural as his island’s African and East Indian descendants. To set this post-colonial hybrid to music, Shorty sped up calypso and gave it an Indian twist.

In the 30 or so years since its invention, soca has evolved into the club-friendly, studio-produced music of a younger generation.