Trinbago's Daddy Chinee Strikes Hard With Techno Soca

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. October 5, 2011 - When was the last time you heard a soca artiste say his/her aim is to entice people all year round, no matter race or culture? It’s a big statement that’s receiving the backing of a group of producers out of the United States and before long, the artiste on the other end of those words will reveal himself via his music, to the people of T&T and the world. 

Ricardo Melville is best known by his sobriquet, Daddy Chinee. He’s a gifted cross-over artiste who was born in Speyside, Tobago but now resides in South Trinidad. He’s been on the grind for sometime, having worked alongside the likes of Crazy, Scrunter, Chris Garcia, Impulse and Rikki Jai, just to name a few. After a 10- year hiatus from the soca biz, Daddy Chinee’s back and is promising music lovers that his unique fusion will leave them intrigued and excited. He’s got the experience having performed with a number of soca bands before. “ I performed in bands like Sound Revolution, Roy Cape and the All Stars, Dil-E-Nadan, Jah Vibes and Kylan. Currently, I have my own band- The Daddy Chinee band which was formerly known as Hipnotic,” he reveals. 

A very motivated entertainer and vocalist, the man who started off chanting near his home with friends, has dabbled in not just the soca genre but, he’s also done chutney, Rhythm and Blues, Dancehall, Reggae and Traditional Parang music. With the experience and talent to take things further now, Daddy Chinee says he’s gearing up for a re-emergence in Carnival 2012. “I’ve already released two Soca tracks- “Drop To The Ground,” and “Ah Coming,” he reveals, highlighting that the tracks were produced by Ato “Hisbigness” Williams of Triple B Studios. Added to that, the vibrant singer is about to send a single he’s calling “Trinidad Party” to local Dj’s and radio stations. This particular song has tremendous appeal as it fuses Techno with Soca to create a really rhythmic sound. Members of his team are guaranteeing that this particular single will sit perfectly with all music lovers- even those who may be a little on the conservative side. In the meantime, Melville is dedicatedly working toward the completion of his album, which he’s calling The Journey Continues. The album will also feature fellow artistes Impulse, Miz Estrada and Silver. 

On the issue of what seems to be a continued mission to fuse Soca with other genres like dancehall, R&B, Pop and certainly Techno, Daddy Chinee says he’s all for it, as long as the people do not forget the heart and soul of Soca music. 

With an undying love and appreciation for his culture, and music in general, a mission that began some 20 years ago has been revitalized. His sights are set on mastering the art form that is Soca and captivating audiences like no other ahead of the spirited season. 

In 2011, as the island prepares for another Carnival celebration, Daddy Chinee is promising that he will shake things up with some of the most enjoyable music the world has ever heard.