Best of The Beat on Afropop: Soca Star David Rudder

<p>To highlight the upcoming New York appearances by soca master David Rudder, this week’s “Best of The Beat” will fill you in on the story of this much-beloved Trinidadian Calypso Monarch. African music historian Gary Stewart interviewed the articulate singer for <em>The Beat</em> in 1988.</p> <p>David Rudder began in the mid-‘70s with the Charlie’s Roots soca band, and burst into international renown with his 1986 hits, “The Hammer” and the samba-flavored “Bahia Girl,” that won that year’s Calypso Monarch competition at Trinidad Carnival. He has released at least <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/276526-David-Rudder?page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/276526-David-Rudder?page=1" target="_blank">16 albums to date.</a></p> <p></p> <p>Notable for his pan-Caribbean and African consciousness, Rudder paid a tribute to the history and resilience of the people of Haiti with this song:</p> <div class="video-container"><iframe loading="lazy" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3rWf1nrteG0" allowfullscreen="" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0"></iframe>