IS soca pain again as the real soca men complain about poor salaries being paid to them!

Reports reaching Sunday PUNCH are that the hard-working musicians, the real men behind the driving soca music in the fetes, are very unhappy, as they might just be working for “minimum wage”, as compared to those on lead vocals.

Sources revealed that the musicians described, “as the men who tote the soca load every Carnival” are frustrated and are crying out for some attention.

“All we want is some equity in the band,” begged one irate bassist.

“We just asking to be on par or to be paid a salary somewhere close to what some of our top singers are paid in the band. We must get some more respect.”

Sunday PUNCH was told that bands charge as much $25,000 and more for a fete.

“And you tell me a drummer or a bassist could only get about $400 per gig.

“A band vocalist could get as much as $4,000 to $5,000 when in fact they should really be getting half of that, and that is what causing major contention in many bands.”

He noted that it was the poor salaries that caused musicians to change bands ever so often. He also said the public must not be fooled by the big-name bands, as it was the struggling bands still trying to make it to the top, were the ones who paid their musicians better.

He continued: “We go band hopping but I could tell you the situation is almost the same everywhere.

“Another band may offer you more, but when you get in there, you realise that you’ve jumped from the frying pan into the fire.”

Industry sources stated that musicians were the driving force behind any successful vocalist in the soca band.

“They can’t do it on their own,” he argued.

“Think about that drummer, the bass man, you know he’s the man driving the rhythm, he keeping the fete alive tonight.

“Top vocalists like Destra, Shurwayne, Saucy Wow and Kees just to name a few will be nothing on stage without those live musicians.”

DESTRA

SHURWAYNE

KEES

He went on: “You check the performance of artistes with live music as compared to one with a CD.

“Check how much more energy there is when they wheel and wheel and wheel ...

“Is we who tote the load, but still we can’t get respect.

“Yet, the biggest chunk goes to the vocalist who demands more and they have every right to.”

He said the bandleader most times accedes to the request of his lead singers for fear that they may walk.

“The musicians are however ignored, although we are a very important component in the band.”

A top vocalist is said to earn as much as $5,000 on a solo gig.

“But you know what’s going on now,” he added, “they are demanding the same kind of money as a solo gig and the manager gives in for fear of losing them to another band especially if singer is at the top of his or her game”.

Sources told Sunday PUNCH that two top bands are now reeling under the pressure and there could likely be a coup after the Carnival from a number of its musicians.

Reports are that the identified artistes have become even more difficult to work with, since their meteoric rise in the soca world. To drive home his point that musicians get a raw deal in the soca business, he stressed that musicians never live as luxuriously as the vocalists.

“They build the houses, drive the best cars, own businesses and of course, they deserve it, but so do we. As musicians all we are asking for is some respect.”