“Music has always been a part of me… But officially with soca, I started as a background vocalist in the Bacchanal Time calypso tent when I was 17 years old.”
Wherever her vibrant vocals are heard, impassioned praises for Shanta Prince resound. Ever since the soca star made her debut, her unique sound and “posh” style has transfixed audiences, inspiring a ceaseless longing for more. British-based publication Complex UK described Shanta as “one to watch” and a “musical force” – powerful words that epitomise the far-reaching impact of this beloved singing sensation.
While preparing for this year’s Crop Over festival, the singer busily, but happily, juggled the demands of an ever-growing soca career and the realities of her ‘9 to 5’ as a property manager. But, for Shanta, regardless of how hectic her schedule may become, music remains a priority.
“Music has always been a part of me,” she noted. “But officially with soca, I started as a background vocalist in the Bacchanal Time calypso tent when I was 17 years old. Then, I was a background vocalist for Rupee and Biggie Irie.”
Shanta described her music career as “a journey of love”, with each phase shaping her into the critically acclaimed, stand-out artiste that she is today. At one point of her recording career, the songstress found herself drawn to genres such as R&B and pop. But, although her love of music is broad and diverse, ultimately, all roads led her to soca.
“I always knew I would get to soca because I was inspired by the ladies at the time — TC, Destra (from Trinidad and Tobago), and Alison Hinds. They are all tremendous vocalists and after seeing Alison Hinds perform, I was like ‘ok, she looks like me, I can do this,’” she said, noting that in her younger years she was impressed by the way these ladies commanded their stages and connected with their audience, especially in a field which was male-dominated. As such, these Caribbean calypso queens have laid the foundation for Shanta, and since releasing “Stush” in 2014, she’s certainly cemented her spot as an outstanding performer. The hit song bumped her all the way to the semi-finals of that year’s Sweet Soca competition and got her recognised as a Female Breakthrough Artist at the Barbados Music Awards. Additionally, the uptempo song has since amassed over 272,000 views on YouTube! In 2015, Shanta was endorsed by the FLOW telecommunications company, which used the hit song “Hello” in promotional campaigns throughout the Caribbean.
Describing her personal sound as “different”, Shanta noted that her musical offerings can be quite diverse; She said, “I have a tendency to go high or low. My personal sound is just including a lot of my own preferences.” Producers such as Barbados’ Dwain Antrobus (BassInk Productions), Kurtis “London Future” Wells from Trinidad, and Canadian James DePinho of Beta One Music had all understood the singer’s personality and distinctive style, resulting in a catalogue of well-mastered work that set her up for the world stage.
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