Dr. Trevor Friday Soca Monarch Semi Finals
He is now recognized by the Spicemas Corporation, for his love and passion for Soca music and the role that he played in its evolution in Grenada.
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Dr. Trevor Friday (RIP)Dr. Trevor Friday made a significant contribution to the music industry in Grenada and to the evolution of modern Soca beats. A product of the historical parish St. Patrick/Crown City, Trevor was an unparalleled gem and a cultural icon who wore a multiplicity of hats- producer, arranger, musician, adjudicator, administrator, promoter and recording artist and he wore every hat with distinction.
His musical journey began and blossomed in a most unorthodox way. As a young boy his parents enrolled him in a music class. However, to get to the music class he had to walk across a playing field. His peers, often chided him and renamed him “Aunty Trevor” because they felt that learning music was a girlish enterprise, especially when it was normal for boys that age to be engaged in playing sports and physical activities. Thus, Trevor ended up not learning much in music school because he stayed and played football with the boys. While his musical skills remained underdeveloped as a result, his sporting skills grew by leaps and bounds, and he had a colourful and distinguished career as a national football player and athlete. However, music was his destiny and despite how much he tried to not take it seriously, it found him years later when he migrated to New York and later Jamaica.
It was while studying medicine in Jamaica that he was introduced to studio work, as he often did side jobs with some of the prominent Jamaica recording Studios to make much needed income. His skills as a keyboardist and studio engineer grew exponentially, so that by the time he returned to Grenada in 1985, he immediately collaborated with the late Don Charles to produce music for some of the top named artistes.
Trevor was heavily involved in shaping the cultural landscape in Grenada. He served as Chairman of the Grenada Cultural Foundation and Head of the Carnival Committee. He pioneered the staging of big Soca fetes with Caribbean bands, doing album launch parties with Artiste such as Tangler and Mr. D and so much more.
He is now recognized by the Spicemas Corporation, for his love and passion for Soca music and the role that he played in its evolution in Grenada. Trevor served as a mentor for many of the young contemporary Soca Artistes and worked extensively with them in developing their craft. The likes of Sharrie Jones, Young Sound, Valene Nedd, Luni Spark and Electrify and Boyzie all benefitted from his coaching and his expertise. Many of the young producers also benefitted greatly from Trevor’s knowledge and skill and his penchant for experimenting with new soca beats.
Luni Spark and Electrify, the Energy Kings, credit Trevor for their continued success in the Soca industry. One of their first monster hits, Miss the Mass, which was evolutionary in that era, was a product of Trevor’s creativity and musical genius. The brothers recount that it was not unusual for ten Soca artistes to book the studio for the same time, and they would all turn up while Trevor chatted and mentored them for the night as he worked.
Trevor died as he lived. His love for music took him to the Soca Monarch, even though his health should not have permitted it- but he just felt that he could not stay away. It was the last time that he enjoyed the music that he loved so much. It was on his way up from Soca Monarch that he suffered a stroke which eventually took him away.
Dr. Trevor Friday gave much to Soca, carnival, and culture while he was alive and received nothing in return- no money, no accolades, no pageantry. He worked quietly and unassumingly behind and in front the scenes for many years, asking for nothing and expecting nothing. He did it for the love- always for the love and never for the likes.
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