Destra Garcia, known as The Queen of Bacchanal, is the leading female soca artist of this decade. Her sexy musical persona, fiery personality, high energy and mastery of calypso has pushed her to the top of the soca charts and made her one of the most notable artists to ever come from Trinidad. During Carnival season in the Caribbean, soca lovers from the region look forward to Destra’s hits and performances.

Kes The Band, the soca group formed in 2005, has quickly become a household name in Trinidad. The band consists of three Dieffenthaller brothers, along with their life-long friend and guitarist Riad Boochoon. The soulful vocals of lead singer Kess and the band’s style – along with their electric mixture of calypso, reggae and rock – have captured the hearts of many around the world. Their smash hit ‘Wotless’ is one of the most successful soca songs of the decade, being nominated for a BET Soul Train Music Award and winning Kess the title of International Soca Monarch in 2011.

When thinking of soca music, Machel Montano‘s name will always come to mind. Throughout his career spanning over 30 years, Montano has given the Caribbean hits for every carnival season and is noted as one of the most successful soca acts in history. The King of Soca has a long list of legendary collaborations in his catalogue, including Shaggy, Alison Hinds, Busta Rhymes and so many more. As the frontman of his band, The HD Family, Montano also has a few popular acts that follow his lead.

The Lyon Empress, Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez is a three-time Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Road March champion and award-winning soca artist. Along with Destra Garcia, Lyons is leading the class of female soca artists in Trinidad. Her soulful voice over infectious beats, paired with melodic lyrics she often writes herself, have cemented her as a pioneer of soca music and Trinidadian culture.

24-year-old Voice is one of the youngest and most talented soca artists in the Caribbean. As the youngest artist in history to win the title of International Soca Monarch in 2016, Voice is one of the artists who has given new life to the genre with his international sound and unique production style.

Patrice Roberts is a Trinidadian soca singer and a member of fellow soca artist’s Machel Montano’s HD soca band. Her career took off when she won the 1995 Sangre Grande Junior Calypso Monarch competition at the tender age of nine. Roberts’ melodic voice is, unknowingly, known by many people in the Caribbean, as her hit single ‘The Island’, featuring her cousin Bunji Garlin, was used for promotional commercials by the Ministry of Tourism in Trinidad.