AS a boy in the village of Curepe, eastern Trinidad and Tobago, Damian Walters was big in indigenous soca and roots-reggae. Known as Jah Bami, he has toured with Jamaican artistes such as Addis Pablo and Yami Bolo, but recently returned to his roots for the SeaSide Villa, a soca rhythm.

Scheduled for release on July 12, the SeaSide Villa has songs by several artistes including Ted Ganung and Jah Bami who collaborate on Soca Trend. KKay, Tim Stars, Keystal Khan and Coolie are some of the other artistes on the beat.

With the exception of Coolie, who is British with Jamaican roots, all are from Trinidad and Tobago.

The SeaSide Villa is a change in focus for Jah Bami. For most of the last eight years, he toured Europe with Addis Pablo, son of dub luminary Augustus Pablo, as a member of Suns of Dub which also included fellow “Trini” Ras Jammy.

The high point of that tandem was Selassie Souljahz in Dub.

“It’s always a pleasure working with my brothers in the reggae industry like my key brethren Addis Pablo and some of the other greats. I always kept writing and releasing soca as well and making sure it was a part of the repertoire while touring Europe and the UK on the dub scene. Touring with my Steel Tenor Pan is also part of the movement in educating the massive on our Caribbean culture,” Jah Bami told the Jamaica Observer.

The SeaSide Villa is recorded specifically for Trinidad and Tobago’s summer carnival. Normally, a hit song in that spectacle spreads to neighbouring Caribbean islands and West Indian strongholds in Toronto, New York and Miami.

“I would definitely say soca has grown tremendously outside the Caribbean market for the last 10 years. We now have places like Germany having its carnival on a major scale, places like Ibiza, Spain having some great soca events, there is Jamrock Fest in Holland, where soca is part of the genres being featured. There are carnivals in almost every state in the United States, so yes, it has grown a lot and continues to,” said Jah Bami.

Like most Caribbean youth, Jah Bami was exposed to different sounds in his homeland. There were local heroes like The Mighty Sparrow, Shadow and Lord Nelson, but he also admired Augustus Pablo, Peter Tosh, Hugh Mundell, Buju Banton and Anita Baker.

“Hugh Mundell will always and forever be my favourite artiste until I leave this Earth. I love the Afrobeats because now we have a blend of everything in one. Is almost like the whole Caribbean fused with the Mamaland Africa and her energy. It keeps you dancing constantly,” he said.