Kevin Adams is a Trinidadian filmmaker raised in America who found inspiration in the likes of John Singleton and Spike Lee. He was particularly drawn to these figures for their dedication to depicting ranging stories of African-American life. Adams set out to do the same for Caribbean audiences.
For his latest project, “Queen of Soca,” Adams explores the popular Trini genre of music with a plot reminiscent of the 1997 Jamaican film “Dancehall Queen.” The story goes: “Olivia, a 25-year-old street vendor and lead singer in a church choir must decide whether to pursue her dream of becoming a Soca star competing against her idol Deja, 4 times winner of the biggest soca competition in Trinidad, and risking the relationship with her religious mother who hates soca.”
The film team took to crowdfunding platform Seed & Spark with a goal of raising $15,000 for that project that was up to 85% completion at the time of the campaign’s launch. While they fell short of the goal, the project did manage to raise over $12.7k to cover production costs. In a time where Afro-Diaspora narratives are more important than ever, it’s exciting to see independent storytellers amass such support. “Queen of Soca” has the potential to advance Caribbean filmmaking, to reach a wider audience without compromising the integrity of the stories and those who tell them.
To learn more about “Queen of Soca,” visit the film’s Seed & Spark profile.