The idea for Lif Up Yuh Leg An Trample came when Blur front man Damon Albarn together with co-Honest Jons’ founders Mark Ainley and Alan Scholefield visited this year’s Carnival in Trinidad. “Nothing prepares you for Carnival in Trinidad. It’s a way of life and the entire calendar seems to be built around it. People are up for days on end and you hear the songs over and over again until they become like mantras.”

Most of the songs are hot tracks from this and last year's Carnival season, chosen to create an up-to-the-minute snapshot of the best and most cutting-edge sounds from the eastern Caribbean. From the devastating rhythm of Dawg E Slaughter's ‘Trample’ to the provocative sexuality of Denise Belfon's ‘Saucy Baby’ via the Bajan jump-up sensation of Timmy's ‘Bumpa Catch A Fire’, it's a unique compilation of tracks.

Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Topango are ground zero for music during the Carnival season, which runs from late December to March. During that time more than 1000 songs are released, a legacy from the days when music was only permitted during the pre-Lent Carnival season and immediately ceased once Lent arrived. Although the days of strict religious observance are long gone, the tradition continues to this day. For musicians, songwriters and performers, this pre-Lent Carnival period has become the all important time to get a new song on the airwaves. That’s because radio play during the Carnival determines whether these artists get to work for the rest of the year. “For the performers there’s a lot riding on it which is what makes the Carnival so intense,” Albarn notes.

Also key to success in the soca world are the official Carnival competitions. The longest standing is the Road March, which goes to the most played song and is open only to Trinidad and Tobago residents ever since an Antiguan almost won the title in 1977. But in recent years there has been a plethora of further competitions added to the Carnival calendar and in 1994 the International Soca Monarch award was inaugurated. This year it went to Bunji Garlin for the track ‘Warrior Cry’, which is included on Lif Up Yuh Leg An Trample. Yet the tracks selected for this compilation are not necessarily the biggest Carnival hits. “Like anything, there’s a less appealing commercial side to some of the music,” notes Damon Albarn, “so by and large we avoided that and went for the tracks with the most energy and a cutting edge. If we can further the cause of soca musicians with this compilation, then we’ll have achieved what we set out to do.”

Get ready to trample. Get ready to bounce
The soca train is here. Lift up yuh leg and enjoy the ride

Release Date: October 19, 2004

1. LAVENTILLE RHYTHM SECTION - Rhythm
2. DAWG E SLAUGHTER - Trample
3. TIMMY - Bumpa Catch A Fire
4. MAXIMUS DAN - Soca Train
5. ANDRE TANKER - Food Fight
6. DAWG E SLAUGHTER - Bounce
7. MASSIVE GOSINE - Chrloo
8. DENISE BELFON - Saucy Baby
9. BUNJI GARLIN - Warrior Cry
10. MACHEL MONTANO - Fireman
11. MICHELLE SYLVESTER - Go Ahead
12. BOBO & AGONY - Soca Taliban
13. MACHEL MONTANO & BLACK STALIN - Love Fire