What She Go Do

Drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork conducted by the author in Trinidad and Tobago, What She Go Do details how women artists have expanded the reach of calypso, soca, and steelband music in this region. The book includes interviews with popular musicians and detailed observations of musical performances, rehearsals, and recording sessions, as well as analysis of reception and use of popular music through informal exchanges with audiences.The popular music of the Caribbean contains elaborate forms of social commentary that allows singers to address various sociopolitical problems, including those that directly affect the lives of women. In general, the cultural environment of Trinidad and Tobago has made women more visible and audible than any previous time in its history. This book examines how these circumstances came to be and what it means for the future development of music in the region.