The reputed father of soca was Lord Shorty (born Garfield Blackman), whose 1973 recording of "Indrani" started the trend. In the 1970s he began writing calypso songs for other young calypsonians including Maestro and his cousin Baron who had a hit called "Severe Licking" produced by Shorty. Trinidad and Tobago has been renowned for its magnificent carnivals, calypso and in this century's only musical invention: the steel pan. A prolific musician, composer and innovator, Ras Shorty experimented the fusion of calypso with East Indian rhythms for nearly a decade before unleashing "the soul of calypso," soca music.
Like calypso, soca was used for both social commentary and risqué humor, though the initial wave of soca acts eschewed the former.
Soca music is based on a strong rhythmic section done by a drum set. The drum and percussion is often loud in this genre of music and is sometimes the only instrument to back up the vocal. Soca is indeed defined by its loud fast percussion beats. Synthesizers are used often in modern soca due to the fact that most songs carry a variety of instruments not used often in the Caribbean. Electric and bass guitars are found very often and are always found in a live soca band. Brass instruments are found occasionally in live soca bands mostly for the 'bigger' fetes. The trumpet is used as the main instrument in the brass line (most soca brass sections contain at least 2 trumpets). The trombone is also found in a brass section and always acts as a counterpart of the trumpet which purpose is to add texture to the brass line. Saxophones are occasionally found in a brass section and also play the brass line.
Soca music has evolved like all other music over the years and has many related genres. Among them are Rapso, Chutney Soca, Ragga Soca, Parang Soca, and Steel-band Soca. Soca has also been experimented with in Bollywood films, Bhangra, and new Punjabi pop.