Calabar Riddim (2016) – Central Records

Denise Belfon pulls the ear in first on Calabar Riddim, and “Teacher” gives Central Records’ 2016 soca cut its sharpest early jolt with Belfon’s bright, commanding delivery riding a taut, 120-BPM instrumental clocking in at just under three minutes. The rest of the lineup keeps that same quick-step momentum: Orlando Octave’s “Poverty Is Hell” leans into the riddim’s harder edge, while Swappi’s “Mama Ya Yo” and Prophet Benjamin’s “Light My Fire” push it toward the kind of backyard-session energy that feels made for Carnival season. Central Records keeps the arrangement lean and bright, leaving enough room for the vocal hooks to do the heavy lifting, and that closing instrumental version ties everything back to the groove.