I Love Curry Riddim – Various Soca Artists

With only four cuts on the board, I Love Curry Riddim feels more like a tight little Trinbagonian party tape than a big, sprawling dancehall package, and that’s part of its charm. Anil Bheem’s “Bakee Najadia” leans into the Indian-Caribbean flavour in the title alone, while Rikki Jai’s “I Love Curry” is the obvious hook tune, built for instant singalong appeal. Rakesh Yankaran’s “Nandalala” adds a devotional shade to the set, giving the riddim a bit more colour than a straight carnival toss-up. Dropped in 2005, it sits right in that era when soca and dancehall kept crossing paths on the same party-friendly rhythm, especially in Trinidad and Tobago.