The Swahili Riddim – Various Artists

For a 2010 soca one-riddim set, The Swahili Riddim sits in that sturdy Caribbean tradition of one groove, several voices, and a few sharp hooks to keep it moving. Denise “Saucy Wow” Belfon’s “Dance And Dingolay” is the headline cut here, and it sits alongside the grittier push of 645 Feat Gonzo (De Muppet) on “Gih Dem, ” plus Sarge Blaxx’s “Tanti Woi” and Deuce Man with Swappi on “I Want To Hold Yuh. ” The rhythm itself has that mid-tempo, floor-driving soca swing, with enough room for melody but enough bite in the percussion and bass to keep the chanty lines bouncing. The release closes out, as these things do, with a version track, which leaves the riddim bare for the DJs and selectors to ride on its own.