RPB should dedicate his life to his music. He's never looked back.

Red Plastic Bag has gained unprecedented success in the international world of Caribbean music. His hit "Ragga Ragga" has been translated into seven different languages and he's won the fiercely contended annual calypso monarch competition in Barbados a record nine times.

This contest is a highlight of the Barbadian calendar and comes at the climax of the country's sizzling sweet Cropover Festival, which lasts for six weeks from the start of July.

Red Plastic Bag's popularity shows through his lively fan-base there. When he performs, his fans congregate on Stand C of Kensington Oval - the Barbados National Stadium, singing and dancing along to every word. RPB drives the crowd forward with his beats, often striding the stage ina snappy red outfit.

While Bajans hear the upbeat, enervating, hip-jiggling sounds of Barbadian music on a daily basis, visitors to the beautiful island of Barbados might be wondering what calypso and soca actually are.

It's believed calypso has its origins in the 20th century African slave trade. Slaves weren't permitted to talk while working and so they turned to singing to communicate. This was the beginning of many types of music including blues and soul.

Consequently calypso is traditionally a form of story telling, often including political messages such as protests against oppression. Soca is calypso combined with other Caribbean musical ingredients such as soul, funk, disco and hiphop. It combines the lilting sound of calypso with a heavier, persuasive beat and originated in the 1960s.

The political and social messages