About Me
“I Love Soca”
It is a simple statement spoken by many but none have really embodied those words more than Dr. Jay De Soca Prince. With his weekly radio show, Soca Therapy on Flow 93.5 (which is rated number 1 in its timeslot on Canadian radio) and perpetually sold out fetes, he has proven time and time again how much he deserves to be called The #1 Soca DJ.
Born in Toronto and raised in the Trinidadian culture, Dr. Jay comes from a musically gifted family –his father is a drummer and vocalist, his uncle a founding member of the legendary group, Tradewinds. Jay grew up with parents who were always first in the record store for the latest calypso/soca records. When he was old enough, he made sure to continue this practice by getting a job in a record store just so he could afford his growing addiction to music. Although he loved all genres, it was soca that spoke to him the most. “I feel like soca chose me”, he says. “Soca is me. That's my foundation. That's my love. I wouldn't have it any other way.”
Always known as “De Soca Prince”, Dr. Jay created his Kingdom in 1995 with Wayne Donawa. Together they have helped launch the careers of the some the most popular djs and mcs in the soca scene including Jester, Marxman, D’Bandit, Eman, Soca Sweetness, Dirty Dez and Duchess (female dj in Trinidad).
Although he has cultivated a large following and has been instrumental in creating the soca scene in Toronto, Jay is not content to conquer just his hometown. He has travelled the world acting as an ambassador for soca. Places such as England, all over Canada and the U.S. and Australia have all been treated to his special brand of mixing and selecting the best in soca music.
He considers his trip to Hong Kong for the Chinese New Year in 2004 to be a highlight of his touring experiences. He was part of a group of mas makers, calypsonians and dancers representing Trinidadian culture and had the distinction of being the only DJ chosen to travel with the group.
Don’t be mistaken, Dr. Jay is not committed to the music alone. He dedicates all of his spare time to his son and also finds time to be charitable. He has been known to volunteer his time spinning at charity benefit events and makes a habit of collecting non-perishable items at his own parties to donate to the Daily Bread Food Bank.
Never content to rest on his laurels waiting for bookings to come to him, Dr. Jay feels that the natural progression in his careers is to take his kingdom internationally. He plans to bring his popular parties around the world. He also has plans to enter the production field forming the Emergency Room Production Team.
With all of his accomplishments it remains the fans and listeners who keep him playing the music. As he says, "That moment when you can drop a certain song and make someone hold their head and close their eyes in pure astonishment is amazing. I love that".
