Arrow

A founding father and leading purveyor of soca, a Trinidad-based blend of soul music and calypso, Arrow is best known in the U.S. for having written "Hot, Hot, Hot" - an international hit for the singer in 1983, but an American hit only as it was covered in 1987 by Buster Poindexter (David Johansen's lounge-lizard alter ego).

The youngest of nine children, Arrow listened to American R&B on the radio while growing up in Montserrat. He began composing calypso songs at a young age, earning the island-wide title of "calypso king" in a 1971 competition. He retained the title for four years and in 1974 started releasing albums on his own label while supporting himself by selling insurance and running a men’s clothing store. In 1983, with numerous LPs already to his credit, Arrow signed with Chrysalis Records. Subsequent singles such as 1984’s “Long Time” and 1988’s “Groove Master” proved popular in British and American dance clubs, but the singer’s ebullient melodies and seductive rhythms never made him a big star outside the Caribbean. Having switched labels repeatedly throughout the ’80s, Arrow returned to releasing his own albums in 1991. He continues to draw crowds at calypso and reggae festivals.