Corie Sheppard Podcast

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After that conversation with Kenny Phillips, we had to do this!

Here’s a special bonus episode featuring the actual music he spoke about—Machel, Baron, chutney soca beginnings, and more.

Enjoy!

#coriesheppardpodcast #kennyphillips #soca #calypso #trinidadandtobago #bonusvibes #wackradio

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This week on The Corie Sheppard Podcast, we sit down with Kenny Phillips — legendary guitarist, producer, studio owner, and the cultural force behind WACK Radio. From playing with Kitchener and Singing Sandra to mentoring a young Dexter Simmons (who went on to engineer for Beyoncé and Michael Jackson), Kenny shares the untold stories behind soca, calypso, chutney soca, and ragga soca.

We trace his journey from building a home studio on a quarter-inch tape machine to producing over 500 livestreamed shows during COVID, and launching WACK Radio despite being told, “nobody wants to hear that music 24/7.” He unpacks the difference between arrangers, beat builders, and producers, and shares how songs like Boom Boom Time, Feeling It, Watch Out My Children, and By All Means came to life.

This episode is a living archive — of innovation, resistance, and the evolution of Caribbean sound.

🔗 Click the link in my bio for the full episode

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This week on The Corie Sheppard Podcast, we sit down with Glen Niles, founder and president of the Down Syndrome Family Network. What started as a deeply personal journey—navigating the unexpected birth of his son Tyrese with Down syndrome—evolved into a national advocacy movement challenging outdated systems, stigma, and silence.

Glen shares the emotional rollercoaster of diagnosis, surgery, and early parenting, and how anger turned into purpose. He opens up about building the Down Syndrome Family Network from scratch, pushing for inclusive education, workplace integration, and most importantly, disability legislation in Trinidad and Tobago.

This is a powerful story about resilience, fatherhood, social transformation, and the fight to move from charity to rights. It’s about what happens when we stop seeing disability as a limitation and start seeing people for their full potential.

🎧 Available now on Apple, Spotify, YouTube & more

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This week we welcome the ever-relevant, ever-fierce Kurt Allen — calypsonian, social commentator, and one of only three people who have won both Calypso and Soca Monarch. 

From his early days as a teen composer to leading Roy Cape All Stars and shaking up Skinner Park with hard-hitting commentary, “The Last Badjohn of Calypso” holds nothing back.

We talk competition politics, getting toilet paper in Skinner Park, and the fine art of saying what the people feel — without fear or favour. Kurt breaks down the discipline behind his performances, his years shaping young talent, his experiences in band culture, and his daughter Chocolate’s journey from homeschool to international performance stages.

We also get into the rise and fall of calypso tents, his work with Caribbean Vision, living with the Marley family in Jamaica and his commitment to using calypso as a real-time tool for social and political truth-telling.

This one is about legacy, purpose, and lyrical duty.

🎧 Tap in and click the link in my bio for the full episode
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On this week’s episode of Corie Sheppard Podcast, we sit  with Muhammad Muwakil — poet, performer, and frontman of Freetown Collective.

From his early childhood in Carenage to growing up at the Jamaat al-Muslimeen compound on Mucurapo Road, Muhammad shares a deeply personal account of life before, during, and after the 1990 attempted coup. 

He opens up about community, and what justice really meant to him as a child watching the world shift.

We explore how Freetown’s music became a vehicle for honesty, healing, and cultural reflection — and why soca, storytelling, and spiritual vulnerability matter more than ever today. 

He breaks down the band’s creative process, the importance of balance in  music, and the origin stories behind songs like Feel the Love, Take Me Home, and Space for a Heart.

This episode is a reflection on identity, intention, and legacy — and a must-listen for anyone invested in the future of our culture.

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On this week’s episode of The Corie Sheppard Podcast, we sit down with Colin Lucas — the voice behind “Dollar Wine” and a pioneer in soca and band culture. From the foundation of Sound Revolution to his corporate leadership roles at the Port Authority, TTPost, and NCC, Colin reflects on a life that moved between big stages and boardrooms.

He shares the true origin story behind “Dollar Wine,” the groundbreaking journey of Sound Revolution, and how hits like “Stay,” “Shake It,” and “Football Dance” came to life. We talk about live music vs. backing tracks, the storytelling missing from today’s soca, and the challenges of being “the executive” in a world that didn’t know where to place him.

This one is a tribute to legacy, sound, and purpose — and it just might change how you hear soca forever.

Click the link in my bio for the full episode

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We finally get a chance to catch up and talk about the election results and some other matters at hand.

Enjoy!

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This week on The Corie Sheppard Podcast, we link up with friend of the show, Kiegs - one of the best voices in Soca Parang and the life of many a wedding. From his early days performing at company competitions and house to house parang to becoming one of the most sought-after hosts in T&T.

Kiegs shares the heart, hustle, and humour and the stories behind the journey. We talk music, culture, Christmas vibes, and the magic of making a crowd feel joy — no matter the season.

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In this unforgettable episode, we sit  with the legendary David Michael Rudder—poet, prophet, and one of the most powerful voices to emerge from Trinidad & Tobago. Rudder speaks openly about his journey through music, from the early days with Charlie’s Roots to his solo classics that became anthems for the Caribbean spirit.

He shares deeply personal reflections on living with polio since childhood, his recent Parkinson’s diagnosis, and how he continues to push forward with courage and grace.

 Rudder also talks about bridging the generational gap, why connecting with today’s youth matters to him, and the enduring power of calypso to tell our stories and shape our future.

It’s a rare, moving, and inspiring conversation with a national treasure.

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In this episode of The Corie Sheppard Podcast, I reason with the one and only Ozy Merrique — entertainer, producer, author, and visual artist whose fingerprints are all over Trinidad and Tobago’s creative landscape. Ozy takes us back to his early start on Party Time, shares the hilarious story of how he borrowed (and somehow never returned) David Rudder’s classic 1986 Calypso Monarch outfit, and reflects on building spaces like Jam in the Junction, the weekly showcase that gave countless local artistes a stage before they had one.

We also dive into his life as a published author and his work as a painter and visual artist, exploring how his creative expression evolved beyond the stage and into new mediums.

Of course, no lime with Ozy would be complete without some laughs — including the unforgettable saga of Suck Tongue Sabrina that had the whole set nearly falling off their chairs!

From the early hustle to a lifetime of artistic contribution, Ozy’s journey is a reminder that real creativity never stays in one lane.

Help keep Jam in D Junction alive — click the link below to support Ozy’s GoFundMe

https://fundmetnt.com/campaign/raize-a-light-support-local-talent-with-jam-in-de-junction-season-3-beyond