Guyana's Own Pierre Dasilva
Guyana's Own Pierre Dasilva
Who is Dasilva?
“I developed a love for soca because of how it actually made me feel. There’s no gun bars in soca, no badmind bars. It’s just happy music.”
If you partied in Guyana in the 90s, you may remember him as High Tech, but with growth and maturity in the music industry, Pierre Dasilva has embraced his authentic self and now simply goes by Dasilva.
DJ DMZ with Vybz Kartel
Dasilva grew up in Agricola, Guyana and developed a love for music as a deejay. His musical career began at age thirteen with local music group High Tech Sounds, where he would often play family and local parties. Honing his deejay skills allowed him to understand beats, melody, and how songs can create energy. At the age of nineteen, he moved to Barbados to expand into songwriting and working with renowned radio personality DJ DMZ.
Despite starting in the reggae scene, Dasilva quickly realized that his true love was soca. He wanted to create music that promoted joy and “once soca hold yuh, there’s no going back.”
His first soca hit was called “Mad, Mad,” a song that would take him to Guyana’s Soca Monarch finals. Despite not having the time he wanted to practice, his team coordinated with dancers and stage techs to give the people a great show. Over the next few years, he would get booked around the Caribbean and work with many regional influencers.
“I am doing this my way.”
As a new artiste, it is easy to get caught up in the hype of performing on national stages and touring the region. Despite this success, Dasilva (still going by High Tech) did what no one saw coming - he stopped performing. He wanted to slow down and understand the business side of the music industry. This included getting vocal training, media coaching, and observing the soca scene as a patron. During this two-year hiatus, he discarded the persona of High Tech and embraced his own personal style and reemerged on the scene in 2009 as simply Dasilva.
The rebrand allowed him to provide more authentic songs and stage performances. “Whenever you see me on stage, you know, it’s high energy, a lot of interaction. It’s me doing what soca is supposed to do - make everyone happy.” A prime example would be his performance of “Freedom at Last” featuring Chrissy D at the Barbados National Stadium. “That’s really made me feel myself as an artiste. The performance was great. The vibes, the energy was great.” The song was written to celebrate being back on the road after the Covid 19 quarantine. The duo ended up winning People’s Choice in Barbados.
“Drunk” is his 2025 Cropover offering, although the sentiment of the song can apply year round. “Why get sober just to get drunk again?” The question arose as he was out with friends going from fete to fete. They intended to go home and hydrate and then regroup afterwards. One friend asked, “Why get sober, if we’re just going to get drunk again?” A familiar conundrum for those of us who go from party to party during festivals. The question stuck with Dasilva and like any creative, he turned it into what will likely be a fete lover’s anthem.
The recurring question invokes the call and response that soca is known for and its content is lighthearted - perfect for the party scene. The track marks Dasilva’s first-ever collaboration with Marzville, who is also known for his soca hits like “Give It to Ya” and “Bam Bim”. Dasilva also sought out production team Fraser Recordz, who have worked with other noted Guyanese artistes Jumo Primo and Tameka Marshall.
“Drunk” blends traditional soca elements with hip hop intonations and groovy melody to represent true Caribbean fusion. Originally recorded in New York City, the song was later reworked and finalized at Marzville’s studio in Barbados. If you’re familiar with the BK Rant and Rave podcast, you know that SocaSaySo and I have urged artistes to create music that will have legs and can be played beyond Carnival. “Drunk” is definitely a song that will resonate with soca/carnival/party lovers around the world.
When he’s not in the studio, Dasilva manages a marine construction company in Bridgetown and has recently taken up tennis to ensure fitness and stamina as he brings his high energy to many Cropover stages.
Stay up to date with Dasilva on social media. Follow Dasilva.Music on Instagram, and Dasilva Soca on YouTube and Facebook.
Listen to “Drunk” on all streaming platforms and check out my full interview with Dasilva on Soundcloud.
