His Father Wanted a Doctor. He Chose Music | Carl “Beaver” Henderson

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His father wanted him to become a doctor. Carl “Beaver” Henderson imagined that future—and realised he could be successful and still be unhappy.

He walked into his pre-med exam, handed in a blank paper and never went back.

This week on The Corie Sheppard Podcast, we sit down with musician, producer and pioneer Carl “Beaver” Henderson for a conversation about choosing your own path, challenging convention and helping shape the sound of Trinidad and Tobago.

Beaver takes us inside his sessions with Shadow and Lord Shorty, his unexpected first assignment producing Denise Plummer, and the early experiments that helped soca evolve. He also shares the remarkable story of Marlon Asher’s “Ganja Farmer”—from getting little encouragement from radio to finding an audience far beyond Trinidad.

We explore:
• Leaving medicine for music—and the rift with his father
• The lesson Shadow taught him about a “wrong” chord
• The Last Supper and his early band days
• Funk, technology and the evolution of soca
• Why he believes competition prizes can limit creativity
• The making and breakthrough of “Ganja Farmer”
• His account of early chutney soca experiments
• Why young creatives need opportunities and support

A conversation about trusting your instincts, staying curious and refusing to let other people define your future.

Subscribe and join us in the comments: have you ever had to choose between the life expected of you and the life you wanted?

Support The Corie Sheppard Podcast on Patreon for early access and extended conversations.

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