The Rounds - April 30, 2006

Dr. Jay’s Rounds
Karen Richardson
April 30, 2006
Good Evening Soca lovers! I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds.
The month of May begins tomorrow…which means a whole lot of college and university students are finally done exams. Congratulations! The day I wrote my last exam a few years ago, I jumped on a plane straight for the sunny Caribbean. So, if any of you bright kids have same bright idea as I did, I have a few super sandy suggestions.
It’s a great time for a carnival, what do you think? The festivities in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands wrapped up yesterday. But in St. Maarten they’re still fete-ing for 4 more days. St. Maarten’s carnival pulsates to all the rhythms of the Caribbean. So if you want soca and calypso, you’re covered. Same goes for Reggae and Dancehall too. Last week, Destra wowed the crowds in the same show as Alison Hinds, Baby Cham and iWayne (Ah wonder what Bunji woulda tink bout dat)
Don’t forget, Dutch is the mother tongue on that island, so don’t expect to only hear music sung in English. Zouk, Konpa, Salsa and Merengue all come from different ports in the Caribbean Sea…so today all is fair in music and mas’ at St. Maarten’s Grande Parade.
Granted, there’s not much time left to catch that party…so here are a few more you could ask your travel agent about.
Caymen Islands’ Batabano Carnival will be in full bloom from May 11th to 13th. Caymen Carnival was established in 1984 by the Rotary Club. It’s influenced by the many cultures and ethnicities that call the country home. So, if you know anything about the Caymen Islands, then you know that it’s a pretty popular place to live for Caribbean folk who work in the financial sector. So ladies, if you go down to check out the massive carnival vibes, be sure to check for the massive carnival wallets…while you’re at it. Trust me, you could do a lot worse than a Caymanian man.
Speaking of men who ain’t doing so well…I just heard that Vincentian cutie Bomani is in all kinda pain. (I know… I am a heart breaker, but you can’t blame me for this one, babes.) Bomani was performing in Brooklyn, New York two weeks ago where he fell during a show and injured his jaw. No word on how his singing voice is holding up. But his 2006 Vincy Mas releases are well underway…so if you were planning to visit SVG to see if the man who says HE IS SOCA can get back the monarch crown, Bomani hopes to be sounding and looking sweet in time for July.
Last night, a popular night time lime in Antigua launched the local Carnival in divine style. Thousands of young Antiguans packed Da-G-Spot for a party that combined soca performances with high performance motor bikes. Now dat is fete! The crowd got to sample the upcoming releases from Claudette Peters and a host of other Antiguan artistes all backed by Da Bhann. Plenty of time to find a flight down there, since the main event doesn’t hit the road until August.
At any rate…congratulations to everyone who got through the school year in one piece, and if you’re not heading south to the sun and sand…there’s no reason you can’t soak up all the sweet soca right here, every Sunday from 6-9
I’m nurse Karen and those are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Send your comments to Soca at FLOW 935 DOT COM. Now back to de doctor…

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The Rounds - April 23, 2006

Dr. Jay’s Rounds
Karen Richardson
April 23, 2006
Good Evening Soca lovers! I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds.
Spring started a month back, but now I finally believe it. I’ve put away the big coat (for now), and I’m happy to see the sun has begun to wake up before I do.
So, I feel like it’s time I get allyuh ready for Summer. Yesterday our friends in Jamaica jumped and waved all over town for the Kingston Road Parade. Tonight is what they call the “Last Hurrah” and then it’s over for another year. Here in Toronto, it’s only the beginning. Toronto Carnival is scheduled to hit the Lakeshore with a bang over the August Long Weekend. So, if you pay attention, you’ll notice that the bands are launching…and the gyms will soon be packed with people like me who want to get their bodies ready for the revelry.
H20 Phlo released their second album last week and they’re hoping to gain the attention of international audiences with this one. But, there’s another soca group from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands that is already poised to take the music world by storm. Elvis White is a singer/songwriter whose talents were first recognized by the legendary Monserratian soca crooner Arrow. Elvis moved to VI, formed a band with his name and the rest as they say is history. The group is nominated for a Reggae and Soca Award. They just toured Europe with the Fugees. Yes Dahlin, by Fugees I do mean Lauryn, Pras and Wycleff. Their first North American release featuring Akon will hit the airwaves on May 16th.
Now, we all can name a soca artiste or two who has had their day in the sun with one hit song. And I can’t predict the future, so who knows what will happen for Elvis White. I can say, however, that the record company doesn’t appear to be sparing any expense. They’re working with producers who’ve made hits for Rupee, Kevin Lyttle, Nas and Michael Jackson. So, I’m wishing them all the best as soca music continues to climb to the big time.
In Montreal this week, soca music is climbing to the big SCREEN. Every year the Vues D’Afrique Festival celebrates the cultural contributions made by Africa and its Diaspora. This rounds the festival is screening a documentary out of Trinidad called “Calypso at Dirty Jim’s”. That name might strike a chord with some of the big people listening. Dirty Jim’s Swizzle Club in Port of Spain Trinidad was considered to be the most famous place in the world to see live Calypso. The club is gone now, but the film depicts interviews and performances with the greats who used to play there like Bomber, the Mighty Sparrow and Calypso Rose.
Nowadays the hottest place to hear soca music, is right here on FLOW 935. And your best source for the latest carnival news, is with me…right heh pon de roungds.
So, as the weather warms up and all-o-we does fix up we-selves for Caribana (or whatever dey go call it). Stay tuned for de latest.
If you’ve ever played mas’, you know that there are certain rules of the road well worth following as you chip behind de truck. Simple tings like why you shouldn’t pack curry to eat if you go be in de sun whole day. And why yuh hadda wear comfortable shoes. Doh be dotish ladies, if I catch allyuh jumping up in stilettos expect no pity from me.
Well, we have plenty time to prepare your Carnival survival kit, so check back with me between now and Caribana…and I’ll mek sure yuh ready ready ready!

I’m nurse Karen and those are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Send your comments to Soca at FLOW 935 DOT COM. Now back to de doctor…

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The Rounds - April 16, 2006

Dr. Jay’s Rounds
Karen Richardson
April 16, 2006
Good Evening Soca lovers! I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds.
A happy Easter to one and all…and to those who are celebrating something else, I hope allyuh happy too. I find it real hard not to smile this time of year. When I was just a small ting in caskadoos, I used to put on a brand new dress as colourful as carnival Tuesday to wear Easter Sunday morning. New shoes too. Well times tough child, and I can not afford a great big hat…but truss me, if yuh hunting for easter treats, look no further. Your resident nurse combines all yuh favourites: dais right babes! i round, i brown and i sweet. BALANCE!!!
While we’re on the subject of chocolate, I hadda have a quick word with the ladies. Remember me talking about the Carib Soca Monarch in Guyana. Well, God is good, ah tell yuh. I see a picture of him for the first time this week. Adrian Dutchin is a work of art. Let me put this in perspective for you. Not only is the man a prize winning soca artiste, he also looks like a cross between Fifty Cent and Pharell Williams. Take a moment, visualize. Yeah, I’m looking for a cheap flight to Guyana too.
If Dutchin is not your style, perhaps you prefer the long haired locks of Kes Diefthaller or Maximus Dan. Those two Trini Soca Stars are about to send a whole set of female fans screaming at Soca or Die Four. Did you remember to buy your early bird tickets, like I told you? I hope so, because those guys just got a little bit more famous. Last week two Trini songs were added to the soundtrack of a much anticipated video game. (hahaha) (I know de men ears must be perk up now). Fighter by “Maximus Dan” and “The Calling” by Kes The Band were selected for the sound track of EA’s 2006 FIFA World Cup. So whether you like to bunn’ your precious time on Xbox, Gamecube, PS2…or one of the others. At least, now can listen to soca while you do it!
Big News in Toronto this week as well. We’re lucky here to have a wide variety of musical and cultural programming available, no further than your radio dial. On Sundays, you get the best of the best with Doctor Jay (and me!) on Flow 935, right here on Soca Therapy. The Caribbean and African Radio Network just got their license approved by the CRTC. That means there will eventually be a station in the T-Dot broadcasting the diverse music, news and views of Africa and the Caribbean.
So what did I tell you, people? Nothing but the sweetest news this week. Next weekend Jamaica carnival with come to a grand climax with the road parade through Kingston, and based on the kind of fun they’re having so far…it go be sweet as well.
I’m nurse Karen and those are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Send your comments to Soca at FLOW 935 DOT COM. Now back to de doctor…

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The Rounds - April 9, 2006

Dr. Jay’s Rounds
Karen Richardson
April 9 2006
Good Evening Soca lovers! I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds.
Next weekend is Easter and that means different things to different people. For some Christians in the Caribbean the holy period of Lent that began on Ash Wednesday will finally come to an end. So if you’re fasting chocolate, or sex, or rum…doh worry babes. Yuh getting yuh life back just now.
There’s a priest in Barbados that thinks the whole country should be abstaining from Calypso. He says Trini entertainers are violating the religious observance. There’s a big show called Calypso Spektakula…and the priest wants the government to do something about it.
Well, the show will go on, but somebody ought to tell de Father doh worree. Barbados ent going to hell in a hand basket just yet. The BAJAN entertainers are celebrating lent by starting a new initiative to educate the locals about HIV and AIDS. Soca artistes like TC and Nathalie Burke met to discuss ways in which they can begin to change peoples’ thinking and actions through music.
Now over in the UK, SOCA was the biggest thing to hit the news this week. Only, dem brits weren’t talking about music at all. The government launched a new investigations unit called – the Special Organized Crimes Agency. S-O-C-A. SOCA! Am I the only one that finds that a bit funny? The only organized crime I does see at a fete is Mr. Oughta Time with his occasional waistline violation. And as meh good friend Rupee likes to say, doh blame it on he, blame it on the music.
Well, I’m sure I’m not the first to tell you that Soca or Die 4 is coming up Victoria Day Long Weekend. This is no small ting, yuh kna! We’re talking about Destra with her band Atlantik, Maxamus Dan and Kes The Band. I know what you’re thinking. It’s barely even Easter, so why am I rushing you so? People, I does do what I do out of love. Ah just want YOU to save a little money. Hey…I’m a nurse, if I don’t take care of you, who will? Once again Dr. Jay is providing an opportunity for his loyal listeners to snatch tickets for this much anticipated event at a reduced price…but only for a limited time. So hear me out. Next Saturday morning, you can’t afford to sleep in. Tell yuh mommie yuh taking your fried bake to go. Wash yuh face and get to a ticket outlet, you won’t be disappointed.
I’m nurse Karen and those are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Send your comments to Soca at FLOW 935 DOT COM. Now back to de doctor…

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The Rounds - April 2, 2006

Dr. Jay’s Rounds
Karen Richardson
April 2, 2006
Good Evening Soca lovers! I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds.
After giving you all the latest in the world of soca last week, I decided to take a little vacation. The world is small, and life is short…so there’s no time like the present to get out there and see what’s lays beyond your doorstep, nuh true?
I’m coming to you from Washington D.C., so naturally, I have travel on my mind.
Problem Child got the travel bug too. You remember that song “Mad”? It’s the crazy stampede-like party tune that relaunched Problem Child’s soca career after about an 8 year absence. Well, that song became a huge hit in Europe…and next Sunday, Problem Child will be headlining a big zouk show in Paris France. If you don’t know what zouk is…think again. Predominantly, It comes from Martinique and Guadeloupe and it shares similar rhythmic patterns with soca. The main difference is language. Zouk songs are sung in French or creole. So next time your at Dr. Jay fete and you hear Kassav singing “Zouk-la-se sel medikaman nou ni”. Remember, you who told you what’s what!
Travelling back to Jamaica. It’s carnival time there right now! The Bacchanal Jamaica carnival road parade coincides with Easter Weekend. So that means two more weeks of none stop soca in reggae land. Jamaicans can look forward to performances from Denise Belfon, KMC, Shurwayne Winchester…and so on…and so on…and so on.
Soca fans are up in arms about the so-called official tune for the Trinidad and Tobago Soccer team. Two men in Leeds, England (neither of whom have ever lived in TnT) claim that they will be responsible for the official Soca Warriors Anthem. Here’s the deal. The team we loving call the Soca Warriors comes from the land of…Soca and Pan of course! Trinidad and Tobago has a rich musical heritage…and has a host of brilliant soca stars who have already recorded songs in support of the team. Enter Choque Hosein…a forty-something musician in the UK who called up the Football Association in Trinidad to find out if there was an official song. Well guess what, there’s not. So, he and his partner have renamed themselves the TnT soca boys to get the job done. If you ask me there’s already an anthem..and it goes a little something like this… “I’m a soooooca warrior, I say win or lose, I’m a fighta. I’m a sooooca warrior. I come to shine meh nationality brighter.” That’s the Maximus Dan tune. But Bunji’s got one, and Toronto’s own Kabulus has one too. So, if you ask me relying on a dude in England who thinks soca music has only been around for ten years is a baad move. No worries, your Nurse has de solution. Why don’t all the artists get together and release a CD with all the unofficial tunes. And the proceed can go to buying me a ticket to the world cup in Germany.
I’m nurse Karen and those are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Send your comments to Soca at FLOW 935 DOT COM. Now back to de doctor…

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