The Rounds - October 22, 2006

Good Evening Soca Lover’s I’m nurse Karen and these are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Happy Diwali to one and all!!! Two weeks till Soca or Die 5 and I’m ready to light it up. Can’t lie. We celebrating Doctor Jay’s Birthday and he shipping up half of the Caribbean to do it. Mr. Vybe, Peter Ram, Benjai, Lil Rick, Michelle Sylvester, Kimberly Inniss, Nadia Batson, Barry Chandler ( hold on, let me catch me breath) Ms. Alysha, Problem Child, Terry Seales …and Mr. Isaac Blackman. Woy woy!

I better start doing meh stretches from now. It go be a whole set of jump and wave and bump and wine. And I could barely wait. Birthdays are the perfect time for celebration. I find most people don’t make time to celebrate life and I hadda ask you…what on earth are you waiting for?

Last month Kimberly Inniss celebrated her 25th birthday at the Weiser’s Bar in Barbados. The evening was a celebration of all the blessings that have come her way in recent years. She cut the cake with special man in her life, her little son, Malik. The evening was also the launch party for her first album “Come with me”. The CD fuses soca and reggae together in a unique way – A way that shows off Kimberly’s gifts as a songwriter, composer and arranger.

I’m thinking those mussee de same gifts that landed her a second place finish in last year’s Eastern Caribbean Digicel Rising Stars competition. She came second to a gospel artist from St. Vincent, but Kim is not suffering at all. Exposure from the TV show has made her a household name in Barbados and an inspiration to young girls as well. Ah feel she go be inspiring a whole lot of young men come November 4th too. Hips and ting mesmerizing…(steups) Dr. Jay, … fadda raise up yuh bottom lip.

A few days prior to OUR big birthday fete Trinidad will be hosting a major celebration of its own. The COTT Music Awards will be happening at Queen’s Hall on November the second. COTT is a copyright organization so, it honours songwriters and composers. And many of them are coming to Soca or Die Five. Nadia Batson is up for Female Songwriter of the year and Best Groovy Soca. Michelle Sylvester is up for best new songwriter.

I checked the list for Reggae and Dancehall and was surprised that I didn’t’ see Isaac Blackman’s name on the list. Sometimes I have to remind myself to be patient. Blackman’s song may have blazed right up to the ceiling of all the music charts in T&T, but it’s still too new for any nominations. Blackman happens to be the son of Ras Shorty I. If you’re a true soca lover then, you’d know that Shorty is credited as the man who first created the soca sound , a blend of African and Indian rhythms that we all love so much. So, his son is singing something groovy that’s sounding like reggae. I wouldn’t sweat it too much. He has good music in his blood…and that is enough for me.

Blackman is definitely not the only artist making music most people wouldn’t have expected. What about Ms. Alysha? Her sound is not your typical candy wrapper sweet. This girl is considered the baddest female lyricist, bringing a hardcore ragga style to her music in a way we usually only hear from men. This month Ms. Alysha lent her voice to the new Thunder Cat Riddim which also features Maximus Dan and Jadee…and next month she’ll be lending she voice to sing me and de docta happy birthday. I hope hear allyuh singing too.

I’m nurse Karen and those were 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 - October 15, 2006

Good Evening Soca Lovers,
I’m nurse Karen and these are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. With less than one month to go before Soca or Die five…I’m starting to feel the anticipation in the air. Personally, I think de good doctor gone mad bringing every artiste and they brudda up to celebrate he birthday. But I tell you, when you’re the Prince of Soca, there’s no better way to show the city how much soca has been part of your life, than to throw a party the city will never forget. I’m real looking forward to it. Last week Doctor Jay mentioned that I will be marking a birthday too….dancing into the night with a slew of soca Scorpios -Murda!
This week, MTV Tempo finally released their birthday celebration plans as well. And guess when is their big party… that’s right! Saturday, November 4th. The big anniversary fete goes down on the island of St. Croix. It will feature performances by Shurwayne Winchester, Saucy Wow and a couple of others. But nothing like what we’re doing here. We packing up de KoolHaus with Doctor Jay and a truckload of his soca friends. I don’t think allyuh understand how excited I am to see Kimberly Inniss and Lil Rick perform “My Hips”…oh gosh L’il Rick people!!!
Oh-Kay…back to de rounds. Last week I let you know that Jamesy P was chilling at home rather than going down the road with fellow hit maker Jason Benn in Miami, That’s OK, because it turns out Mr. Benn was doing just fine on he own. Benn took away the 2006 Miami Soca Monarch Title last weekend with a song called “Who to Choose” It appears that the judges chose him. The Trini born singer is based in Brooklyn New York and is known there as a top promoter of Boat rides and Parties. He’s also known for his golden voice, having won New York Soca Artiste of the year four years ago at the first ever international Soca Awards.
I love it when hard working people get their due recognition. Benn is a songwriter too. In the past, he has composed songs for Denyse Plummer, Natasha Wilson, and Candy Hoyte.
Jason says he’ll be stepping it even hotter this year. He wrote a song for Destra called “ I dare you.” And although he hasn’t performed in Trinidad for carnival in three years, he plans to break that habit in 2007.
While we’re talking about hard workers who hadda get they props…I want to direct your attention to Doctor Jay de Soca prince. After all these years of Soca therapy, dat man been busting he hump to give you the very best in soca music. He works plenty hard and understands that sometimes when you’re busy, it’s good to get a little help. Lucky for me, because if wasn’t for Jay, Nurse Karen wouldn’ta ha no wuk.
And I must say, I’m thankful. Since I started bringing you the rounds, I’ve been learning something new every week. This week I found out a little something about my own heritage. Los Angeles carnival takes place in the community of Westchester. It’s home to a good sized Caribbean population as well as lots of Garifuna people. This is especially interesting to me, because of my own Garifuna ancestry. The Garifuna are a mixed race people who are the descendants of Shipwrecked African slaves and Amerindians who lived in St. Vincent. 5000 of them were exiled from St. Vincent when the British colonized the island. So, LA carnival has a slightly different sound track. Soca – Check!, Calypso – Check! And Punta…. Sounds similar to soca, it’s sung in English and Garifuna and comes from Belize, Hunduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and everywhere else large Garifuna populations are found. Maddzart performed last night at a huge Punta meets Soca fete. And right now, he’s joining the action on the road. I definitely have to join that action one day too. Punta music is plenty fun to dance to. And with that I bid you “Bwee-tee Gunyon”, I mean Good Night…
I’m nurse Karen and those were Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Send your comments to Soca a Flow 935 dot com. Now, back to de docta.

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The Rounds - October 8, 2006

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s rounds for Thanksgiving weekend 2006. All week long people have been asking me when is my flight for Miami. Well, I don’t know who tell anybody I was going down for carnival. It’s no secret that Nurse Karen loves Carnival. But it’s also no secret that I love meh family more. It’s Thanksgiving Sunday, here in Canada. That is a time when my family congregates to thank God for a glorious bounty of blessings throughout the year. And when my mommy throws down in the Kitchen…I does thank God fuh she as well.

So, no Miami for me this year…but if I was there, you’d find me on the road right about now, enjoying the setting sun as the picturesque backdrop to the soundtrack of my life…sweet soca music.

I’m not the only notable carnival absentee, ya know. Dr. Jay is still here making you wine from 6 to 9. and you know that man does usually be wherever de vibes and dem playing.

You didn’t hear it from me. But Vincy Roadmarch King Jamesy P called Toronto today from his home in Tortola where he was spending a leisurely Sunday morning. That might not sound strange to you, but I had to make sure I was hearing right. Because the last thing I heard from Jamesy P was the "Miami Remix" he just recorded with Jason Benn. Maybe you’ve heard it….In fact I know you’ve heard it, because Doctor Jay gave it a spin last week. “If yuh looking for we, we up in Miami…we head gone and we feel tipsy, we up in Miami”. Wooyyy…is a big tune…and when all those Toronto people get back from Miami, somebody needs to tell me if it wasn’t THE anthem down there. Only problem is Mr. Miami HE-SELF is playing hooky in the Virgin Islands. Small ting.

Allyuh remember “who let the dogs out? Nah nah, not dat one. De original one. The late nineties soca hit that mashed up Trinidad carnival, Caribana and everything in between. I remember that song. And I remember it being plenty better than the version that won international attention. The Baha Men, a group from the Bahamas re-released the tune that was originally written and performed by Toronto-based Trinidadian Soca man Anslem Douglas. Allyuh remember him? Well, I hope you didn’t forget…because although he’s been faint on the musical landscape, he hasn’t gone anywhere. Not too long ago he had a West Indian grocery store out in the East End. And really, the only reason he ain’t been putting out new songs is….he’s been recovering from the legal headache that resulted from fighting for some recognition after his song made it to the Billboard Charts with no mention of its creator.

This Thanksgiving, I’m thanking MY Creator for Anslem Douglas. I just heard that he’s been hanging out in Trinidad, recording new songs with some well recognized producers in the business. We’re talking Leston Paul, Neil Bernard, Junior Joseph…and Kerwin DuBois right here in Toronto. That is right… Mr. Douglas is coming back. And I HOPE…he’s coming strong. Allyuh get ready…Anslem go let de dogs and dem out on November 7th, when his brand new 11-track CD is released at the Trinidad and Tobago Consulate in Toronto.

I’m nurse Karen and those are Dr. Jay’s Rounds for Thanksgiving 2006. Remember to be grateful for all you have, especially dat big fowl in the middle of de table.

As always, send your comments to soca at flow 935 dot com. Now, back to de docta!

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The Rounds - October 1, 2006

Good Evening Soca Lovers. I’m nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Perhaps you’ve heard our favourite Doctor will be celebrating his birthday Next month. I know we only just made it to October, but it’s never too early to think about how to take better care of yourself as you gently creep along to old age!
It’s not just soca DJ’s that have to mind they health. We all do. Start with what you could manage. Keep your stress level down. Keep your head up! High on de almighty. Stay out of trouble and exercise…even if is just half hour on the elliptical every time you’re procrastinating on yuh homework.
You know I give good advice. So, listen up! Here’s what could happen if you don’t.
Antiguan Soca Icon Oungku is recovering this weekend after an ATV accident. (Ladies, it means all terrain vehicle. You know, dem four wheel motor bike kinda tings. The bandleader of Red Hott Flames is dealing with some Red Hott Back Pain since he fell off his machine at Friars Beach. That’s some kinda irony considering his song “Quad Ride” made the sport vehicles the number one must have items in Antigua this summer. He’s not a new rider, but it appears de man was not paying attention to a chain crossing his joyride path.
Pain and ting could age you quick. And so could stress I tellyuh. Well, a former Lucian Calypso King is trying to bring his blood pressure back down after being told he could not compete in the World Calypso monarch competition. Wulstan “Walleigh” Alfred was St. Lucia’s 2005 Calypso monarch. Last week, he was told to pack his bags because the reigning king “Bachelor” wouldn’t be able to make the trip to TnT to rep their country in the Carifesta show. When Walleigh got to Trinidad, it was a different story. The Trinidad Unified Calypso Organization denied him the opportunity to peform because he didn’t win the title this year. And he vex, ya know. Walleigh says he’s upset because he doesn’t think the organization is abiding by its own rules. Apparently St. Vincent’s 2005 Calypso queen was in the same boat…and SHE got to take the stage at the semis. Walleigh dahlin, if you’re listening take it easy…cuz girlfriend didn’t make it to the final round anyway. So YOU can relax and enjoy your FREE trip to Trinidad.
It’s one thing to stress yourself out, but it’s much worse to stress out the people you love. Which leads me to Lavaman. The former Grenada soca crown contender mussee lun he lesson now. Back in August cops found ganja and a gun in his car, after shots were fired at a fete in Victoria, St. Marks. He and his crew were officially charged with possession last week…and placed on $8000 bail. Which is no small amount for country people working for EC dollars. He must be grudging Mr. Killa bad bad now…because that soca monarch money would have come in real handy right now.
Sometimes despite your best efforts things happen sometimes that turn your black hairs grey. I’m sure you all remember when poor Grenada fell victim to hurricane Ivan. The old people say, when life gives you lemons, yuh hadda lemonade. Ricardo Keens Douglas did just that when he wrote the hit play AYE AYE AYE IVAN. It focuses on the positive steps Grenada is making as it recovers from the atrocity. The play is heading to London England just in time for their Black History Month.
Trinidad is also recovering from a shocking blow. On Thursday the island was hit with an Earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter Scale. Cell sites along the East-West corridor collapsed, and the Trinidad Hilton incurred some structural damage…but unlike regular folk, the Hiltons and them could afford it.
As we get older, we have to remember that everything we do affects our health and the quality of our lives. This Afternoon Elvis White brought entertainment to the 17th annual walk to cure diabetes in Manhattan. Diabetes is an illness that affects people in the Caribbean at a disproportionably high rate. So, it makes sense that a soca ambassadors from the sugar islands lend their voices to make a change.
Now, if we could just get Dr. Jay to lay off the sweets.
I’m nurse Karen and those are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Send your comments to soca at FLOW 935 dot com.

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