The Rounds - July 22, 2007

Dr. Jay’s Rounds
Sunday July 22, 2007
Karen Richardson

Good Evening Soca Lovers, I’m nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been here to tell you what’s new in the soca world…and I’ve missed allyuh so much.
I was down in St. Vincent for the 30th anniversary celebrations of Vincy Mas…and let me tell you...THAT WAS BACCHANAL. If you haven’t heard yet, Fireman Hooper is once again the soca monarch with a song called Charge. You should have seen him running up and down the stage dressed like a wizard, waving his magic wand. The whole crowd was spellbound...and so were the judges. Ranking him first overall for the third year in a row and the 6th time in his career. Second place went to Lively for “We Drinking”. I wanted Dr. Jay to fully appreciate the IMPORT of a song about mixing all of the local liquors together for a special carnival brew. So, I had every intention of bringing back a few of bottles for the soca prince to try….but unfortunately, by the time I had left St. Vincent the duty free shop at the airport was clean out of rum. Not a drop ANYWHERE!!!! Maybe that would tell you what kinda fun people had in the fetes. So I guess he’ll just have to get down there NEXT year to try it for himself. Miss Zoelah, is real excited about her upcoming show at KOS j’ouvert, especially now that she’s 2nd runner up for Soca Monarch of SVG.
For all you PROBLEM CHILD fans out there. Everybody get MAD…because this year HE is the ROAD MARCH KING. The tune is called Party Animal…and while a lot of people were unhappy that a song that heavily samples Kassav’s Zouk –LA took top prize for road -- There’s no disputing the fact that NO CHUNE was more popular.

Special Big Up to Jamesy P for hoisting me onto his J’ouvert truck. Seeing all of Kingstown wild and dutty in the early morning sun is a memory I will never forget. For these and other tales of mas and fun in the July sun, check Toronto-Lime this week for Nurse Karen’s Vincy Mas diary.
Last week the action jumped one island north to St. Lucia. Teddyson John took the crown for groovy soca monarch. And just as predicted, Ricky T’s Pressure Boom WALKED away with road march, playing two and a half times more often than the next tune: Blah Blah, by Kakal. But second place isn’t a bad finish for the newly crowned Power Soca Monarch if you ask me.
By all reports, this year’s Caribbean Soca Monarch Show was a big disappointment.

Congratulations, none the less, to St. Lucia’s own Ninja Dan for taking the crown. The organizers might want to look into the reasons why 4 of the twelve international competitors pulled out at the last minute. I’m no genius, but if I was an artist, I’d have issues if I found out that radio stations were actually PROHIBITED from playing MY foreign song until two days before the competition. That makes it virtually impossible to score big points for crowd support. I doh know…I’m just saying…
With Cropover and Caribana and Antigua Carnival just two weeks away, you can count on de nurse, to give you just what you need.
I’m nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Text me your comments to 9-3-5-9-3-5. Now back to de docta!

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The Rounds - July 1, 2007

Good Evening Soca Lovers,
I’m nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Today our great nation of Canada is celebrating one hundred forty years of togetherness...and being a Canadian of Caribbean heritage, that is something I can real celebrate. Here in Toronto, we have the best of the best…living side by side with all the cultures of the world. And we, de people of de Caribbean bring the beauty of our traditions and beautiful music to audiences that otherwise woulda neva know just how sweet it is!
And when you talk about sweetness the first thing that comes to your mind if you know anything about anything, is Soca Therapy’s own “Soca Sweetness” On Friday, music was flowing like golden honey up at de Ramada hotel in a sticky, but sweet celebration of ten years in de business. Congrats ba-by!
The togetherness vibes are building in St. Vincent as the whole country prepares for MY arrival. Well not so, but they celebrating 30 years of July Carnival over the next week…and I jumping on de next flight. Last night, Machel Montano closed out de fete at the Arnos Vale Sporting Complex…where the talk of the night was Problem Child’s new tune “Party Animal”. The crowd was chanting “Oooo Oooo” all morning …and Machel joked that he might “quote-unquote” “borrow de idea” and take the tune to number 1. Well, they say imitation is the greatest form of flattery…but if yuh ask me, begging for a next lawsuit is the greatest form of dotishness. Over so, in Montreal, Carifiesta is back next weekend. If you need a little warm-up wine for caribana it go be nice.
St. Lucia is next up, as Ricky T’s “Pressure Boom” gets some added adrenalin thanks to a remix that features none other than Mister Vegas.
Another Lucian to watch is Q-pid…and is not just because she have a stomach like a six pack of Carib! The 27-year-old singer has four chart climbing singles this season including Tremors, which came about as an extempo freestyle on a riddim, Fire Waist, Outta Time Whine, and MAD…Again.
In the last 3 years the amount of soca songs that came out with “Mad” in the title is enough to make you wonder if insanity is ah part o we culture too. Over in gorgeous Barbados the decision makers at the CBC are giving me reason to confirm my speculations. If you were listening last week, you heard me mention a new tune called “Blaze it Up” by Jabae featuring Trinidad’s Mr. Vybe. Well, the brand new tune just got banned from the airwaves in Barbados due to questionable lyrical content. Well, if you’re asking the question…the problematic lyrics were “Sparkin’ Up de Flames”, but to many ears it sounds like sumting the good people at FLOW would prefer me not to repeat.
So we go leaved dat one alone as we look forward to finishing of this “weekend of togetherness” in style. Then we celebrate de soca way…is news from everything you heard today plus the latest from Soca 4 Summer, Caribana, Antigua, Grenada, Notting Hill and Brooklyn…so stay tuned.
I’m nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s rounds for Canada Day 2007. Please text your comments to 9-3-5-9-3-5. Now back to de Docta.

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