The Rounds - August 19, 2007

Good evening Soca Lovers, I’m nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s rounds. Grenada carnival wrapped up on Tuesday. And Congratulations are in order for Berbice. Traffic was THE chune heard most often on the road, beating out Ah Cyah Hear by Lava Man, and Tall Pree’s Trees.
Sadly, There won’t be any carnivals in the West Indies for a little while now, but THEY can’t expect the rest of us to stop de jumping. Yuh gah be real athletic to keep up with all the carnival action, so ah feel we ought to light a torch and send it rrround the world just like they do for the Olympics. So from Grenada, we passing we soca torch to Ottawa, then it’s going to Boston and Notting Hill, England. We blazing right back to Barrie, Ontario on September 1st. They will be hosting their first ever CaribFest just north of Toronto. Then dat torch lighting up the sky in Brooklyn a few days later.
I’ll be completing MY personal carnival marathon for the Summer in London and New York. Next Monday, you’ll find dis Vincy Vixen on the road with Poison UK before crossing the ocean for the 5th Annual International Soca Awards.
I f you haven’t cast a vote yet, now is the time to show your support for our very own reigning BEST INTERNATIONAL Soca DJ…Dr. Jay de Soca Prince. He’s looking to take the title again this year, but that can only happen if you take the time to VOTE. Head over to triple W dot Soca Awards dot com and show dem boys exactly why Toronto IS Soca City.
Well, if back to back wins isn’t reason enough to believe dat Dr. Jay is a soca Olympian, how about this? VP Records is bringing the 7th edition of D’Soca Zone to a record store near you. The two disc collection of soca favourites from the year gone by, features a bonus CD mixed and hosted by de docta he-self. So if you’ve been wondering where to LEGALLY buy songs like We Ready to Go, Hott Spot or Flames. Here’s your chance.
Speaking of great BAJAN chunes…A date has been set for the 2008 edition of the Barbados music awards. If you love the creativity and sweetness of Bajan music of EVERY genre, January 27th is THE night. The Sir Garfield Sobers Complex will come alive to celebrate the very best.
I’m Nurse Karen and those were Doctor Jay’s rounds. Please text your comments to 9-3-5-9-35. Now back to de Docta!

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The Rounds - August 12, 2007

August 12, 2007
Dr. Jay’s Rounds
Good Evening Soca Lovers, I’m nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Everytime time Caribana finish, I feel as though summer nearly done. Once my skin get bun up from playing mas, I figure it’s time to roll over and await the inevitable cold season. Well, not so on the sunny shores of the Caribbean. De hottest time of the year, NOW start!
Monday was the Grand Kadooment in Barbados, the final climax on the Crop Over calendar. Mas players were a little upset that the big parade was soaked with rain, but they made the most of it anyway. The soppy weather slowed down the pace from a jump to a chip, and Mr. Dale went home as road march king for Soka Junkie.
Over in Antigua Lord Satalyte made up for his second place finish at soca monarch...by leaving all competition in his dust come Carnival Tuesday. Antigua’s new road march is a chune called OK Papi. It’s one them songs nobody knows the right words for, but they love it bad!
For all the carnivals this year, we got to enjoy seeing a few new faces in the limelight. Seems like the people have spoken and it’s time for something new. Down at Spice mas they tried something new LAST week, when they held the first ever Village soca monarch competition. Ten soca artists were selected to represent their home towns, competing for soca supremacy. The inaugural Village Soca King is Lavaman with his smash hit Ah Cyah Hear. He beat out Tallpree’s “Trees” and Berbice with “Traffic”.
Gouyave posse, I hate to say it, but you weren’t placing in the village show, and the luck wasn’t THAT much better on the national stage. Mr. Killa has been officially dethroned of both his soca monarch titles. At the Groovy competition, Wednesday , Killa had to give his crown to last year’s Calypso King, Finley “Scholar” Jeffrey. Landing himself with a measely 8th place finish for his country-style soca tune, Rider.
This weekend, insult was added to injury as Killa had to settle for third place in Power Soca behind Luni Sparks and Eliectrify and Inspector.
Up here in Ontario, some of us continued to jump up at Hamilton Caribbean carnival yesterday. Glue guns and safety pins gave last week’s Caribana mas a last hurrah in the sunlight. If your feet, still have a little bounce left next weekend…head over to Ottawa for the grand finale of Caribe-Expo…The parade is on Saturday, just be sure and dry clean yuh costume!
I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Please text me your comments at 9-3-5-9-3-5. Now back to de docta!

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The Rounds - August 5, 2007

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m Nurse Karen and these are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. This is it Toronto: Caribana 2007! 40 years of mas in T.O….and we’ve STILL got it.
Congratulations to Jamaal Magloire and the Toronto Revellers Mas band for stopping Carnival Nationz in their tracks. The larger than life presentation of Viva Las Vegas clinched the band of the year title, denying last year’s winners their highly anticipated 3-peat. Instead Carnival Nationz had to settle for 3rd place, right behind longtime favourites, Louis Saldenah’s Mas K Club.
Friday night, the action was at Pan Alive…and there’s no doubt the music was sounding sweet, sweet, sweet. So sweet the judges and them had a hard time picking a winner. In the end, Salah’s Steelpan Academy from Montreal caused a major upset on Toronto turf. Rivals Pan Fantasy, Afropan and New Dimension left Lamport on equal footing, stunned…in a three way tie for second place.
Did you see how pretty the pretty mas was looking on the road yesterday. Sure, all the sexy Toronto men and women could take credit for that. But you really have to big up the bandleaders, mas designers and mas men and women for building some of the most spectacular big costumes Toronto has ever seen. If you were fighting up to get a glimpse on the lakeshore, do yourself a favour and buy yuhself a ticket to the king and queen show next year. That is theatre and pageantry….Masquerade at it’s best. Congratulations to Barokeete Canada’s Joanne Boisson for winning Female Individual of the Year. And Carnival Nationz Kurt Alexander, Tamara Alleyne Gittens, and Rudy Rampersad for winning top prizes for Male Individual, Queen of the Bands and King of the Bands respectively.
For all the bajans and Antiguans who weren’t able to find an outrageously priced flight to this year’s cropover and carnival festivities…let me tell you what you’ve missed. Over in Antigua, they’re celebrating 50 years of Carnival. As predicted last week, Claudetter Peters is once again Soca Monarch and Little Rick was Crowned party monarch last Sunday in BIM. His win was overshadowed, however, by a terrible car crash that claimed the lives of six barbadians on the way to the show. Allyuh remember to be safe on the roads as you enjoy the carnival. We want to see you again next year.
On a lighter note, Mr. Dale was just crowned the Peoples Monarch for Soca Junkie. As the Winner, he earned himself a brand to mazda sedan…The problem is… my man doesn’t exactly know how to drive. But don’t laugh too hard. Since they started giving out cars at these shows, he’s the seventh artiste to win that has no experience behind the wheel. Whappen tu yuh bajan posse…allyuh have the flattest island, with the safest roads…and if they sharing out cars…the least you could do is get a license.
I’m nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s rounds for Caribana 2007. Please text your comments to 9-3-5-9-3-5. Now back to de docta.

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