The Rounds - August 20, 2006

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jays rounds. This time of year I always get a little emotional. So bear with me today as I mourn the passing of the Summer carnival season in the Caribbean. We were spoiled for a while getting new music from just about everywhere…but now it’s nothing but blues. Back from vacation, back to school, back to reality.

Grenada wrapped up their annual Spice Mas Carnival last week in style … and in case you still don’t know. Mista Killa is the double soca monarch champ. He ran away with Doggie’s groovy title…singing the ever-so-sexy Spice Isle Rock. And he secured himself as the hometown hero in Gouyave when he won the International Soca Monarch title with “Warriors” at Tanteen last week Saturday.
Now for a special public service announcement in regards to Spice Isle Rock… Dat tune bad ya kna… I can not enough of it. So if any of you promoters or DJs want to make a quick buck off of me, Send a me letter stating that you absolutely promise to play Mista Killa’s groovy tune at your next fete…and I give you my word…ah coming to de party.
Alrighty den…So spice mas wrapped on Tuesday…and Killa didn’t win roadmarch. Believe me that’s okay, you have to spread the wealth. Special congratulations go out to Soca Banton for flattening St. Georges to the tune of “Ova U Head”…and while I’m sending shouts to my Greenz Crew. All de man dem dey pon Brian’s block…hope allyuh had a nice carnival and Bucky de Rastaman big. Up. unnu . chest.
As I was saying party time is almost over in the West Indies for a little while, so it’s time to entertain ourselves a little closer to home. This weekend is Ottawa’s big Jump Up. While the display in the nation’s capital is considerably quieter than the way we throw down in the t-dot it’s still a great celebration of Caribbean beauty and creativity. This year Explainer and Eddy Allen brought entertainment to the road which is carnival enough for me. Any time Explainer picks up a microphone believe me when I say, Ah shaking meh background fuh dat.
Next week the party moves to Jolly Old England for the 42nd annual Notting Hill carnival. Organizers state they are expecting more than one million visitors to cross the pond for the festivities. That would be a marked increase from last year’s party tally which was negatively affected by the London terrorist incidents last July. This year they want to squash all that with a theme that reminds us of what carnival is all about. “Aspiration and Achievement in Unity”. Good on you Brits! Good on you! (Do then even say that?)
Well, I don’t know for sure, but I do know this. While our English friends are jumping up in the road next weekend, Our American friends will be doing the same thing in Boston. Beantown boasts one of the big three Caribbean carnivals in the US in my opinion. If you’re looking for big entertainers…you’re better off checking the vibes in the UK, but Boston knows how to get muddy for j’ouvert…and for that ..ah just have to smile. If you’re heading down next weekend. Walk with some clothes you never want to see again, a water bottle and a garden hose. Tantie Jill ain’t letting you she house painted in blue.
I’m nurse Karen and those are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Send you comments @ your Spice Isle Rock pledges to soca at flow 935 dot com. Now back to de docta.