The Rounds - January 28, 2007

Good Evening Soca Lovers! I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s rounds.

It’s been a fun week in the world of soca music, let ME tell YOU. With several islands throughout the Caribbean preparing for carnival, there’s no shortage of great new music…and a healthy dose of competition to keep the quality at its best.

Down in Martinique it’s all about mizik veeday. That’s quite literally the music of mas. For those of us more familiar with the music of the English Caribbean, the best way to describe it…,is Super fast zouk - filled with sexually charged lyrics, kinda like soca, but all sung in Creole.

Dominica’s carnival is now in full swing too. Mas Domnik is touted as the most orginial carnival in the Caribbean celebrating Soca, Zouk and Bouyon. It also gives special attention to the islands indigenous carib people.

Guyana’s soca monarch contenders are vying for the chance to steal the crown right off Adrian Dutchin’s head…but not if I have anything to say about Dat!

More news from the Mastamind camp. Music man Shawn Noel just announced that he’s doing his part to bring soca to a broader audience. Now, fans of the various Mastamind projects will be able to purchase their favourite songs from itunes. And If you’ve ever searched itunes for soca - you’ll know it’s long overdue. Until now, the most you could get is…the SOCA THERAPY podcast. Not that I complaining….but I’m happy to see something that will put some money directly in the pockets of Caribbean artists.

Speaking of the soca audience…a popular Caribbean web community will soon be the subject of a song by Problem Child. This past week a discussion about the new song by Kevin Lyttle and Problem Child, turned ugly. One poster decided to get personal making comments about the artist and his sister. Sources say Problem Child is fighting fire with the fire he knows best. He’s already been in studio recording a tune making reference to certain commess loving forum posters using their screenames. So allyuh who love gossip...let that be a lesson to yuh.

Woy…like I said, this week is pure kicks. Allyuh know that I enjoy working with the doctor…but not just that, I respect the man as a person. Lots of people respect him, yes…and I mean everywhere. They damn well just wan’ be de man. The longer I bring you the rounds, the more I realize it. In 2005, it was a radio show in St. Kitts with a segment called Pan Moments. In 2006, it was a radio show in Antigua called Soca Therapy. In 2007, they’re taking it out the studio and into the dancehall...and its getting closer to home. A group of promoters in Brooklyn New York are in the midst of organizing a fete called “Doh Cry Ah Leaving”…and it’s not even the first time. I thought that was funny enough in itself…but what was even madder is that one of Dem Boys and Dem messaged me on MySpace asking me if Dr. Jay would mind if I post his bootleg flyer on MY PAGE!!!! Cheeez!

I’m nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Please send your comments to soca at flow 935 dot com. Now back to de doctor.