The Prognosis - December 18, 2005

Soca Prognosis
Karen Richardson
December 18, 2005
385

Good Evening Soca lovers…
It’s your resident Nurse, Karen bringing you your weekly PROGNOSIS….
One week to go until Christmas…and I just can’t wait. I love everything about it. Food, fun and family. And the music of course!!

Our friends in St. Kitts, Monserrat and St. Croix are now in the middle of vibrant carnival celebrations. St. Vincent’s streets are bumping as they count down nine mornings. The parangderos are spreading that festive Spanish vibe all over T&T. Here…we’re buried under mounds of snow and credit card bills….but that’s OK. It’s still the best time of the year.
Following four days of eliminations, it was announced Thursday that 16 out of 53 kittitian calypsonians have advanced to the semi-final round of the 2005/2006 calypso monarch competition. It remains to be seen if defending champion Socrates will walk away with the title for his fifth time. The man is good, but the question is…how does he measure up against veteran favourite Ellie Matt. Matt has been absent from calypso competitions for several years, but the ten time calypso king of St. Kitts and Nevis is back for 2005. The final battle goes down December 30th.

Every week, I bring you the latest carnival news…and it’s always the same thing. King dis. King dat… Even here at soca therapy I have to play second fiddle to De Prince. But that’s OK. So, what about the queens? Caribbean carnivals always devote much time and attention to Queen Shows. (Errr…beauty pageants) And if you don’t already know, that is serious business in the West Indies. Antigua Carnival does not jump off until July, buy a bevy of beauties are working the make the cut right now. The Antigua and Barbuda carnival development committee starting taking applications for the hotly contested Queen of Carnival pageant yesterday. Ladies between 18 and 25 looking to represent their island paradise to the fullest have just two weeks to register.

Lastly, If you’ve been asking Santa for a ticket to Trinidad for Christmas, don’t fret if Santa saves some money and books it for January instead of late February for the parade of the bands. Good news is the calypso tents will be opening their doors on January 27th…and that just might be your best bet to witness the humour, politics and creativity that makes carnival so wonderful. So, just be smart….take the early ticket…then call your boss from Maracas beach and tell him you’re real sick. Doh worree….I go be sick too.
I’m Nurse Karen, And that’s your weekly prognosis

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Now back to de Docta