The Rounds: Machel to release a steelpan tune

Good Evening Soca Lovers, I'm Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay's Rounds.

If you are a fan of this radio show, you probably agree that soca is not just for Summer or even Carnival time.  It's music, so it's great for a workout, and even better for having a good time.  Barbados' Soca Duo, the Fraud Squad recently found themselves very pleased to learn that people in Toronto actually know how to respect soca music beyond the Caribana Season. Toronto's own locally produced TV sitcom, Da Kink in My Hair, just signed a licensing deal to use two Fraud Squad chunes in season 2 of the program.  Keep your ears open for the songs Haunted and Bring Drinks the next time you're watching those wacky gals at the salon.

    Looks like the TV world knows what's up, and the hip hop world does too.  The Ying Yang twins needed a hot remix for their song Dangerous featuring the likes of Wyclef Jean.  And what could be hotter than soca?  The twins reached out to St. Lucia's top production duo, Penn and Ace to give the song that festive island flavour and the rest as they say is….Dangerous! 

            With so many people beginning to realize the value of our beloved soca music, it's no surprise that the soca community is coming together to fight for its due respect on the internet.  There's a new initiative called Bring Soca to MySpace that is working to get MySpace dot com to create a soca category in its music section, and to develop  a sub-site for the English-speaking Caribbean.  For more information, log on to groups.myspace.com/socanow. 

At Broward Carnival 2008, with Trini Chutney Soca star Rikki Jai

            Who's ready for mas? Trinidad carnival has now begun!  The official launch of Carnival took place in Port of Spain on Friday...and officials say they are not concerned about the economic downturn.   Be that as it may, many artists in the chutney soca genre were a little disappointed to learn that the prize structure alotted for the Chutney Soca Monarch competition on February 7th have been reduced for 2009.  Rooplal Girdharrie won $200,000 TT last year, plus a car and other prizes.  This year, it's just the cash. That's basically cutting the value of the top prize in half.

In Toronto with Machel Montano, December 2007

           One never knows what to expect at Carnival.  And the guy who's most likely to keep us guessing is Machel Montano.  The soca star recently had a video shoot for a commercial for his signature event Alternative Concept.  This year's theme will be "Heavenly Drums".  Machel is seen playing steelpan while accompanied on keyboard by Phase 2 bandleader, Len Boogsie Sharp.  The image is out of the ordinary, but understandable when you find out that the defending champions of Panorama 2008 will be competing this year with a pan tune recorded by Machel himself.  The song is called Magic Drums, it was written by Kernal Roberts, arranged by Sharp and by all accounts, it's a real contender.