The Rounds: Big Baby Announcement!

Good Evening Soca Lovers, I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. This is a big news week.  So listen to my every word, you don’t want to miss a very big announcement coming at the end.  

The drama continues after The Caribbean Prestige foundation staged their prize giving ceremony in Port of Spain last week Friday.  Triple crown carnival star Fay Ann Lyons and her husband, Bunji Garlin, still haven’t receive prize money for their 1^st and 2^nd place finishes at the International Soca Monarch competition, held in February.  Instead, they got all dressed up to bring home letters, saying the cash and prizes were withheld because they didn’t to sign contracts before the show.   So it’s their fault, right?  Wrong!  According to management, the Soca couple didn’t get even get contracts to sign until after the competition... and when they did, the paperwork in question enforced a mandatory donation be made to the Foundation.  That’s like buying a roti, and you not allowed to eat it unless you give back  a piece of goat to de cook.  Steups...I wouldn’t sign that either.  So many artists are kinda vex with the situation, although some did sign the contracts to get 95% of their appearance fee.  Others signed NADA, and still got paid the taxed amount.  Can you say unprofessional?

There is one soca monarch competitor, who’s actually smiling after news they received from the Caribbean Prestige Foundation.  St. Vincent’s Skinny Fabulous got a call to tell him that he was awarded the honour of “Best Stage Presentation”, for his space age rendition of Head Bad (On the Spot).  If you didn’t see it, Skinny filled the stage with an army of Jedi space men, dressed in white...and appeared in a flying saucer....well, it wasn't FLYING! But it WAS a pretty spaceship, hand built and welded mas, covered in shear silver fabric.  The original concept earned him a trophy.  Cash...mussee hard to come by these days.

Benjai, who placed 3^rd in the Groovy Soca Monarch turned 33 last Sunday.  To celebrate, he partied it up at the 601 Liquid Lounge in San Fernando Trinidad.  He even treated the audience with a special live performance.

As I move away from all things to do with Soca Monarch, Antiguan artist Pince of Fame is making a temporary move away from Soca.  He released dancehall track yesterday called “Sweet to the heart, bitter to the belly”.  It’s on the Don Official label distributed by VP records. Prince of Fame rose to popularity last Summer with The Times Table song, for Antigua Carnival.  But no fear, there will be soca music on his upcoming album, due out in June.

Last but not least!  Just 4 weeks and one day after the birth of Bunji and Fay Ann’s beautiful baby girl...I finally get to tell you what her name is.  I spoke to the proud parents this morning, and got their blessing just for you. Ready?  Announcing Syri Lyons Alvarez, that’s S-Y-R-I, Lyons is the middle name, and well...you get it.  Congrats again to the new parents, hope allyuh get your money. 

I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds.  For more soca news, check out the Nurse Karen Etc blog at Mustard Seeds dot net. And scoop up the podcast at Soca Therapy dot com slash the rounds.

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