The Rounds: Recognizing Achievement in Soca

Originally Aired on Flow 93.5 FM, "Soca Therapy" with Dr. Jay de Soca Prince


In this edition:
- Showing appreciation
- Antiguans pay homage to Claudette Peters
- DJ Tony Tempo joins Whoo Kid's DJ Fraternity
- Shal Marshall's B-day
- SAO Soca Awards nominees out
- UK Soca Music Awards last night

Good Evening Soca Lovers,
I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. This week the soca world took time out to show some appreciation. Even in Toronto, last night top mas bands Carnival Nationz and Louis Saldenah threw big appreciations fetes for their revellers.

Right now, this evening the Antiguan community in New York is getting together to recognize ITS own. Four time Party Monarch Claudette “CP” Peters was flown in to receive the Salome Drysdale award for her contributions to the development of Carnival, culture and the promotion of Antigua and Barbuda worldwide. The award, is given by the Antigua Progessives Society, a Harlem-based social organization that has served New York’s Wadadlian Community for the last seventy five years.


Tony Tempo and Nurse Karen at Soca Awards 5 in New York
Recently, Atlanta’s DJ Tony Tempo made a power move that he hopes will fly the soca flag higher. The mixmaster best known for his various soca remixes recently signed on to DJ Whoo Kid’s Shadyville DJ Fraternity. For the hip hop lovers out there, you know Whoo Kid as the official DJ of G-Unit. What you may not know it that he’s Haitian and has a passion for Caribbean music. Tony Tempo is first soca DJ to join the team.

While we’re on that subject, I may as well mention another popular DJ who celebrated a birthday just yesterday. I’m talking about Shal Marshall, who beyond being a popular radio and club DJ in Trinidad, is also a husband, father, and SOCA ARTIST. Happy Birthday Shall...Hope it was a good one.


Shal Marshall and Nurse Karen at UWI Splash 2009, Trinidad

The other big excitement this week was the announcement of the 2009 Nominees for the International Soca Awards. Please don’t get it confused with the ones happening in England tonight. As usual, some of the selections were a surprise even to me, but none the less, artists are getting excited about the voting which opens this week. Congratulations Tdot’s own Kerwin Du Bois, Shyann Bailey, Toronto-Lime dot com, and the Enforcas Soundcrew on their nominations.


Inside the Flow studio with Shyann Bailey

As for the UK Soca Music Awards, our fellow soca lovers got together this evening to honour top achievers in the industry at the 2nd annual Soca Music Awards. The audience paid forty pounds a ticket to see performance from the likes of Scrappy, Soca Johnny and Miss Desire. It’s nearly midnight there, so I would imagine most of the results are out, but YOU will have to visit Nurse Karen dot com for that.

I’m Nurse Karen and those were doctor Jay’s Rounds. For more information on any of the new items mentioned today, be sure to check out Nurse dash Karen dot com, or follow me...NurseKaren on Twitter. Now back to de Docta!

Love and Soca,

Nurse Karen