Nurse's Lounge: Hype at Hibiscus Happy Hour

In this here soca world, no matter where you go, you will encounter the egos, the icons...and those who are blissfully unaware that they fit into either category.  There are other groups as well...my favourite being, the GRINDERS.  In South Florida, one of the hardest working soca advocate is a DJ by the name of Barrie Hype.  No doubt you've heard me mention the name before.  Apart from doing the radio DJ thing, and the TV host thing for Carib Link TV, Barrie looooooooooves the artists.  My man is requested time and again to run tracks for performances.  Several up and coming artistes, particularly from islands outside of Trinidad prefer to have him act on their behalf as manager whenever they are in town.  And...well...you know...I know...what goes on behind the scenes too....Barrie occasionally takes a lil cut as a booking agent (y'all didn't hear that one from me).

Barrie Hype making us jump like Carnival Tuesday

The business IS beyond all else, a hustle.  You have to know what you have to offer, and be pretty darn good at articulating that, or you get left behind.  It is what it is, and even though the one they call HYPE and me may disagree sometimes over how much is too much, when it comes to MC'ing over music, far be if from ME to knock ANYONE's hustle.


But none of that is the reason for this post.  Barrie Hype's game steps beyond hustle at every turn.  In my opinion, the Lucian born, Bajan educated DJ is a friend of the music.  You've got to be a friend, when you call up top promoters to offer services FREE of charge for causes you believe in.  You've got to be a friend when you invite artists, media and other hustlers to make use of your spare bedroom so you can personally expose them to the local scene.  Only a friend uses his BBM to assemble, artists, managers, DJs, media and anybody else who matters for in a humble Caribbean Sports Bar for Networking. 


Barrie mixed the tunes Live to Air for the listeners on 102.1 FM Real Deal Radio.  Hibiscus Restaurant took care of food and drinks.  Meanwhile, the room blossomed with activity as producers shopped rhythms to artists, international borderline collided, phone numbers were exchanged, and the soca world as you would have it in Miami, grew smaller...into a community.  

Nurse Karen and Tizzy after our chat

I took it in for myself last Thursday afternoon, so is not just talk ah talkin'.  I co-hosted an hour of the radio show with DJ Smallie.  Then Tizzy and Rohan from El a Kru  breezed through for a live interview.  I chatted with her about her new album "De Road Show", as well as some of her aspirations for the upcoming 2010 season. 


BVI's Mr. Network, Kamau was inna de Building.  He blew our minds with a couple of big R&B projects he's working on as a producer.  We also got to hear some more Caribbean inspired creations he had under his belt.  Don't be suprised if "somebody" who was in Miami for Carnival, ends up on one of those tracks.  St. Vincent's Problem Child showed up at Hibiscus directly from the airport...and caught some jokes, drinks and a good plate of food.

Problem Child just touched down 

It's times like this, that make us love what we do.  It felt good to lime with FRIENDS in the MUSIC. The next day I couldn't make it out again, but the lime grew to include Blaxx, Olatunji, Rita Jones, Bunji and Fay Ann Lyons.  I really wanted to go...but real talk...I had no ride.  


Next year, I'm getting a rental.  Barrie...thanks again for organizing that.  I think we all moved an inch or two in the right direction as a result! 


Love and Soca, 


Nurse Karen

Kamau at Hibiscus (Sunshine, FL on October 8, 2009)