The Rounds: Was a soca nominated for a "Canadian Grammy"?

Originally aired on "Soca Therapy"
Flow 93.5 FM Toronto (Sunday, April 18, 2010)
with Dr. Jay, Marxman and Nurse Karen

- Montreal Soca DJ gets nominated for a Juno Award (Canada)
- Machel gets 5 IRAWMA nods (Trinidad / USA)
- Happy Birthday 5Star Akil (Trinidad), and Jalena (BVI)
- BVI Music Fest line up announced (BVI)
- Kerwin Du Bois and Farmer Nappy to perform in Toronto (Canada / Trinidad)

Good evening Soca Lovers,

I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Tonight the Canadian Music industry is gathered to distribute the Juno Awards in St John’s, Newfoundland. We will all the nominees the best of luck. It’s exciting to see the international appeal of Canadian music growing each and every year.

Now, we all know there’s no soca category at the Juno’s, but this year there happens to be one song nominated in the Best Reggae Recording Category that the producer himself considers to be a variation of soca. If you get a chance, get online and look for “Wha-la-la-leng” by Face-T, produced by Montreal touring DJ Ghislain Poirier.

Ghislain Poirier and Nurse Karen in Toronto 2009

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The tune was originally recorded for Poirier’s 2009 Running High EP, for which the whole team gave a live performance right here in Toronto two Thursdays ago. A win tonight would be highly unlikely for such a hard to categorize song, but none the less, 3 snaps for soca!!!

So if half of a song in the wrong category doesn’t exactly satisfy your craving for soca music at an awards show, might I remind you that the International Reggae and World Music Awards are set for May in New York. Not only are Fay-Ann, Skinny, Alison, Machel and others nominated for top honours, (Machel leading the race with 5 nods), but a few of them will be performing live....AND... you can still vote online to support your favourites. Check them out at I. R. A. W. M. A. Dot com.

Nurse Karen with Machel Montano, Toronto 2007

Today’s happy birthday greeting go out to DJ Five star Akil’s in Trinidad. You heard me mention his unfortunate multiple gunshot wound incident last week. I’m sure like never before, he’s celebrating life. On Wednesday, BVI songstress Jelena will ring in her special day.

Knowing Jalena, the celebrations probably started this weekend, since it was officially announced that she will join a cast including the likes of WCK, Gyptian, Nina Sky, Fantasia Barrino and Harella to perform at the 2010 BVI music festival at the end of May. The weekend long festival draws talents from across the Caribbean, and the United States to the British Virgin Islands.

Nurse Karen with Birthday Day Girl Jalena in St. Vincent, 2009

If you’re looking for something to do this Friday, why don’t you come and join de Doctor at Best Fete Forver aka BFF, with special guests Kerwin Du Bois and Farmer Nappy. It’s a party with a purpose, so be sure to attend with lots of canned food in tow, to help the Daily Bread Food Bank and to get in for a special discounted price.

Kerwin Du Bois and Nurse Karen in Washington, D.C, 2009

I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. For more info on everything shared tonight. Check me online at Nurse Dash Karen dot com, or follow me “Nurse Karen” on Twitter. Now, back to de Docta...


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The Rounds: Usain Bolt jumps into the action for Bacchanal J'ouvert

Good Evening Soca Lovers, I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Jamaicas two carnivals come to a dramatic end this weekend. Friday night, revellers, artistes and local heros got together in a cloud of mud, powder, paint and water for Bacchanal J’ouvert. Jamaican dancehall king and carnival lover Sean Paul, was sorry he had to run away from the excitement early to catch a flight to Australia, but the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt was in no rush for J’ouvert to end. Nope, not at all...he was in the middle of the action at Mas Camp in Kingston covered from hear to toe in Blue and White paint!

Photo of Usain Bolt courtesy of www.jamaica-gleaner.com

Over in Virgin Gorda, King Paido won his 4th Calypso Monarch Title with the songs “Time to Check Ourselves”, and “Dey Pon Farmville” a chune about that game on Facebook that half of you are probably playing right now. So now he’s got four wins in Virgin Gorda, the last being in 2000, to match the four wins he has in Tortola as well. If you ask me, there’s a good reason they call the man King.

St. Thomas has crowned their first ever party monarch last weekend, and HER name is Rudy! The addition of the competition, is a definite step in the right direction for Soca Music in the US Virgin Islands. The tune is called Pressure Me and a video for said song is just around the corner. So don’t forget to check me for that when the time comes.

After this weekend, the next big carnivals on deck are St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia. But New Yorkers will be plunged headlong into both carnivals before the soca lovers in the island even get to. Last night in Brooklyn, the Vincy community paid tribute to one of its best loved calypso and soca artists, POORSAH. This year marks 30 years in the biz for the iconic political and social commentator. Known for his tiny stature, nasal voice and frantic running and pacing on stage, Poorsah has 5 road march titles under his belt.

Poorsah at SVG Soca Monarch Semifinals, 2008

St. Lucians in New York are gearing up for... “I must be in dat” the event dubbed as the Official US launch of St. Lucia Carnival. It will feature 2010 mas presentations from a variety of popular mas bands, top DJS, and of course, performances from a cast of St. Lucian artists. I think the best thing about it is that Brooklynites will get a chance to register for Lucian Carnival costumes on site, before they even book flights to head to home in July.

When I was in Trinidad for Carnival, I was surprised to turn on the TV and see that Akil Borneo, a popular DJ on 96 We FM had put out a song as a soca artist under the name 5Star Akil. Well, that same guy made news for a completely different reason this past week. On Thursday Akil narrowly escaped death after being shot 5 times in St James Trinidad. He was rushed to hospital where he was swiftly operated on. While he’s not completely out of the woods yet, the good news is, he is in stable condition with hopes to recover.

My shot of Akil on the mic Carnival Tuesday 2009 with Evolution mas band, Trinidad

Before I go, special belated birthday greetings go out to Knycky Cordner who celebrated her special day on Monday in Trinidad. Patrice Roberts turns 25 today, and Sizwe C turns 30 on the 16th. Happy Birthday to all. I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. For more info on everything I mentioned tonight, visit me online at Nurse dash Karen dot com, or follow your favourite non-medical Nurse on Twitter. Twitter dot com slash Nurse Karen. Now back to de Docta!

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Booster Shot: 96 WE FM DJ shot 5 times in Trinidad

Akil Borneo

Disturbing news out of Trinidad last night.  Popular 96 WE FM disc jockey Akil of Associate Degree was shot five times  in the area of St. James.  Thanks be to God, he managed to survive, but he's in hospital.  I have heard conflicting reports of his present condition. For the 2010 Carnival season, he tried his hand at being an artiste, under the moniker, 5Star.  

His first release was a song called "5 Star Bumper" for which the below video was produced. It  received fair rotation on the nation's music channel, Synergy TV.

Stay tunes for updates as they become available.






My thoughts and prayers are going up on your behalf today, Akil.  Here's hoping for a fast and complete recovery.

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