The Rounds: October is Calypso History Month!

Originally aired on Flow 93.5 FM's Soca Therapy with Dr. Jay de Soca Prince, Sunday, October 4, 2009

In this edition:
- MSU Carifest (USA)
- UK Soca Music Awards Results (UK)
- IMA names Kes the Band "Spotlight Artist" (USA)
- Roy Cape to be honoured at Word Creole Festival (Dominica)
- Ras Shorty I Tribute and birthday (Trinidad)
- Bomani's birthday (St. Vincent)

Good evening soca lovers, I’m Nurse Karen and these are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. It’s October! We already know that next weekend is Thanksgiving and Miami Carnival. But are you aware that the entire month is Black History Month in the UK and Calypso History Month in Trinidad? If you ask me, the two go hand in hand. So let’s celebrate!

Yesterday 275 Caribbean Students in Texas took time out to educate the population of Midwestern State University about Caribbean Music and Culture at their campus “Caribfest”. Students from a variety of islands packed everything from Steelpan, and Soca, to yummy Caribbean treats into just a few hours of Carnival to show of their pride and power inspite of their very small numbers.

Last week during the Rounds, the London Soca Community got all dolled up in suits and dresses for the 2nd annual Soca Music Awards. Congrats go out to all the winners. Honourable mention to Scrappy for winning Best UK Soca Track, AND Best UK Male Soca Artist. Miss Desire took best UK female. The international acts voted ...The Best were Destra, Brother B and Kes the Band!

Nurse Karen with Nigel and Kees from Kes the Band (Toronto, 2007)

Speaking of Kes the Band, this past week, they were named and the 9th Spotlight Artist by the Independent Music Awards. Pretty great exposure for a Soca band!

For generations when Calypso and Soca lovers have thought of bands, and musicians, Roy Cape is one of the first names that comes to mind. Just found out that he will be receiving a special honour at this year’s World Creole Festival in Dominica. It’s the first time a country outside of Trinidad and Tobago has paid tribute to the veteran bandleader.

Nurse Karen with Roy Cape (St.Vincent, 2009)

As we continue to recognize soca history. The man who is considered by many to be the creator of the soca genre will be honoured by the Trinidad Unified Calypsonian’s organization. If Ras Shorty I was still alive today he would be turning 68 this Tuesday. So, a special tribute concert will be happening in San Fernando as part of Calypso History Month on that very day!

Before I go, happy belated birthday goes out to Bomani. He had a birthday on September 30th. Here’s hoping it was happy, happy, happy!

Bomani and Nurse Karen (New York, 2008)

I’m Nurse Karen and those were Doctor Jay’s Rounds. For more exciting soca news and my online journal from Miami Carnival, check me out online at Nurse dash Karen dot com. Now, back to de Docta!

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Booster Shot: Unnofficial Grenada Soca Monarch Finalists

Grenada posse...

Here's the unofficial list of 15 finalists who made the cut for 2009 Spice Mas Soca Monarch. The results below reflect what was read out during the live to air broadcast on WE FM last night. Please consult www.spicemasgrenada.com for the official list:


1. Mr. Killa 220
2. Randy Isaac 210
3. Inspector 209
4. Lavaman 209
5. Maximillion 204
6. Sheldon Douglas 204
7. Zingo 202
8. Mr. Legs 192
9. Croquetta 191
10. 4 Brass 191
11. Soca Sterling 189
12. Brother B 187
13. Soca Banton 187
14. D Hammer 186


Congrats to all 14 competitors! They will go up against defending Soca Monarch title-holders, Luny Sparks and Electrify on Friday, August 7, 2009

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Booster Shot: Order of Appearance for Grenada Soca Semis

Little update for ya! Tonight is the semi-finals for Grenada Soca Monarch. The list I posted earlier in the week was simply who got through. There are 31 semi-finals, but only 15 will pass through to the finals. The list below shows when each artist will perform. The show begins tonight at 8 pm Greenz time.

Here's the order of appearance:


GCC / LIME SOCA MONARCH SEMIFINALS 2009
1. MINEY
2. BOOGIE B
3. BROTHER B
4. SHORTPREE & TRINA
5. MR. RAZOR
6. PUPA LEENDI
7. D HAMMER
8. RANDY ISAAC
9. GOLDMINDZ
10. BLOODFIRE
11. MR. LEGS
12. INSPECTOR
13. 4 BRASS
14. LAKAY
15. SOCA STERLIN
16. SOCA BANTON
17. MR. KILLA
18. TOUCH IT
19. CROQUETA
20. SUPERSTAR
21. BOYZIE
22. TERROR KID
23. MAXIMILLION
24. LAVAMAN
25. KAGE
26. OTIS
27. SHELDON DOUGLAS
28. PAPA JERRY
29. ZINGO
30. GENERAL PEPE
31. BLACK BLINGERS

Reserve – MUSTIC

I'm told there will be temporary live stream available so you can watch a test stream of the Grenada Carnival action live at:
http://www.spicemasgrenada.com/

You can listen to the whole show live HERE

Check it out, and lemme know!

Love and Soca,

Nurse Karen

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Booster Shot: Brother B launches album #2

Have I ever mentioned how much I wanna go to Spice Mas? It's been more than two years since I last went to Grenada, so I'm ready!!!! I've been knocking on some doors...and I'm not ready to give up. I must take a jump with de Jab Jab crew!

Let me get back to the news. Last weekend soca and dancehall artiste Brother B dropped his sophomore album at home in Greenz. It's called "One Step Ahead". It features collaborations with Luni Sparks & Eliectrify, and Vybz. There's production by Jimmi King (King Beats), Doggy (Doggy Productions) and Toronto's own White Wine.

The album is expected to appear on all your favourite online retailers by August. So check for it, and support your boy! After all, Brother B is celebrating his 25th b-day this summer!

For more info on the album or the artiste check out the "Brother B" fan page on Facebook.

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Booster Shot: Grenada Soca Monarch Semi-Finalist named

On July 24, 2009, 30 semifinalists will compete to see who gets throught to the GCC LIME Soca Monarch finals. The semifinal will take place on July 24th at Victoria Par in Grenville.

Among the 30, there are four newcomers, two women, and six former road march winners. So, I don't need to tell you it's serious competition.

Does your favourite artiste still have a chance?

4 Brass
Boogie B
Boyzie
Brother B
Croqueta
D Hammer
General PP
Gold Mindz.
Inspector
Junior Blood Fire
Kage
Lakay
Lava Man
Maximillion
Mr. Killa
Mr. Legs
Mr. Razor
Miney
Otis
Randy Isaac
Papa Jerry
Pupa Leendi
Sheldon Douglas
Shortpree & Trina
Soca Banton
Soca Sterling
Super Star
Terror Kid
Touch It
Zingo

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Digest: Amazing April

(Nurse) Karen (Digest): Amazing April!

Happy Easter! Wishing you and yours all the blessings of this exciting time of year, pluse all the great food that goes along with it!

Random Newness: This month Florida’s DJ Crown Prince makes his debut as a Soca Artist. His first song “The Anthem” featuring Skinny Fabulous was recorded on “The Nurse Karen Riddim”, produced by Afterdark. Get it Free & all your fave hits from Trini Carnival on Supa Soca Vol 12: http://mustardseedmedia.blogspot.com/2009/04/free-download-crown-prince-supa-soca.html


Journalism: Nurse Karen is psyched about finally meeting a few industry peeps she’s been watching for a while now. This month, she’ll be interviewing Montreal electro DJ Ghislain Poirier whose revolutionary mixes are bringing soca music to the mainstream dance scene. She’s also looking forward to sitting down with Grenada’s Brother B about his plans for Spice Mas 2009. If you follow her on twitter, you’ll be notified as soon as the articles are posted! http://twitter.com/nursekaren

Travel: As we mentioned last month, Karen’s taking care of business at home for a little while. However, she’s coordinating arrangements to cover Atlanta Carnival in May. If you’re looking for an affordable cultural getaway, why not come along? http://www.atlantacarnival.net

Poetry: Good news and bad news. Good news first! Karen will be performing a spoken word set at the album launch of “Pleasure in Pain by Devon “The Split” Jones, on April 27th in Toronto. Wanna reach?

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?sid=d3badc5a64b1972cb50446f6d0e91597&eid=68915791729&ref=search

Bad news... After performing poetry locally and internationally for half of her life, Karen finally applied for a government grant to record her own spoken word album, featuring original music by some of the Caribbean’s top soca producers. Sad to say, she didn’t get the money! There will be an album though. Stay tuned! Learn more about Karen’s work as a writer in this clip from her interview on Island Style TV:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrZW0nsB2UQ

Community: Thanks to Corey Graham 2.0 in Barbados, there’s an easier way to tell MySpace why you think they need a soca category. All you have to do is visit the link below, fill out the form and click send. Do it now! http://www.coreykgraham.com/socanow

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The Rounds: Edwin Yearwood is not dead!

Good Evening Soca Lovers

I'm Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay's Rounds. So Doctor Jay, I know your birthday just passed and ting, but I have a little bad news for you to start off today's Rounds. There's a new Soca Doctor on the scene...and he's actually got a DEGREE to prove it. Five-time Trinidad Calypso Monarch BLACK STALIN was given an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies last week. He becomes the third Calypsonian to earn that title after The Mighty Sparrow and Chalkdust.

I really can not understand when this became the vogue thing to do. But somebody needs to tell me how and when it became OK to spread rumours about people's death. The latest soca star to fall victim to bachannal of the grandest scale, is de Bajan General, Edwin Yearwood. Last week rumours were spreading across the Caribbean region that the lead vocalist from Krosfyah had breathed his last. Truth be told the man had been laying low, but certainly not-six feet under. He was simply down south in Trinidad recording a remix to Nah Missing Me and performing with Bunji. Yearwood heard the rumour for himself from a source in Antigua who informed him that the GRAVE tale was spreading like wildfire in Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia AND Trinidad. It even had his poor mama worked up. But...de man is alive and well. So well, that he's hard at work preparing his second solo-album with VP Records...which we should see in 2009.

Posing for a snap shot with De General in Manhattan (2008)

Grenada's Brother B is getting ready to drop an album too. The full length album will be the rookie release for the man who brought you "A Little Wine" . The last time I mentioned him in the rounds, the artiste was recovering from a car crash in St. Georges. He's now back to full health and strength and ready to take his career to a higher lever. Check your west indian outlets for "More Fire" on November 21st.

Before I go, here's some news I am so excited to finally be able to share! Bunji Garlin and Faye-Ann Lyons are expecting a little soca baby. Maybe you didn't hear me right! Faye-Ann is pregnant. When I saw her in Miami she looked as beautiful as always, but you couldn't deny her decision to wear loose shirts and hoodies at all her gigs (in 30 degree celsius weather), left a lot of people speculating...including moi! So, Thursday night, she performed in Port of Spain at Zen...and the baby bump was spotted outright by local Trini media. At four months, the reigning road march queen is amped at the prospect of motherhood. Baby Alvarez will make his or her grand arrival in April 2009. The couple claims they intend to honour all of their Trinidad carnival engagements. I can't wait to see my girl mashing up the stage with her big fat belly!!!!

Pregnant Faye-Ann, all covered up in Miami(October 2008)

I'm Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay's Rounds. For more info on everything you've heard here, surf on over to Nurse Karen Etc at triple W dot Mustard Seeds dot Net. And if you haven't started downloading The Rounds Podcast, it's not too late. Get it at Soca Therapy dot com, or just search "Nurse Karen" on itunes!

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The Rounds: Brother B injured in car crash

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I'm Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay's Rounds. Hard to believe it is September. The whirl wind of Caribbean summer carnivals has ended, and the big street parties in the diaspora will wrap up soon. Last weekend the action was in New York City, for the annual West Indian Day Parade. Almost all your favourite soca personalities were on hand to dazzle their American fans.

Faye-Ann and Bunji preparing to go on stage at Battle of the Bands, NY

One noticeably absent performer, however, was St. Lucia's reigning soca monarch, Ricky T. He stayed home with his family to usher in the birth of his first child.

Another soca ambassador who was absent from the Brooklyn action on Monday was Mr. Kevin Lyttle. Many of you have been asking what became of that much talked about 2^nd commercial album that has been brewing for years. The album is called FYAH, and it was finally released last week in Japan. Over the weekend, Kevin was in Asia promoting the 18 track CD that features collaborations with the likes of Alison Hinds, Lexxus, Skinny Fabulous and Problem Child. It was released on Universal Japan, so you can't get it on this side of the globe quite yet unless you're willing to pay for shipping from Amazon's Japanese online store.

Nurse Karen and Kevin Lyttle

Farmer Nappy shared his vocal stylings alongside the HD camp last Thursday at SOB's, and Saturday at ACNY at the Cipriani in Manhattan. Then it was back to the Caribbean to shoot the music video for Belly Dancer. The song was originally released for Barbados Crop Over, but will be re-released for the Trinidad market along with the video by early November. Nappy's also getting his hands dirty with something called the United Soca Movement. You heard it here first, more details soon.

Farmer Nappy and Nurse Karen

Last but not least, I'd like to send out warm wishes to Grenadian soca singer Brother B. He was injured in a serious car accident last weekend. You may know him from songs like "Pork" from last year, or Grenada's most requested song of 2008, "Little Wine" The 24-year-old artiste damaged his waist and fractured his arm, but is reported to be recovering speedily.

I'm Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay's Rounds. If you'd like to check out some of the New York Labour Day action for yourself, be sure to suss out pics, videos and journals online at the Nurse Karen Etc blog at triple w dot mustardseeds dot net. And you enjoy having the latest in soca news on the go, download Dr. Jay's Rounds at Soca Therapy dot com. Now back to de Docta!

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