Nurse's Lounge: I dey with my F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Where US-based West Indian events are concerned, Miami is carnival on crack. After the party is the afterparty, after the afterparty, is the after-the-afterparty party...and so on. So, on we go!

UWI fete was a blast in spite of scatterred rain showers...and scattered bar staff.

Then we made a beeline across Pines to Hollywood Blvd. Sosta Lounge was already bumping with a fete called F.R.I.E.N.D.S (a fitting name after we just saw Zan give the cutest ever performance of Out on de Road)

It was definitely nice to check out a smaller venue, packed to the brim with positive vibes and great people.

TriniJungleJuice dot com was there in numbers. When they get their content online, get over there to read their reviews, see the pics, interviews...and you could skip the video. LOL...tell them I say so.

This is Andre, the man behind TriniJungleJuice. Remember Cool & Dre? This is a different Dre...but they resemble, no?

The party was HOT...as in temperature. Let's be real. How often do I attempt to wear my hair straight? Most of the night, I kept to the patio. I wasn't gonna fight up with that sauna.

Inside there were brief performances from Iwer George and Skhi. OUTSIDE...the patio lime. As my Toronto posse can attest, no good soca fete is complete without a guest appearance from our very own hometown hero NBA Center, Jamaal Magloire. The Toronto-native was recently traded to the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, he managed to royally mess up his left hand in an exhibition game in Paris. He's out for 4 to 6 weeks.

Jamaal, and his CLUB. It's so not funny....but boooooyyyyy dah real funny jed!

Thanks to Radioactive Sound System, the night ended on a high note. Hyper Hopper and DJ Dane brought F.R.I.E.N.D.S. to a full boil. I went in for a serious workout....and prolly lost about 5 lbs of water.

Dane, party done. You could go and sleep now.

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The Rounds: Caribana Results

Good Evening Soca Lovers, I'm Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay's Rounds. Caribana in full effect…yo! If you are one of those stay home and avoid the crowd kinda people, you picked the wrong weekend for that. Thursday and Friday Lamport Stadium was THE place to be for the King and Queen show and Pan Alive.

Too many results to announce them all…but here are a select few: Congrats to Joella Crichton and Toronto Caribbean Connection on their Queen of the Bands win for the portrayal – Rhapsody. Ronald Alleyne from Callaloo won best King for The Mystical Dragon.

At Pan Alive, dem Montreal people from Salah's Steelpan Academy caused major bacchanal in Toronto for the 2nd year in a row. The two-time pan alive champions have Afropan, and Silhouettes settling for 2nd and 3rd place respectively.

Now to the road. Yesterday's Caribana Parade of the bands was a sight to behold. Beautiful Mas on the Lakeshore. Thousands of revellers. Music and food and competion for so. No more long talk... Here are your unofficial results for Band of the Year.

In third place, I took a small wine on one of their 3 trucks alongside Flow's own Jester, and Soca Sweetness from KOS after my feet already had their fill of the pavement in the Stingray section of Tribal Knights (yes Marxman, big up).

If you haven't clued in yet, I'm talking about Carnival Nationz. They walked the plank straight to 3rd place for their presentation of Pirates.

In the number 2 spot this year is historically Toronto's winning-ist band Louis Saldenah Mas K Club with THE DEEP.

Congratulations to Jamaal and Marion MaGloire, all the masqueraders and the top notch entertainment like Dr. Jay the Soca Prince for defending their 2007 Band of the Year title with a vengeance. Their presentation of Alkebulan dazzled onlookers with the colours, patterns and textiles of Africa to win 2008 Category A Band of the Year. If you're like to keep score...those are the same bands in the same spots as last year.

Yours Truly with Toronto Revellers' Band Leader Jamaal Magloire earlier this Summer

Before I go, a lil gossip for de maccos and dem: St. Vincent's Shaunelle McKenzie has been liming in Toronto for about a week on business. My girl decline a few carnival gigs so she could work her WAISTLINE at fetes instead.

Nurse Karen and Shaunelle Back Stage at SVG Soca Monarch Semis 2008

Earlier today, I heard St. Lucia Soca Monarch and Road March King Ricky T was detained in the US customs area at Pearson International Airport here in Toronto.

SLU Records Family, Me n Ricky T in St. Lucia

I think his passport was a little too colourful for them, and somebody prolly wanted to get his autograph. I would too, after all he mashed up the dutty side of KOS J'ouvert on Friday. He was travelling with fellow Lucian Teddyson John, who was allowed to board his flight as scheduled.

Nurse Karen with Teddyson John at St. Lucia Soca Monarch 2008

I'm Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay's rounds. Check me online this week for more info on Caribana as well as lots of news from BIM, GREENZ, Tortola and Antigua Carnival at the Nurse Karen ETC blog at triple w dot mustardseeds dot net. Now, back to de docta!

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The Rounds - August 5, 2007

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m Nurse Karen and these are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. This is it Toronto: Caribana 2007! 40 years of mas in T.O….and we’ve STILL got it.
Congratulations to Jamaal Magloire and the Toronto Revellers Mas band for stopping Carnival Nationz in their tracks. The larger than life presentation of Viva Las Vegas clinched the band of the year title, denying last year’s winners their highly anticipated 3-peat. Instead Carnival Nationz had to settle for 3rd place, right behind longtime favourites, Louis Saldenah’s Mas K Club.
Friday night, the action was at Pan Alive…and there’s no doubt the music was sounding sweet, sweet, sweet. So sweet the judges and them had a hard time picking a winner. In the end, Salah’s Steelpan Academy from Montreal caused a major upset on Toronto turf. Rivals Pan Fantasy, Afropan and New Dimension left Lamport on equal footing, stunned…in a three way tie for second place.
Did you see how pretty the pretty mas was looking on the road yesterday. Sure, all the sexy Toronto men and women could take credit for that. But you really have to big up the bandleaders, mas designers and mas men and women for building some of the most spectacular big costumes Toronto has ever seen. If you were fighting up to get a glimpse on the lakeshore, do yourself a favour and buy yuhself a ticket to the king and queen show next year. That is theatre and pageantry….Masquerade at it’s best. Congratulations to Barokeete Canada’s Joanne Boisson for winning Female Individual of the Year. And Carnival Nationz Kurt Alexander, Tamara Alleyne Gittens, and Rudy Rampersad for winning top prizes for Male Individual, Queen of the Bands and King of the Bands respectively.
For all the bajans and Antiguans who weren’t able to find an outrageously priced flight to this year’s cropover and carnival festivities…let me tell you what you’ve missed. Over in Antigua, they’re celebrating 50 years of Carnival. As predicted last week, Claudetter Peters is once again Soca Monarch and Little Rick was Crowned party monarch last Sunday in BIM. His win was overshadowed, however, by a terrible car crash that claimed the lives of six barbadians on the way to the show. Allyuh remember to be safe on the roads as you enjoy the carnival. We want to see you again next year.
On a lighter note, Mr. Dale was just crowned the Peoples Monarch for Soca Junkie. As the Winner, he earned himself a brand to mazda sedan…The problem is… my man doesn’t exactly know how to drive. But don’t laugh too hard. Since they started giving out cars at these shows, he’s the seventh artiste to win that has no experience behind the wheel. Whappen tu yuh bajan posse…allyuh have the flattest island, with the safest roads…and if they sharing out cars…the least you could do is get a license.
I’m nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s rounds for Caribana 2007. Please text your comments to 9-3-5-9-3-5. Now back to de docta.

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