On De Scene: OBSESSION...What ah bashment!

Well, murrrr-dddoooohhhhh.. ah never hear nor see wuss. So in an effort to make a lil money from shows that don't usually attract large crowds, The Carnival Bands Association, teamed up with private promoters, Connections Ent. to pull off the Section of the Bands competition. Along with the bands, patrons were offered performances from Zoelah, Fire Empress, Lady D, Denise Belfon, Destra and Alison Hinds.

Nurse Karen and GruveMaster at Obsession

Well de bacchanal started when the boss of the "other" station held Destra to her contract that she can't perform here inside of 3 months after performing at Wet Fete. Which doh mek no sense, but if ah so, ah so. So no Destra.

Then Lady D decide that she ain't performing cuz she didn't get to practise with the band, and she don't think they know the music, or if they had back-ups. Then Candyman, (another radio personality) said to me that Zoelah wasn't singing needuh, cuz she didn't get her deposit.

Same for Fire Empress.

Lively, Nurse Karen and Fire Empress at Obsession

So, the crowd saw Lively, Vyrus and Skinny Fabulous. Now during the would-be break between the guys and the gals... I see the bass man coming from backstage, along with a keyboardist. When I looked up on the stage I realize that Alliance Band was packing up.

WAT DE HELL?

So I stopped Kubyashi, the band leader, to ask him wuh gine on. He is to tell me that they were only supposed to play for two of the artistes. Now they were being asked to play for everybody...some of whose music they might not have known. Lady D might have had a point.

It ain't done yet eh...

Then I heard that Denise wasn't going to perform, cuz she didn't make the flight to Vincy.

The one saving grace wa that Alison Hinds was in Vincy, and at the park.... but not her band!

Flight problems.... Go LIAT!!!!

And in all this bassa bassa... not one of the two promoters from Connections Ent, could be found.

Well,... no.. that ain't true... I hear one was by the bar....DRUNK!!!

Ah gone, til next time.

Keep on Gruvin'!

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Booster Shot: Hot 97 SVG Top 5 @ 5 - July 1, 2009

For all those wondering what music is climbing the charts for Vincy Mas 2009, I've got the latest Hot 97 SVG, Top 5 at 5 for ya!

I popped into the studio this evening as Hitman Colin Graham and Jude the Cool Dude ushered St Vincent out of the workplace.

Jude, thanks for that classic Vincy set near the end. Memories of family parties when I was small, fluorescent colours and acid wash jeans.

Here's today's top 5 soca tracks according to Hot 97.1 FM,** St. Vincent and the Grenadines:


5. DJ 20 - No Work
4. Lively - Mash up the Place
3. Skinny Fabulous - Misbehaving
2. Skinny Fabulous - De Beast Letgo
1. Problem Child - Mad House

**Please note, Hot 97 currently has a ban on playing the music of a particular set of local soca artistes. As a result, it should be taken into account that other popular songs may not have had the chance to grace this chart.

Hitman Colin Graham and Nurse Karen at Insomnia on Saturday

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The Rounds - July 22, 2007

Dr. Jay’s Rounds
Sunday July 22, 2007
Karen Richardson

Good Evening Soca Lovers, I’m nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been here to tell you what’s new in the soca world…and I’ve missed allyuh so much.
I was down in St. Vincent for the 30th anniversary celebrations of Vincy Mas…and let me tell you...THAT WAS BACCHANAL. If you haven’t heard yet, Fireman Hooper is once again the soca monarch with a song called Charge. You should have seen him running up and down the stage dressed like a wizard, waving his magic wand. The whole crowd was spellbound...and so were the judges. Ranking him first overall for the third year in a row and the 6th time in his career. Second place went to Lively for “We Drinking”. I wanted Dr. Jay to fully appreciate the IMPORT of a song about mixing all of the local liquors together for a special carnival brew. So, I had every intention of bringing back a few of bottles for the soca prince to try….but unfortunately, by the time I had left St. Vincent the duty free shop at the airport was clean out of rum. Not a drop ANYWHERE!!!! Maybe that would tell you what kinda fun people had in the fetes. So I guess he’ll just have to get down there NEXT year to try it for himself. Miss Zoelah, is real excited about her upcoming show at KOS j’ouvert, especially now that she’s 2nd runner up for Soca Monarch of SVG.
For all you PROBLEM CHILD fans out there. Everybody get MAD…because this year HE is the ROAD MARCH KING. The tune is called Party Animal…and while a lot of people were unhappy that a song that heavily samples Kassav’s Zouk –LA took top prize for road -- There’s no disputing the fact that NO CHUNE was more popular.

Special Big Up to Jamesy P for hoisting me onto his J’ouvert truck. Seeing all of Kingstown wild and dutty in the early morning sun is a memory I will never forget. For these and other tales of mas and fun in the July sun, check Toronto-Lime this week for Nurse Karen’s Vincy Mas diary.
Last week the action jumped one island north to St. Lucia. Teddyson John took the crown for groovy soca monarch. And just as predicted, Ricky T’s Pressure Boom WALKED away with road march, playing two and a half times more often than the next tune: Blah Blah, by Kakal. But second place isn’t a bad finish for the newly crowned Power Soca Monarch if you ask me.
By all reports, this year’s Caribbean Soca Monarch Show was a big disappointment.

Congratulations, none the less, to St. Lucia’s own Ninja Dan for taking the crown. The organizers might want to look into the reasons why 4 of the twelve international competitors pulled out at the last minute. I’m no genius, but if I was an artist, I’d have issues if I found out that radio stations were actually PROHIBITED from playing MY foreign song until two days before the competition. That makes it virtually impossible to score big points for crowd support. I doh know…I’m just saying…
With Cropover and Caribana and Antigua Carnival just two weeks away, you can count on de nurse, to give you just what you need.
I’m nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Text me your comments to 9-3-5-9-3-5. Now back to de docta!

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