Musician's View: HD's Dwain Antrobus on UCLA Jazz Reggae Fest

Shot from Cable and Wireless "Pork Lime" Barbados 2008

Left to Right: Kernal Roberts, bMobile Promo Girl, Dwaingerous, Zan and 

(Nurse Karen Etc's) Corey Graham 2.0 

Branching out!!! I Love it. Last weekend while there were three Caribbean Carnivals going on across the US of A, one of the top soca acts took their show west. Machel Montano and 4 members of his HD crew headed to sunny California to nice up the Caribbean entertainment content at UCLA's Jazz/Reggae Festival.

Hotta-fyah Bajan music producer and HD keyboardist, Dwain Antrobus aka Dwaingerous made the trip. He brought home this exclusive personal review of the UCLA experience.

If ya don't know Dwaingerous, hmmmm. I'm pretty sure you know his music! This is the man who solidified Machel and Patrice's heavy impact on Barbados Crop Over in recent years with riddims like; "Feel Nas", "Bad Boy", and plenty more! He's been around way longer than that though.

The 30 year old producer/musician has been touring with Xtatik (now HD) since 2002. He's a self taught pianist who picked it up watching is papa tap those keys as a child in Barbados.

As a youth, he attended Cobermere School, the same institution that turned out other Bajan celebs like pop star, Robin "Rihanna" Fenty and Bajan international saxophonist, Arturo Tappin. Now Dwain splits his time between Barbados and Trinidad, working on his various projects.

Fans:  link up with Dwaingerous on MySpace and Twitter.

Back to LA:

UCLA Jazz Reggae Festival 09 "A Culture of Change"
This was a two day festival, May 24th and 25th.
The 24th (JAM DAY) featured Erykah Badu, De La Soul, Leela James and other local acts.
The 25th (REGGAE DAY) featured Mavado, Peter and Mojo Morgan of Morgan Heritage, Machel Montano, Assassin, Cherine Anderson, Tanto Metro & Devonte.

Here's what Dwain had to say!

HD was well recieved as there was a strong Caribbean support among the 8000 that came out. We did a 30 min performance of the latest hits like "No War", "Unconditional Love", "Higher Than High", "One More Time", "Dance With You", "La Vida", "Bumpers", "Survivors", "It's Carnival".

Place was in total frenzy when HD hit the stage. Those who where sitting in their camp tents and blankets rushed towards the stage when the music started. It was officially party time. 

HD was the most energetic and one of the best performances of that day. Besides Mavado, this was the only time people actually pushed and gathered front stage to take in the perfomance.

Promoters were pleased with Machel's performance and was impressed with the 4 piece band (Darien Bailey, Shawn "Roots" Mitchell, Kernal Roberts and myself) and want to book for next year's event.

We nailed it! The crowd was lovely, the vibe was lovely. We just wanted to give the West Coast something different, and we did. They love us. We made some new fans. I love LA!"

- Dwain

Thanks Dwain!  It's very exciting.  I love to see soca music beginnin to till new soil.  Must be exciting to be a part of that.  Best wishes for another successful Crop Over season.  I know you've been hard at work.  Personally,  I love your new release from The Infamous Frank White, "Wine fuh me Gal".  Also, I'm waiting for you to confirm the rumors that HD's coming real hard this summer.  Will Zan be the new star boy?  We shall wait and see...

Me dear...thanks again for getting this to us!  Keep grindin'.

Love and Soca, 

(Nurse) Karen

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The Rounds: Tragic crash claims the life of Trini songwriter

In this edition:
- RIM and Toronto-Lime.com to sponsor Caribana 2009
- Disgruntled artiste makes a scene at Sint Maarten soca competition
- Akim Ahjahmoo Farmer dies in tragic car trash
- Farmer Nappy confusion
- Mavado rides a soca riddim
- Destra's returns to NY


Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Lots of news this week around the soca world, so buckle up and get ready for the ride.

On Tuesday, I zipped over to the Scotia Bank Caribana press conference at the Royal Ontario Museum. Those of you out there who love your crackberry almost as much as you love soca, will be happy to hear that Research in Motion has signed on as an official sponsor of the festival...so has Toronto-Lime.com, so you can look forward to some great coverage online!

Before carnival heats up in Toronto, there are plenty of Caribbean festivals happening right now. Both St. Thomas carnival, and Cayman Batabano come to a climax next weekend. This week there was some pretty dramatic action in Sint Maarten, after the Senior Soca Competition. This year marks 40 years of carnival in the Dutch territory, but the first year that a sore loser decided to tell off the judges once the results were announced. First, lemme congratulate King T-Mo for winning the competition, since Ricky the Phox stole a little bit of the spotlight by grabbing a mic to sound off about his frustrations. Tisk tisk! Police rushed the stage to restrain him, but he removed himself after announcing that he won’t be participating in carnival in the years to come. It’s reported that he was disqualified for breaking the rules.

The music community in Trinidad and Tobago is mourning the loss of one of it’s bright young talents. Yesterday afternoon Karim Ahjahmoo Farmer died tragically in a car collision in La Romaine. The 28 year-old singer / songwriter has collaborated with the likes of Machel Montano (Won't Stop), Len Boogsie Sharpe and Collie Budz on various projects. His friends say that he never drank or smoked.

A rumour was circulating that Farmer Nappy was the victim of the crash, but let me set the record straight. I contacted Farmer’s manager this morning. She assured me that he’s fine. In fact, he’s currently in Barbados, hanging out for a while. Our condolences go out to the friends and family of Akim Farmer, may he rest in peace.

A couple of producers in St. Lucia are patting themselves on the back for being the first to get dancehall star Mavado to sing on a Soca Riddim. The tune is called My Life. It’s a collabo with a new artist called Baby Blue. But if you expect the gangsta for life to blow a whistle, jump up and wave tune, let’s be realistic. Mavado sounds just like... mavado. He brought his signature sing-songy dancehall vibe to Courtney Louis and Francis De Lima’s boom boom riddim, and compared to the other tracks on it, the sound is more hybrid that soca.

When it comes to people who been singing soca for a minute, people the world over know the name Destra. Ms. Garcia did her first show in New York city after about a 2 year absence. She launched the HOTT album at Manhattan’s SOBs, to a crowd that enjoyed every minute of it.

I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s rounds. Check out Nure Karen Etc, now at Nurse dash Karen dot com, for more information on all the stories you heard today, including an official statement from Farmer Nappy.(coming soon) Now, back to de docta!

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Booster Shot: Mavado releases his first soca collaboration

So this past weekend in St.Lucia, Courtney aka "Curty" Louis and co-producer Francis "Leebo" released their much anticipated "Boom Boom" riddim for Carnival 2kwine! 

Nurse Karen in St. Lucia with co-producer, Leebo

Perhaps much of the aniticpation was the result of this: one of dancehall's brightest young stars made his soca debut on it! Jamaica's self-described "Gangsta for Life", lends his voice to the caribbean's happiest genre, soca! I'll be the first to tell you, on the track "My Life", Mavado sounds just like his signature style...bringing a dancehall flavour to a riddim that is otherwise authentic groovy soca.

"After creating the riddim, I wrote lyrics for the song, "My Life,"...with Mavado in mind offcourse. I then sent the riddim and lyrics to Mavado and his team by email, who then sent me the vocals for his part of the song. Right after I contacted Baby Blue and he and I worked on his parts, and the rest is history..",

Three songs premeried on MC Scady's program on Radio Caribbean on Saturday afternoon.


- Whole Day (Wuk) - Qpid (St. Lucia)
- Boom Boom Boom - Tabia (St. Vincent)
- My Life - Baby Blue (St. Lucia) and Mavado (Jamaica)

My Life - Baby Blue & Mavado

Nurse Karen with artiste, Qpid

A few more titles entered St. Lucian circulation on Tuesday of this week:

- Hot Gal List - Boone Chatta (Germany), one half of the internationally acclaimed Soca Twins sound crew.
- Who are You - Zionomi (St. Lucia) ft. Bobby Bling (Jamaica)

In Toronto with Soca Twins (Boone is the cutie on the left)

I always try to give a little shine to the producers. So it's time to big up the puppetmaster behind this peculiar assembly of talent - the one Courtney Louis. He's a St. Lucian who is well known and respected in Trinidad's music community, especially since he helped to slap together the track that would earn Machel Montano a roadmarch win for Jumbie. In 2007, he shared the accolaides for Soca of the Year and Song of the Year. However, it was the Song Writer of the Year Award that really turned heads.

In fact, the Boom Boom riddim was so named after the title track, which was written by Louis and performed by Tabia. Songwriting is definitely his strong suit, having either written or co-written all of the tunes on the riddim.

In St. Vincent with artiste, Tabia

Curty says he's got a lot more surprises this carnival: " The season hasn’t even started yet. We have at least two other riddims working on that will include power and groovy vibes. I have plans to work with a number of Saint Lucian and regional artistes. A few to mention are, Mr Killa ( Grenada ), KMC ( Trinidad ), Beenie Man ( Jamaica ), and Marie Anne ( St. Lucia )."

That's all folks!

Love and soca,

(Nurse) Karen

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The Rounds: Soca Makes You Stupid!

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds! He’s Ba-ack!  You already know, your man Dr. Jay and the KOS Family have returned from Trinidad Carnival, and last night they gave Toronto a memorable souvenir in the form of Dr. Jay’s Return Fete.  The crowd was bazodee off with performances from Mastamind, Ricky T, Zan, TC and De Boss, Iwer George.  We may have lost an hour last night, but ah feel we found it this morning, cuz I didn’t get home till about 6 am.  So, go figure!

            Here’s a strange one...a college student from California just published a controversial albeit unscientific report on music that makes you dumb.  The study compares and contrasts the musical tastes of American students and their SAT scores.  And guess what: students who prefer soca music over and above all other genres, have the lowest SAT scores on average! I could hear allyuh sucking your teeth from here.  Don’t shoot the messenger!  If you want to see where other styles ranked, check the blog.

            Today is International Women’s Day.  Trinidad and Tobago is celebrating the occasion with events taking place throughout the country in schools and community organizations. In Port of Spain, they held a 5K walk run which wrapped up with a performance from some of the nation’s top female soca artistes and an all female section of the TCL Skiffle Bunch Steelband.

A date has been set for the 28^th annual International Reggae and World Music Awards.  On May 3^rd, a bevy of Caribbean artists will descend upon  Jamaica, New York at the York College Performing Arts Center.  Leading the nominations in 2009 is Mavado with 8 nods, then Elephant Man and Beres Hammond with seven.  But our thing is soca, and yes we’re represented too. Machel Montano, who was a big winner in 2008, is definitely back in the ranks.

            Now that the traditional carnival season has come to an end, next stop Jamaica. Alison Hinds kicked off the Bacchanal Jamaica mas camp fete calendar on Friday with a grand performance for an ecstatic crowd.  Bacchanal Jamaica Carnival was started in 1988 by Jamaican soca empresario Byron Lee, who died of cancer just last year. The festival climaxes easter weekend under the  2009 theme: Gone Hollywood!

I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds.  For more information on anything you’ve heard tonight, check me out online at the Nurse Karen Etc blog at triple w dot mustard seeds dot net.  And get your weekly dose of Soca News by downloading the Rounds Podcast from Soca Therapy dot com.  Now, back to de docta!

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Booster Shot: upset Jamaicans call for a ban on soca!!!

[warning: the content of this post may not be suitable for all readers]

Earlier this week, Jamaica's broadcasting commission implemented a radio ban on reggae dancehall music containing lewd lyrics. I dunno about you, but lewd isn't a word I use every day. What were are talking about is unmasked sexual content, like all this daggerin' business....and 80% of the other songs out there.

So hear what, radio listeners who were upset to learn about the explicit dancehall ban, called in to several radio stations to suggest that soca music ought to be banned as well.

The argument is that the music heard during Jamaica Carnival is more scandalous than anything sung by dancehall artists. Well, let me be the first to say, that is  RIDICULOUS. I agree that modern soca doesn't pay much care and attention to perfecting the art of double entendre, but I have yet to hear F-words in a soca tune. Beyond the use of cuss words, I wanna provide you with some examples from dancehall that no soca artist has ever had the gumption book studio time to record:

• "Squeeze her breast dem like di trigger of my gun, turn her back way and f*ck her harder make she cum" - Mavado (Squeeze Her Breasts)

• "Gal you somin tight yes mi love how you hook it baby
  You grip mi right, use di muscle hold it baby" - Busy Signal (Wine Pon Di Edge)

• "Wine wid it, wine wid it, hot f*ck wid it" - Mr. Vegas (Hot Wuk)

• "Sorry neva mean fi wake you up
  But now me couldn't hide it
  Cause you sidong pon di buddy, balance and ride it
  And mi slip in side it and then when fi slide it
  When she say "F*ck it Out Tony! " - Tony Matterhorn (Sidong Pon It)
  

...to name a few.  To all who want to come bring bacchanal, listen.  I'm not condemning dancehall outright.  What I am saying is that those who are comparing ALL soca to the type of dancehall that is being restricted from airplay are ignorant and ill informed.  In the cases where soca is slack, irreverent and vulgar the same rules ought to apply.  I don't have problems with a society making efforts to restore the rule of decency.  But, let's be real.  The rudebwoy culture of dancehall has been allowed to run amuck in the music of its newest heroes. Soca, even on its worst day has not sunk to the same depths of vulgarity. 

As Caribbean people, we have to be careful about the messages we give to our children, and those we spread about our beloved homeland in the sun.  This isn't just about sexual content, but also violence.  Both music styles have been allowed to vere away from their more edifying roots.  Perhaps it really is time to put a foot down.  Let's just try not to step on each other in the process.

For more info (and other perspectives) on the call to ban soca visit the links below:

Trinidad Express

Jamaica Observer

Inter Press Service

Jamaica Gleaner

Jamaica Gleaner 2

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