Originally aired on Flow 93.5 FM's Soca Therapy. (Sundays from 6pm - 9pm ET)
Machel Montano's recent and upcoming music releases - Trinidad and Tobago
is off his back for the upcoming carnival season. There's a new tune out called "Hot Like Pepper" featuring Serani. The reviews have been mixed. Maybe because it's a dancehall tune or maybe because Serani sounds like a creaky door. I dunno...das what de people saying!
Before I go, I wanna send belated birthday greetings to some November soca babies I missed last week. Another proud Barbadian, Hypa Dog Lil Rick rang in his new year with a pool party in Barbados last weekend. How inviting does that sound?
LOL... It's Friday, you've worked hard all week, and you deserve this break. Trust me, this will give you the boost you need to close out the day! Check out this previously unreleased video from Andy Stevenson, Shivon De Freitas, Mista Vybe, Ms. Alysha.
Those of you old enough to remember may know Andy Stevenson as the "Soca Michael Jackson". He had a BIG hit called "Soca Billie Jean" in 1997. Yeah, trust me on that one.
Neither the song nor video was ever released. I guess the genre would have been a little tough to classify. But, to see Alladin on that magic carpet, I would have requested the thing over and over!
So, do enjoy this little blast from the past on me!
Love and Soca,
Nurse Karen
Remember what I told you about Jingle Jam last week? Well here's my little video diary of the event. Granted, I wasn't in the buildilng for the 3 and a half hours before ANY artistes took to the stage. But here's what I actually saw.
So, just to recap: The only thing ringing in my ears about Jingle Jam is the fact that more than half of the scheduled acts on the bill were NOT in the building. It appears that there's more than meets the eye when it come why several Caribbean artists weren't dashing through the snow last weekend. Management for Ms. Alysha and Mista Vybe contacted me on Tuesday with an official statement. Et voila!...
"Socalypso Promotions, management team for Mista Vybe and Miss Alysha, will like
to go on record to give the official circumstances surrounding Miss Alysha’s and
Mista Vybe’s absence from the “Jingle Jam” event which was held on Saturday 8th
December, 2007.Negotiations for the “Jingle Jam” event started as early as September as evidenced by the promotional “drops” that were recorded, sent and broadcasted at that time for the event. At the beginning of negotiations, it was outlined by the artists to the promoter that they would
have been available for the show but traveling arrangements must be made for the
8th of December instead of the 7th.In Trinidad, the Canadian embassy does not entertain visa applications on Fridays, which meant that Thursday would have been the last day that these two artists would have had to visit the embassy. Up till the evening of the 6th of December, no official word was given to state
that permits were filed for the artists to travel for the weekend’s event. To date no information has been offered regarding visa or flight information."
You know me. I LOVE information. Call it commess, whatever. In this business...DAT is we ting! On the night of Jingle Jam, I rolled out to the docks after a long day of Christmas functions and cross-border shopping. I went to the fete to say hello to some of the artists. Cuz, I was already too tired for wukkin' or any sort! When I got there, I was not happy to learn so many people were missing. That's when I decided I'd have to say SOMETHING about it. Partygoers who spend they cash to see 9 artists, and only get 4 deserve better. So there you have it... two sides to a multidimensional story.
No lie...I had fun that night. Between Machel's regular lewdness and the regular Toronto wannabe girls-on-gone-wild video ho's, it was all that a Soka Junkie could ask for. (please read sarcasm...whappen to yuh?...always read sarcasm)
In other news...Patrice mentioned to me that she had a new song releasing in Trinidad the next day. It's called Mo' Wuk, and for me, it's an instant favourite. Maybe it's more than that. Maybe it's a word of advice to anyone who's not doing they job to the fullest.
And that's your booster shot!
Read more...
Good Evening Soca Lover’s I’m nurse Karen and these are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Happy Diwali to one and all!!! Two weeks till Soca or Die 5 and I’m ready to light it up. Can’t lie. We celebrating Doctor Jay’s Birthday and he shipping up half of the Caribbean to do it. Mr. Vybe, Peter Ram, Benjai, Lil Rick, Michelle Sylvester, Kimberly Inniss, Nadia Batson, Barry Chandler ( hold on, let me catch me breath) Ms. Alysha, Problem Child, Terry Seales …and Mr. Isaac Blackman. Woy woy!
I better start doing meh stretches from now. It go be a whole set of jump and wave and bump and wine. And I could barely wait. Birthdays are the perfect time for celebration. I find most people don’t make time to celebrate life and I hadda ask you…what on earth are you waiting for?
Last month Kimberly Inniss celebrated her 25th birthday at the Weiser’s Bar in Barbados. The evening was a celebration of all the blessings that have come her way in recent years. She cut the cake with special man in her life, her little son, Malik. The evening was also the launch party for her first album “Come with me”. The CD fuses soca and reggae together in a unique way – A way that shows off Kimberly’s gifts as a songwriter, composer and arranger.
I’m thinking those mussee de same gifts that landed her a second place finish in last year’s Eastern Caribbean Digicel Rising Stars competition. She came second to a gospel artist from St. Vincent, but Kim is not suffering at all. Exposure from the TV show has made her a household name in Barbados and an inspiration to young girls as well. Ah feel she go be inspiring a whole lot of young men come November 4th too. Hips and ting mesmerizing…(steups) Dr. Jay, … fadda raise up yuh bottom lip.
A few days prior to OUR big birthday fete Trinidad will be hosting a major celebration of its own. The COTT Music Awards will be happening at Queen’s Hall on November the second. COTT is a copyright organization so, it honours songwriters and composers. And many of them are coming to Soca or Die Five. Nadia Batson is up for Female Songwriter of the year and Best Groovy Soca. Michelle Sylvester is up for best new songwriter.
I checked the list for Reggae and Dancehall and was surprised that I didn’t’ see Isaac Blackman’s name on the list. Sometimes I have to remind myself to be patient. Blackman’s song may have blazed right up to the ceiling of all the music charts in T&T, but it’s still too new for any nominations. Blackman happens to be the son of Ras Shorty I. If you’re a true soca lover then, you’d know that Shorty is credited as the man who first created the soca sound , a blend of African and Indian rhythms that we all love so much. So, his son is singing something groovy that’s sounding like reggae. I wouldn’t sweat it too much. He has good music in his blood…and that is enough for me.
Blackman is definitely not the only artist making music most people wouldn’t have expected. What about Ms. Alysha? Her sound is not your typical candy wrapper sweet. This girl is considered the baddest female lyricist, bringing a hardcore ragga style to her music in a way we usually only hear from men. This month Ms. Alysha lent her voice to the new Thunder Cat Riddim which also features Maximus Dan and Jadee…and next month she’ll be lending she voice to sing me and de docta happy birthday. I hope hear allyuh singing too.
I’m nurse Karen and those were Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Send your comments to soca at flow 935 dot com. Now, back to de doctor.
© Nurse Karen Etc Nurse Karen Etc by Mustard Seed Media 2005 - 2009
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