On De Scene : St.Lucia Carnival Calendar 2010

It has been a while soca lovers but Carnival is a mere 3 months away in St.Lucia and promoters, artists and bands are not wasting any time with starting up the festivities! I must admit this year things are shaping up nicely. So eager!

So here is an update on everything St.Lucia Carnival

NG Soca Stage will be kicking things off with their first event dubbed "Soca Therapy" on April 17th 2010. Music is coming in slowly as everyone paces themselves to what is expected to be a successful season.

Also the following bands have announced their Launch dates :

Just 4 Fun Carnival Band portraying " THE GREAT LOVES OF THE PAST" - April 24th , 2010

Red Unlimited Carnival Band portraying " UNSPOKEN DESIRES" - May 8th,2010

Toxik Carnival Band portraying "MAS BEYOND" - May 15th, 2010

From the looks of things, 2010 has by few more websites pertaining solely to St.Lucia Carnival on de scene.

www.luciancarnival.com

www.slucarnival.com

www.stluciacarnival.net

So what excuse you have for not being informed? NONE!

Lastly , I was fortunate to get my hands on the Calendar of Events for St.Lucia Carnival 2010 compliments www.stluciacarnival.net .

SAINT LUCIA CARNIVAL 2010

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Events marked with a Red Astrix will be broadcasted live on the website.

• Lucian Line Jam – Monday 24^th May – 2:00 pm

• Press & Sponsors Launch – Wednesday 26^th May – 8:00 pm

• Official Carnival Launch – Sunday 30^th May – 3:00 pm*

• Carnival Queen Show – Sunday 27^th June – 6:00 pm*

• Kaiso Headquarters – Friday 2^nd July – 8:30 pm

• Groovy Soca Monarch – Saturday 3^rd July – 8:00 pm*

• RC Jam – Sunday 4^th July – 4:00 pm

• Calypso Semi Finals – Sunday 4^th July – 4:00 pm*

• Soca Monarch Finals – Saturday 10^th July- 8:00 pm*

• National Junior Carnival – Sunday 11^th July – 1:00 pm

• Carnival Arts Exhibition – Monday 12^th – Friday 16^th July – 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

• Mas On The Square – Monday 12^th – Wednesday 14^th July – 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm
• Mas On The Square – Thursday 15^th – Friday 16^th July – 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm

• Inter Commercial House Calypso Competition – Thursday 15^th July – 8:00 pm*

• Panorama – Friday 16^th July – 8:00 pm

• Muzik An Nou (The Music In Us) - Saturday 17^th July – 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

• Calypso Monarch Finals – Saturday 17^th July – 8:00 pm*

• King & Queen Of The Bands & Caribbean Soca Monarch – Sunday 18^thJuly – 8:00 pm*

• J’Ouvert – Monday 19^th July – 4:00 am to 8:00 am

• The Pageant - Monday 19^th July – 11:00 am to 8:00 pm*

• Parade of the Bands – Tuesday 20^th July – 10:00 am to 7:00 pm*

Please Note: Dates and Events are subject to change; Venues will be announced at a later date;

For more information please contact

The Cultural Development Foundation

Barnard Hill, Castries

Tel: +1 (758) -452-1859

e-mail: cdf@candw.lc

Stay Tuned Guys as St.Lucia Carnival Unfolds.

Peace and Soca

Rochelle

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On De Scene: NG Soca Stage Launch closes with a Bang (Part 2)

See me in the black and white with rag in hand taking in the second segment of the show. Well Dj Levi Chin and Hper D kept the crowd occupied with the spining of the tracks during intermission. THEN ! De maddness was unleashed. Popular artists Kakal started things off with his track "Bois" (which is sang mostly in our folk language "patois"). Kakal is known for pushing the envelope with play on words and real talk which has made him popular with the crowd.

Kakal at NG Soca Stage

O lawwd, Teddyson John bought out de "Real Reveler" in me , had me kicking a storm with his "Wine if you Wining" and other tracks such as "Home for Carnival" He stole the show for me there after I was content but I had to see what everybody else had up their sleeve.

Q- Pid performance included the winer man from Grenada Baby Killa and mate stole de spotlight . No he did not sample any of his well known tracks but he gave de crowd a little freestyle and man his reckless wining skills is a priceless sight. I am sure he had Q pid worried for a second . Organizers at some point in time encouraged the shortening of his time but no winer man wanted to tell de crowd more as he freestyled away.

Qpid and Baby Killa at NG Soca Stage

Unforunately Q-pid performance ended more dramatic than anticipated. One of her stage props was running off de stage and grabbed de stage lights which then fell off de stage ; which caused a bit of an issue with the lights and sound! No lie !! No worries there, NG organizers had that fixed in minutes and MC Superman took over and you know once Superman is around show DONE!


He had de crowd in a frenzy as he began with his "Socaritis" single and bought on stage another super friend Sir Lancealot with his "My Band is the Best" song which remains to this day very much popular. First time seeing Superman perform Kryptonite and I fell in love with de track. And it reminds me that what soca tents are about. It is ok to hear a track on de radio but when the artists perform it with their unique style, it intoxicates you.

Wooosh It's Superman

De night proceeded with the likes of Ricky T , Kerian Piper, Nicole David just to name a few. But the night ended , the only way it should with Ilah Man! There he performed his latest release Rockshun (released Friday 12th June) and for most persons it was the first time hearing, which was well received. He performed other popular tracks, but he saved de best for last "I want my money Back" and the crowd ate it up raw. Though I can assure you no one wanted their money back because THAT show - NG Soca Stage Launch 2009 was more than any patron anticipated.

Ilah Man at NG Soca Stage

Notably absent from this tent was Ninja Dan who is one of the founding fathers of that tent. Through the night many artists under the tent tried to keep his presence alive. (For those that don`t know, Ninja Dan is currently serving time for a serious crime he was involved in February)

I must commend one of de main men behind this show Kayode for a job well done. And extend thank you for hosting me on behalf of the (Nurse) Karen (Etc) Team.

If you liked de shots above why dont you log onto www.luciancarnival.com for the FULL GALLERY.

Enjoy !

Peace and Soca,

Rochelle

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On De Scene: NG Soca Stage Launches BIG (Part One)

It was not a party neither was it a fete NG Soca stage 2009 Launch embodied a real "MAD HOUSE!" Man! I wish you guys were able to witness St.Lucia Soca at its best but here is the run down on de entire show!

The show was scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. but due to the slow coming in of patrons organizers held on til a little after 9 to commence. The show opened with 3 time Soca Monarch winner Alpha and his band “Triple A” .He gave de crowd a does of his hits like “Down de Road” “Dance” which made his set last over 30 minutes.

Alpha on Stage at NG Soca Stage

There after the main Band to back up all the other acts T.E.M. took the stage with Penn joining them doing de samples. The first segment of the show was a bit slow as it began with most new comers . There were a few artists which struck a code in their performance which I have to mention. Zionomi began his performance de only way he knew and in his genre reggae and moved straight into his soca single featuring Bobby Bling. Sedale with his Mentally Ill track was well received by the crowd as well as Arthur with his Turblence track on the Campri Riddim . Manitus , Marie Anne , Emarand Henry and Blaze all warmed us up as the first segment was coming to a close ;but Private 6 had de crowd chanting his hook to his single “I doe Care” making him the first artist on the night with getting an encore. I witnessed most of de first segment backstage because I eh lieing organizers treated the artists and media personnel like celebrities.

Arthur on Stage

Private 6 commanding de crowd on stage

Had a short conversation with Sedale on it after de show:

Rochelle says:
As an artist who took part, how did you see the
organisation of the NG Soca Stage Launch ?

* Sedale * --- Deeper Than Soca MENTALLY ILL !!!! says:
it was cool, the
whole vibe was very organized, props to kayode and his team for making sure
everything was in order

Rochelle says:
Most artists in St.Lucia most times feel unappreciated due
to de treatment they receive at shows, how was it for you?

* Sedale * --- Deeper Than Soca MENTALLY ILL !!!! says:
the treatment by
the organizers was very good, i have no complaints, we had dressing rooms,
refreshments, even a big screen back stage to view the show. I was actually very
impressed.

Sedale on Stage

www.twitter.com/sedalemusic

I must say I sure hope this treatment towards artists continue throughout de season because in past years there has been plenty talk about ill treatment so NG Soca Stage has raised the barometer in that department hope everyone else follow.

Now de second segment was ... To be continued

Peace & Soca

Rochelle

P.S. want to thank http://www.luciancarnival.com/ for those amaizng shots and you should log onto their site for the full gallery.

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On De Scene : Livestream of NG Soca Stage Launch did not happen !

Now I know some people vex , well you not vex more than me but hey life is too short to stress. I want to take de opportunity on behalf of the Nurse Karen (Etc) Team to apologize for NOT going ahead with the livestream of the NG Soca Stage Launch scheduled for June 13th 2009. The organisers of the event gave approval for the stream however due to technical difficulties beyond our control it was unfortunate that we were not able to do so. On the brighter side later in the week there will be a compiliation of clips of the show to give you guys a follow up to the blog post I will write on the event. Trust me de show was GREAT !!

But here is a letter from Carpet Media, the firm we teamed up to bring livestreaming of St.Lucia Carnival events :

Carpet Media SLU wishes to apologize to all Scruffy TV viewers for not
being able to broadcast live the official launch of the NG Soca Stage on June
13, 2009 as advertised.This was due to technical difficulties we encountered in
accessing the internet broadband connection provided by our Internet Service
Provider. Efforts we’re made through-out the night to solve the problem but this
only proved to be futile. How ever we will be able to provide delayed broadcast
(recorded) of the entire show in a few days.Carpet Media SLU remains dedicated
to bringing you our viewers live entertainment via the internet and will
continue to strive to do so. Please rest assured that every effort will be made
so as we will not have a repeat of this recent technical difficulty. We wish to
thank all of you who called, e-mailed or left messages in out chat room showing
your support and/or expressing your understanding.Please note that all of our
other live broadcasts are still on schedule and we ask that you keep it locked
to Scruffy TV for viewing. Again I thank you for your support,

Greggar Deterville
CEOCarpet Media SLU

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On De Scene : NG Soca Stage LIVESTREAMING Tonight

Right now the carnival scene is sizzling in St.Lucia. Most Soca artists are currently doing their sound checks for what is deemed by the organisers of the NG Soca Stage Launch as de "Ultimate Soca Experience" (Read More)

This Launch will bring together on one stage just about 24 performers with almost every St.Lucian Soca artists on that stage; with the likes of Ricky T , Illah Man , Alpha , Superman, Q Pid, Nicole David , Teddyson John, Derek Yarde, Herb Black , Marianne just to name a few.

There been plenty talk about guest performances from regional artists ; Jamaica, Trinidad and St.Vincent. And I have been trying hard to squeeze de names out but that sealed til tonite at 8:30 p.m. when de Soca Madness begins and Nurse Karen (Etc) is teaming up with Scruffy TV to bring LIVE STREAMING of the event.

I also want to make mention that this link will feature not only tonight's event but also all cultural events including the parade of the bands so you have FULL access to St.Lucia Carnival 2009.

So I hope you all join us tonight as you get a glimpse into de trailer of St.Lucia Carnival !

Click HERE for you to watch LIVE ----> PLAY


Where your rag??!

Peace and Soca


Rochelle

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On De Scene : NG Soca Stage Launch June 13th 2009!

This is the event most Soca enthusiast in St.Lucia has long anticipated the Launch of NG Soca Stage and here is the press release on de event :

The island’s lone all soca tent is getting set to put on their biggest
launch ever! Dubbed “the ultimate soca experience”, it is slated to take place
on Saturday june 13th at Saamans park a promises to be a soca spectacle not to
be missed. When asked why the move to Samans park as opposed to the traditional
national cultural centre, director and executive producer of the tent Kayode
Francois responded by saying that “whilst the NCC (National Cultural Centre) has
served us well in the past we want to expand our horizons in many ways that the
NCC does not allow, from the capacity of the venue, to the limited
infrastructure in terms of lights, sound and even pyrotechnics. We believe that
Samaans is a more conducive venue for our type of show and will allow us to put
in the infrastructure required to take our show to the next level. It can also
accommodate more patrons comfortably and even allow for an elevated VIP section”
he added.
This year’s launch is slated to showcase not only the soca of this
year, but also the biggest hits that have come out of the island from 2005, the
year when our soca music took a turn for the better. Hits such as ‘Water’,
‘Catch a Fire’, ‘My Pen’, ‘May I’, ‘Bounce’ and many more. “We want to feature
some of the biggest hits from then til now” said the producer of the show, and
as such the show will feature several guest performers such as, Ricky T, Alpha,
Derek Yarde, Marie-anne, The Viking, Marlon of Wezon, TC, and several others
alongside the star studded NG line up which includes, Ilah Man, Kakal, Platinum
George, Nicole David, Superman, Qpid, Teddyson John, Mantius, Private 6, Kerian
Piper, Blaze and many more. The show will also feature several new comers to the
stage, the likes of Zionomi and Emran Henry for the first time, Perry B, Baby
Blue, Arthur from the Matrix Band , cookiesncream amongst others.
This year
the back-up band shall be the ever popular T.E.M band and shall include brass
for the opening. The producers of the show say that this show has been long in
the making, and was conceptualized over a year ago. “When it is all put together
in terms of the artiste line-up, venue, and everything else, it really promises
to be a spectacular event that no one should miss, reveler or not” commented
Kayode.
The tent would like to say a special thank you to the patrons who
have attended the shows and supported over the years, and as such are offering
an early bird special on tickets of $25 until Wednesday 10th June.
In
closing the Tent would like to thank all sponsors who have supported NG over the
years, and those who have come aboard again. This year, the tent is sponsored by
LIME, Landmark Events, Piton Beer, Chairman’s Reserve, Smirnoff Vodka, RJ Clarke
Ltd, Tiles Plus, CDF and The St Lucia Tourist Board.

We at Nurse Karen Etc is teaming up with http://www.scruffytv.com/ to bring a livestreaming of the show this Saturday, so I welcome everyone far and wide to get a dose of De Ultimate Soca Experience with Lucian soca LIVE!

So hopefully everything fall through til then stay turned for all de details by following the team on Twitter :

http://twitter.com/nursekaren
http://twitter.com/knyckycordner
http://twitter.com/gruvemaster
http://twitter.com/coreykgraham
http://twitter.com/rochellenoel

OR our (Nurse) Karen (Etc) group on Facebook

Rochelle

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