Booster Shot: Happy Birthday Nigel Nicholas!

Happy Birthday goes out to a Lucian Jack-of-all-trades.  Nigel Nicholas is vocals, production, video, marketing, graphics.

Nurse Karen and Nigel Nicholas in St. Lucia, 2008

When it comes to supporting the musical pursuits of his team, he does it all.  Today he celebrates his 29th birthday at home in St. Lucia.  Happy Birthday Nigel!!

Take a listen to one of his singles for Lucain Carnival 2009, "Soca Aliens"...

Soca Aliens - Nigel Nicholas

Find Nigel at www.twitter.com/slaughterarts

Love and Soca,

Nurse Karen

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The Rounds: Soca Monarch prize money slashed

In this edition:
- Trinidad Carnival Update (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Barbados Music Awards (Barbados)
- Toby Dee wins St. Croix Party Monarch (USVI)
- Slammer Cutter video launches this week (Canada)
- Birthdays:  Don Trent  (Barbados), Nigel Nicholas (St. Lucia)


Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Uh Oh, big trouble for little Trinidad. Has anyone else noticed that Carnival 2K10 has not officially launched? Usually, Trinidad and Tobago’s National Carnival Commission puts a formal start to the festivities sometime before the close of December.

But even though there’s tons of new music, thousands of costumes in various states of construction, and high priced plane tickets are running low. It’s not officially carnival time in T&T. On Friday, The Ministry of Culture made a few announcements explaining a few budget cuts that will effect the way carnival is done this time around.

I won’t run it all down for ya, but I will say this. It just became 37 per cent less lucrative to be a soca artist. The Top Prize for the international soca Monarch competition will be reduced in 2010 from $1 Million TT to the equivalent of $100 000 US. That’s basically TT 400 grand less.

There’s a little good news though. The prize for Groovy Monarch has gone up 25 per cent, but it’s still peanuts in comparison. None the less a positive step for the more commercially viable expression of soca.

The Barbados music community is celebrating its achievements in 2009 at the 5th annual Barbados Music Awards. The fancy pants gala pays tribute to late pop superstar Michael Jackson (who isn’t Bajan, in case you were wondering) …it will feature performances from people like Edwin Yearwood, Jaico, and Fantasia Barrino of American Idol fame. But the most interesting guest in my opinion is Jo Jackson…as in Michael’s Daddy. Huh? Check my blog this week for the results.

Slammer Cutter and Nurse Karen in Trinidad ( Feburary 2009)

Good news, Toronto’s Slammer Cutter has completed his video for "Bad Weather". You’re gonna love seeing the “HangOver Man” dressed up like a weather man. Awww, so cute!!! Check for "Bad Weather" online on YouTube and Facebook this Wednesday.

Toby Dee is smiling ear to ear this week as he celebrates his Party Monarch win at Cruzian Festival last Sunday. He remains the only Monarch in St. Croix history, having won the title all three years since the competition was added to the carnival.

Before I go, allow me to wish happy birthday to groovy artist Don Trent from Barbados who will be 24 on Thursday. Then Friday we send some birthday love to St. Lucia as artist / producer Nigel Nicholas of Slaughter Arts turns 29 on January 15.

Nurse Karen and Nigel Nicholas in St. Lucia (July 2009)

I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. For more info on any of the storied I’m following, check out Nurse dash Karen dot com or follow me, Nurse Karen on Twitter. Now, back to de Docta!


Love and Soca!

Nurse Karen
Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NurseKaren

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The Rounds: The circle of life

(Originally aired on Sunday, June 14, 2008 on Flow 93.5 FM "Soca Therapy")

In this edition
- RIP Sheldon Benjamin (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Slaughter Arts car accident (St. Lucia)
- Skinny Fabulous and Problem Child endorse new Caribbean rum (St. Vincent)
- Destra addresses Junior Achievement Grads (Grenada)
- Happy Birthday Uncle Sam (USA)


Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Before I really get started, I have a rather tragic update on Trinidadian Music Producer, Sheldon ‘Shel Shok’ Benjamin. Sadly, on Tuesday afternoon Sheldon lost his seven month battle with non-hodgkins Lymphoma, a rare form of Cancer affecting the Lymph nodes. He was at home in Valsayn, under the care of his mother when he lost all signs of responsiveness. He was then rushed to Mount Hope Hospital and later pronounced dead, only 3 days before his 40th birthday. In his 17 year career, Sheldon released more than 300 songs. The entire Soca Therapy family wishes to extend our condolences to everyone who is feeling the loss.

Sheldon Benjamin

Four St. Lucian soca artists from the Slaughter Arts label had a close call as they were driving to the opening of Choissieul Carnival last Sunday night. Nigel Nicholas, Don Perry and Jose Torso survived the single vehicle accident with cuts and scrapes. While poor Kakle broke his arm in 2 places. None the less the fellas are in good spirits as they heal, thanks to all of their songs on the Campari Riddim getting steady air play in St. Lucia.

Down in St. Vincent, Skinny Fabulous and Problem Child are enjoying a happy carnival so far. This week the two bothers in soca picked up an endorsement deal with a brand new liquor brand called Silver Kiss Rum. Apparently, they will each represent their own unique flavor. Yum Yum.

Problem Child and Skinny Fabulous

Destra made a trip to Grenada recently. As usual, she and the band gave an amazing show at the Grenada Music festival, but she had another special gig all by herself that didn’t involve any singing at all. Instead, Destra gave the keynote address at the Junior Achievement Graduation held at St. George’s University for about 300 secondary school students. She encouraged the youth to stay in school and not to fear failure. Good advice for us all.

Destra and Nurse Karen

Special belated birthday greetings to out to Uncle Sam. Here in Toronto, his name is still more or less unknown. Maybe that’s because he’s still fairly new to the soca game, and he’s not even from the Caribbean. But in Florida audiences know him oh so well for being the white boy at reggae shows who can sing and talk patois just as well as the real deal artists. Check out his song, “It serves a purpose” on Fryktion and Kubiyashi’s sland Life Riddim.

I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. For more information on all the hot soca dish you heard here, check me out at Nurse dash Karen dot com or follow my tweets at Twitter.com/nursekaren. Now back to de Docta!

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Booster Shot: Four Slaughter Arts Artistes Survive Car Crash

Nurse Karen and Nigel Nicholas at St. Lucia Power Soca Monarch, 2008

People! Be careful on the roads out there!

A group of four St. Lucian soca artistes got into a single vehicle accident en route to Choissieul for the launch of rural carnival celebrations in the South. The cause of the accident is uncertain, however, the driver Jose Torso and all three passengers sustained non life threatening injuries.

Thankfully everyone is more or less alright, but it still sounds like a pretty bloody scene to me! Don Perry walked away with deep cuts to the face. Poor Kakle broke his arms in two places. Jose Torso has cuts over his body and injured fingers, while Nigel Nicholas sustained minor wounds.

The whole ordeal was upsetting for the artistes. Seems like the guys had to deal with nurses far less friendly than yours truly.

The hospital nurses never cleaned us up. I had to ask if they would. One of the female doctors said, ‘the sink is at the end.’ Then i said, ‘isn’t there like a alcohol pad I can get at least?’ Then she brought me three. I had blood on me. Jose went to the health center today to get his cuts cleaned in Castries.

- Nigel Nicholas, CEO Slaughter Arts Entertainment

The details of the incident are fuzzy, but to answer what I know you're all asking, I'm told that nobody was drinking.

Well speaking of booze anywayzzz, have you heard the Campari Riddim? That just happens to be the big project out of the Slaughter Arts camp that features each of the artistes who are recovering from the accident (plus a few more).

Check it out below:

Campari Riddim

Get well soon guys! Hope to catch you all healthy and strong by the time I reach St. Lucia.

Love and Soca,

Nurse Karen

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The Rounds: Byron Lee is alive and fighting for every breath!

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

Boy, what a big week for Caribbean Entertainment! First let's go to Dominica For the Festival Musique Creole Dominique. Each year festival organizers work hard to ensure that the best international talent is represented to provide the ultimate entertainment experience. But last night, many Dominicans were left disappointed after a lack-luster performance by Sean Paul. Sucks for them, cause here in Toronto, it was all about Soca or Die 9! And it was saw-weet!....I digress.

Right. So, the real local stars mashing up Dominica this season are a young group called the MFR Band. The acronym stands for Music For Real. They have a song called Sticks and Stones that is on EVERYONE'S tongues even though the tune hasn't been recorded in studio yet for radio play.

Here's a video of MFR Band performing Sticks and Stones

"I see you runnin' ya mouth, but you ain't saying nothin. Blah, blah, blah!"

St. Lucia is taking an leap forward to recognize the potential of THEIR local entertainment hopefuls. Wednesday, a new television program was launched called Guinness Undisputed. It's a talent contest seeking the top vocalists, dancehall dancers and freestylers from Lucia. What's cool about the program is that the contest judges are some pretty reputable local soca personalities. You have Francis "Leebo" De Lima, a reggae artist and soca producer, Nigel Nicholas and Patrice Regis from Slaughter Arts Media Entertainment...the duo who brought you the soca blutooth riddim last year. And Lastly, Mr. Courtney Lewis...he's best known as the 2007 COTT Award Winner for best new male songwriter for Trinidad's Roadmarch that year....Jumbie!

Speaking of the COTT Awards. The action starts now. The 2008 awards gala takes place on November 6th, but a few awards were doled out early. I'd like to big up Noel La Pierre, a member of the Kingdom of Soca extended family. He just won the COTT award for Jazz World Music Composition of the Year, for the song One and Only. Noel made that steelpan sing, and recorded the magic right here in Toronto.

The biggest news of the week is of a somewhat sombre nature. I say somewhat, because the bad news everyone is talking about turned out be a little LESS "bad" than we first thought. I am talking about Byron Lee, the legendary bandleader behind one of Jamaica's foremost musical exports, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. The 73 year old music veteran has been suffering from cancer for two years. He was undergoing treatment in Miami.

This past week a crazy rumour was circulating internationally that Mr. Lee had passed away. Sadly I must admit, I got caught in it myself. Lemme explain. Recently, Lee's conditioned worsened and he suddenly returned home to Jamaica by air ambulance. The next day the governor general paid him a visit in the hospital to bestow upon him one of Jamaica's highest civilian honours - the Order of Jamaica.

Naturally this sparked speculation among news watchers that a tragic end was close in view. So, heres what your Nurse found out. On Monday, there WAS a death in the Dragonaires camp. Former lead vocalist, Vic Taylor who performed as part of the band throughout the 70s and 80s died at the age of 56. See where I'm going? Byron Lee is not dead. Rather, lines got crossed with persons coupling the gravity of Lee's illness with the untimely death of his old colleague Vic Taylor. I have been communicating with a longtime friend of the Lee family who is receiving updates from Byron's daughter Deanna. Lee is alive and fighting for every breath. This morning her email informed me that he does have his good day and his bad. So join me in continuing to keep both the Lee and Taylor families your thoughts and prayers.

I'm Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay's Rounds. For more information about anything I've mentioned, check me out online at the (Nurse) Karen (Etc) Blog at triple w dot mustard seeds dot net. And as always, you can download The Rounds Podcast for yourself at Soca Therapy dot com.
Now Back to De Docta!

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Booster Shot: St. Lucia launches Guiness Undisputed

I love it when Caribbean countries step up to recognise the talent ripe for picking on their very own shores.

St. Lucia took a big step forward last night when a press conference was held to announce the launch of "Guinness Undisputed"

...you could compare it to American Idol, or Digicel Rising Star, or one-a-dem. Fact is it's homegrown...and it's about time. Truthfully, it's a very different concept. It's a competition that will incorporate four main events; The Original Song Competition, a Dancehall Dance Competition, a Freestyle Battle and some kinda final showdown. Contestants will be vying for a shot at EC $25 000 worth of prizes.

There will be no Simon Cowell (THANK GOD). However the critique will come from an impressive cast of St. Lucian music personalities who have experience working in the music biz locally, regionally and internationally. We talking all genres: soca, dancehall, zouk, hip hop, reggae and r&b.

So let me introduce the judges to you:

Francis "Leebo" De Lima, is probably best known at home for being a reggae artiste. A trained sound engineer, Leebo and partner Adam Gillmor are the brains and muscle behind Heights Music Production, where they work with many of St. Lucia's up-and-coming vocalists.

Posing with Leebo and St. Lucia Power Soca Monarch, 2008

Courtney Lewis, a St. Lucian based in Trinidad. He is one of the unsung heroes behind Machel Montano's "Jumbie" 2007 Roadmarch. Lewis copped the 2007 COTT Award for New Male Songwriter of the Year for that effort. He also shared the accolades for Best New Soca, and Best New Song with Machel Montano and Kernal Roberts.

Sharing a moment with Nigel Nicholas

Nigel Nicholas, is a hard-working musical jack of all trades. The artiste/producer thinks globally when it comes to music. As a business man he knows all about the hustle of networking. As an artiste, he brings a sexy hip hop style to tracks that gives his music a palatable crossover feel.

Together with dynamic music producer, Patrice Regis, Slaughter Arts Media Entertainment has made an impact on the airwaves of both the English Caribbean and the entire creole-speaking world. You probably know Pato's sound from the Soca Blutooth Riddim.

Enjoying the lime with Patrice Regis in beautiful St. Lucia

Lucians, check your local papers...and get involved!

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