Eye Unit: Marcia Miranda - Thiefing Parang Band

At this point of the day, I wouldn't be surprised if a few long armed neighbours and relatives have dropped in on you to eat you out of house and home. Ahhh, the holidays!

I trust you're having a fun-filled Christmas. It wouldn't be complete without some festive parang music and the trifling fellas that usually come around to play it!

Enjoy this one from Trinidad's Parang princess, Marcia Miranda!

Merry Christmas!




Love and Soca,

Nurse Karen

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The Rounds - November 25, 2007

Good Evening Soca Lovers,
I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds.
There will be a grande parade in Tobago this Friday to usher in the 2008 carnival season. With 21 mas bands registered for the main event in that island, organizers are expecting this to be one of the best years yet.
If it’s gonna be the best across the board, there hah be some planned improvements right? Well in Trinidad, the preliminary round of the national schools soca monarch competition was held yesterday in Port of Spain. Soca in the School Bag 9 , as they call it, now has two separate categories for primary and secondary school students…so finally, some the small children have a fair shot at winning the prizes.
Here in Toronto, we recently fell victim to a cruel reality of Winter: SNOW! Well, today IS the 25th November , 2007…and that means just thirty more sleeps until Chist-mus Day. If that don’t put the fear of God in you, then let ME remind you that a true soca Christmas is not complete without Black Cake and Sorrel, Punch a crème and de Ham.. ...and the king of Soca Parang hesself….None other than Scrrrunter.
He’s in town tonight for a fast growing Toronto Holiday Tradition, the Big People Parang Show and Dance. The action is is at Ella’s Banquet Hall, and the show begins in just a few minutes. So bundle up and start de car.
If any of you out there need help getting your CREATIVE wheels turning, you can borrow a page out the book of Shawn Mastamind Noel. HE and Patch looked no further than Facebook to get the idea for their latest chune. “De Tail Gone” was inspired by a facebook group called “Save a Horse”. Yuh catch it yet? It’s dedicated to the thousands of women out there exaggerating dey heads with weave.
Seems like everyone’s full of New Ideas! Allyuh remember Peter C. Lewis? He used to share the stage with Machel Montano in de big band, Xtatik. Over the last few weeks, Dr. Jay has been treating your ears to his new song OVER AND OVER. Well I liked the song so much, I had to reach out and gih de man a virtual handshake. It’s been YEARS since Peter released a track, Afterall…de man real busy as CEO of Trinidad’s - Synergy TV station. Ever the business man, Lewis hit me back in record time to let me know that it doesn’t stop there. He’s got a brand new band, and your nurse will be the first to tell you all about it in the weeks to come.
I’M nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Please text your comments to 9-35-9-3-5. And let me be the first to say Season’s Greetings. Now, back to de Docta!

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The Rounds - November 18, 2007

Good Evening Soca Lovers, I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Here at Soca Therapy, we’ve put three birthdays behind us over the last couple of weeks, but we’re still in the mood to celebrate. I missed the opportunity to wish Destra a happy birthday last week. She rang in the big 3-0, performing here in Toronto, up at Palazzo…and from what I hear, age eh go slow her down at all.
Toronto’s Santa Claus Parade went down this afternoon, and I guess it’s safe to say, Christmas is just around the corner. If you’re getting that feeling too, you just might want to join Dr. Jay and Scrunter at Ella’s Banquet Hall next Sunday for the annual Big People Parang Show and Dance. Whether you’re looking forward to the holiday season or the carnival season, it’s definitely the right season for fun.
On Thursday night, one artist was having some fun at the expense of a radio DJ at Trinidad’s 96.1 FM. For reasons of confidentiality, I can’t tell you the names, but the story goes like this. An artist was frustrated over his lack of airplay on the popular station. He and a certain DJ have been criticizing each other verbally for a long time now, but it finally came to a head. The Artiste in question took matters into his own hands by vandalizing the offending DJ’s car with an ice pick, causing $15, 000 TT damage to the 2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara. Police were called, and the soca singing hooligan offered to pay the bill…but ah I don’t think he earned himself ANY more air play.
It seems like DJ’s in Toronto have finally given Kevin Lyttle’s Turn Me On a break on the airwaves. The 2001 ragga chune emerged out of Vincy Mas and eventually took the world by storm….for like four years. But, It appears that Lyttle is still turning on fans in East Africa. This week it was announced that Kevin will be headlining a two night “Turn Me On” concert in Kampala, Uganda on December 7th and 9th, following a tour in neighbouring Tanzania. The show will also feature Spragga Benz and a cast of East African recording artists.
This week Alison Hinds took a short break from promoting her new album to type up an email to the Montreal Gazette. A little girl in Quebec was hit by a speeding car on the front lawn of her daycare on Halloween. Little Bianca’s favourite song was “Roll It Gal”. When Alison heard this, she said she was moved to tears. Hinds has a 3 year old daughter, and wrote the letter to send her condolences to the grieving family.
I’m nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Please text your comments to 9-3-5-9-3-5, now back to de Doctor.

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The Rounds - October 14, 2007

Good Evening Soca Lovers,
I’m nurse Karen and these are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. I hope allyuh had a safe and happy thanksgiving with family and friends. So, now are you ready for Christmas? I realize it’s a bit early to ask that question, but we had a few nights this week when I could have sworn that Santa Claus was on his way!
Mastamind Productions is getting ready for the holidays early as well. Tomorrow their brand new “Mastamind Christmas” CD drops. I’m talking about 15 tracks featuring songs by Leon Coldero, De Postman, Third Bass and others. Soca Parang, Classical Parang, and good old fashioned Christmas Carols too.
For Zan, Friday last was feeling more like Halloween. It must have been like a horror scene when the 26 year old soca singer, missed his long overdue court appearance, because - he slept in! If you remember, Zan was one of the soca rat pack who got mixed up in that Zen night club fracas back in April. Zan’s attorney told the magistrate that his client had worked until 6 a.m. that morning and was to go home, just to change his clothes for court. Apparently, Einstein took a little nap while he was there and missed the whole thing.
So, HERE’s the latest. Machel, Kernal and Benjai were there, and they all plead NOT GUILTY to the assault charges. Miss Magistrate seemed to share my festive mood, deciding to wait until sometime AFTER the carnival season to revisit the matter.
When thinking of yearly celebrations, there’s one that comes to mind, that FOR ME is way more exciting than all the others. MY BIRTHDAY! I’m a soca Scorpio and that means I will be celebrating life on November 3rd with about 35 hundred of my closest friends; Dr. Jay, Marxman, Umba d Shepherd and YOU. We going to KoolHaus on November 3rd for Soca or Die 7. And we feting till morning with Nadia Batson, Problem Child, Tizzy, Adrian Dutchin and more. Get your tickets before they sell out! Ah cyan wait!
MTV Tempo is celebrating a birthday in November TOO! Yes, the Caribbean music channel will be ringing in its second anniversary on November 6th.
If you’ve ever seen MTV Tempo, they’re on to a good thing. Little by little they are helping the music of the Caribbean cross the seas to audiences in all the islands. Lately, Shurwayne Winchester hooked up with a producer from another land thanks to TEMPO. Shurwayne and Alton Bertie teamed up on a song called “Carnival Please Stay”. Bertie is from the Virgin Islands. The duo met up at the Air Port in Puerto Rico on their ways home from the Rock the Tempo concert in St. Thomas.
The anniversary party features another all-start line up of hit makers in soca and reggae. If you can find a way to catch that broadcast, you can expect performances from Beres Hammond, Ziggy Ranking and Krosfyah (who coincidentally will be bringing the live accompaniment at Soca or Die).
I’m nurse Karen and those are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. If you feel like celebrating something, text your comments to 9-3-5-9-3-5, now back to the doctor! Now, back to de Docta!

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The Rounds - December 31, 2006

Good Evening Soca Lovers,
I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds for Old Year’s Night 2006. As we move forward to 2007, here are nurse Karen’s top ten tips for success.

1. Make love your priority…
A couple weeks ago Dr. Jay started referring to Bunji Garlin by his wife’s maiden name. Only…she wasn’t his wife yet. The nuptials finally took place last week Saturday...and I’ve heard it was more like an all-inclusive fete than a wedding. Faye-Ann and Bunji sang for their guests and they ate everything from stewed pig, to wild meat. If the amount of food at a wedding is any indication of a couple’s love for each other, this marriage will last forever.

2. Always have a plan.
It looks like Trini Culture Minister Joan Yulle Williams still hasn’t found a suitable Chairperson for the National Carnival Commission with the main event less than two months away. For 2007, do yourselves a favour and plan ahead. Your good reputation is too valuable not to.

3. Aspire to achieve.
Dr. Jay and I believe YOU deserve success in 2007. So, when opportunity knocks, open de door…but only if your house is in order. Bajan singer/songwriter Shontelle Layne was more than ready to answer last week when she signed a 7-album recording contract with Universal/Motown. That’s the label that promotes Damian Marley and Chamillionaire. The young law student at the University of the West Indies won party monarch in 2006 with Nathalee Burke for her song Colours and she also wrote “Roll” for Alison Hinds.

4. Embrace change
If you’re afraid to try something new, take a lesson from Freddie MacGregor. In 2006, the Grammy nominated reggae artist produced his first documentary film…and in 2007 he will be releasing his own soca song featuring Bunji Garlin. If you don’t believe me, check for him on the road in Fun Station 4’s brand new mas band, Pulse8. Freddie will be in a section called “Cocktails: You Shake – We Stir”

5. Act your age
I don’t mean you must act older, just behave bet-ter. Do like Rootsman and use all your success and wisdom from the past to bring you more blessings in the future. Rootsy celebrated 30 years as a calypsonian in 2006, and for 2007 his new tune Soca Jumbie is proving to be one of the most requested new releases for Trini carnival.

6. Pursue your dreams
I grew up in the 80’s, watching the bands go by on University Avenue. I remember music with a message being part of the Caribana soundtrack. I remember wearing t-shirts that said free Mandela, and meh momma telling me not to go in certain stores because they got rich off of Apartheid in South Africa. And so I remember a song called Shaka Shaka that came out in 1988.
If someone were to tell me then, that it would be 19 years before Bally would pursue his music fulltime, I woulda laugh in they face. Well allyuh…when God give you a dream, it’s for you to wake up and live it. Finally, Bally retired from his job at Customs and will be advocating Calypso music as the public relations officer for the Trinidad United Calyposonians Organization.

7. Share your education
When you know something, believe you me there’s someone out there who wants to learn. Finally the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Education is offering workshops on Soca Music in the school system. Starting Friday, each school can send three students and one teacher for a course on how to become a soca performer, focusing on song lyrics as a tool for reading.

8. Find balance
It’s not easy to have it all….unless yuh some kind of soca prince or someting so. But, if you want the most out of life you have to work hard. Parang Soca songstress Marcia Miranda spent years working as a flight attendant for BWEE while working on her music. So, as you face your trials in the upcoming year - remember…you CAN have it all.

9. Make a lasting impression
You may be young, you may be small, but if you play your cards right, the world will remember you. Look at the Soca Warriors football team. Trinidad is the smallest country to ever play in the FIFA World cup and now two streets in Germany are getting a name change to celebrate that victory. So if you ever make the trip to Rotenburg, meet me at the corner of Trinidad and Tobago. I’m sure you could find some inspiration there.

10. Make time for fun
Our friends in St. Kitts are ringing in the new year at a “Night of Stars Gala and Ball.” Partygoers will be treated to music by Small Axe band and d’Vybz band all night long. Then tomorrow morning they’ll be jumping up through the streets of Basse-Terre…and there’s nothing wrong with that!

I’m nurse Karen, and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds for Old Years night 2006. Have allyuh-selves a good time tonight, and I’ll see you in 2007. Send your comments to SOCA at FLOW 935 DOT COM. Now back to de docta!

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The Rounds - December 17, 2006

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m nurse Karen and these are Doctor Jay’s rounds. When you listen to Caribbean music, it’s no secret that the most anticipated tradition of the holiday season (besides the music itself) is the food. There are so many special treats that only make an appearance once a year. You name it! If you like sweet - we’ve got it. Savoury - but of course! Drinks…well you hadda ask Doctor Jay about dah one. He would know better than me.

Every Caribbean country has its own special Christmas traditions…but they’re all lots of fun, so text me with your dinner invitations. Whichever day you’re cooking, I’m free!

Last week I mentioned that St. Kitts carnival is a Christmas tradition for THAT country. It’s well underway and new band D’Vybz International is beginning to make its mark. Well, they’re not schupid either. When carnival time coincides with Christmas, de bands and dem don’t stick when it comes to getting their CD’s out. After all it is the season for giving! They just launched their inaugural album “No Turning Back” which will be the sound track for masqueraders jumping up with Inferno.

My people in Montserrat are in the swing of carnival too. And Scrappy is back to defend last year’s Soca Monarch Crown. His new CD “Dreams are Reality” comes out tomorrow….but the first track Carnival S.O.S. is already lighting up the airwaves.

All this talk about CDs has me realizing, if I just buy original soca music, it wouldn’t take much to cross a few more names off my Christmas list…So I’m thinking my mommy would enjoy a jamoo cd featuring Religious Soca songs like “Christmas with the Blackmans” performed by Isaac Blackman and his siblings.

Meh tanty Hetty is a romantic, so I would get her “Christmas With You” by H20 Flow. And I think meh friend Keston would enjoy a Ma$tamind Christmas, since he grew up in Siparia near the producer Shawn Noel - and he love he black and sorrel…and parang more than anybody else!

Traditionally parang songs are sung in Spanish and addresses religious themes like the birth of Christ. The music has changed over time and a politician for Barataria/San Juan doesn’t like where it’s going. In Trinidad parliament on Thursday, Dr. Fuad Khan called for a ban on a Christmas hit by Damian Joseph, stating that some of its lyrics may be derogatory to persons of Chinese origin. The artist whole heartedly disagrees. Since last year, he has performed the tune for the Chinese Association with no complaints whatsoever and he even won 2006 Soca Parang OF THE YEAR for the composition at the COTT awards. All that being said, I still ent go tell you de name of de song. Because Nurse Karen may be many things, but I am certainly not offensive.
If you don’t like soca, suk you ma-whey!!!….Those are not my words, that is the work of Ian Alvarez aka Bunji Garlin…a similarly non-offensive soca icon who will be starting a new tradition in February 2007. On Carnival Saturday in Trinidad, from now on Bunji will be hosting his own annual concert.

So, there’s a new event to check out, if you’re heading down for the big show…so you better get used to it. You may find your self breaking with all kinds of TnT carnival tradition for 2007. It seems that the construction happening at Queen’s Park Savannah will really change the face of Carnival this go round. The Panorama finals will take place down South in San Fernando instead of in Port of Spain. Nothern Steel bands are upset with the decision, BUT I FIGURE it’s nice that the pannists down South could finally hold on to THEIR gas money for a change.

I’m nurse Karen and those were Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Please send your comments to soca at Flow 935 dot com. Now back to de docta!

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The Rounds - November 19, 2006

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m nurse Karen and these are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Hear nah, we’ve now passed the half way point in November and everywhere you go…it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Today, de people and dem done block of de whole of downtown so all the little children could gather to catch a quick glimpse of Santa. All now, I still didn’t see the man, but whenever he makes his official visit to the city of Toronto, I can’t help but look forward to the holidays.

Next weekend…it’s off to the Big People Parang Show and dance, for a helping of holiday music and fun -- Trinidadian style. Think about it… If Santa Claus doesn’t get you in that holiday kinda mood, then you probably need people like Marcia Miranda, Scrunter, Kenny J and Leon Coldero to do it for you. None of them would be riding in on a sleigh next Sunday…but de vibes and ting might send YOU riding home in a taxi.

Mista Vybe flew home from Toronto a couple of weeks ago and landed straight into the sound booth. After the amazing success of “Ting fuh de Road” this year, earning him the title of first ever Caribbean Soca Monarch, the pressure is on for Carnival 2007. But first, Vybe is working on some Parang he-self. It surprised me to learn that he wrote a soca parang for Hypa Hoppa…and took to the studio last week to add his high energy background vocals to the mix.
For those of you who don’t know…Hypa hoppa is what you would get if you took FLOW’s own Wayne Williams, Ian Andre Espinet and de one called SPEX, and threw dem into a blender. He’s the Program Director at Trinidad’s RED 96.7. He’s a top event promoter and the force behind the unrivaled Radio Active Sound System in TnT. Now that’s what I would call a one-man entertainment callaloo…who happens to have a degree in Mechanical Engineering too. So, just maybe he could actually design a blender big enough to fit all dem boys dey. All that being said, Ah can’t wait to tek a taste of de song, once it’s done.

You know what else I can’t wait for? I can’t wait for Canadian Cable companies to start broadcasting Caribbean TV shows. If you’re listening, Santa…I think that’s what I want you to bring me. Tonight, in just a few minutes….all the TV sets in the Eastern Caribbean States will be tuned in to the final showdown for the Digicel Rising Star Competition. The finalists have been widdled down to two. Only Antigua’s Omar Rathurin and St. Vincent’s Kyron Baptiste remain.
Now, it’s no secret that I wave my Vincy flag high and proud…but if I still had minutes on my digi-sim card, I’d be texting a vote for the Antiguan with the winning smile. He became my favourite after teenage soca songstress Danielle Veira left the show. Plus, I heard that tonight he’ll be singing “Hot and Groovy”…one of my all-time favourite songs.

Make no mistake….Rising Stars is an important competition. It’s the one that landed Barbados’ Kimberly Inniss smack dab in the middle of the soca limelight with last year’s second place finish. Down in Trinidad Synergy TV’s Soca Star is getting the same kind of attention…especially now that the winner for season two will receive a recording contract with hot boy producer Shawn Mastamind Noel. And if you ask me, dah is money in de bank. Which would sure come in handy for the holidays!

I’m Nurse Karen and those were Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Please send your comments to SOCA at FLOW 935 DOT COM. Now back to de docta!

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The Prognosis - December 18, 2005

Soca Prognosis
Karen Richardson
December 18, 2005
385

Good Evening Soca lovers…
It’s your resident Nurse, Karen bringing you your weekly PROGNOSIS….
One week to go until Christmas…and I just can’t wait. I love everything about it. Food, fun and family. And the music of course!!

Our friends in St. Kitts, Monserrat and St. Croix are now in the middle of vibrant carnival celebrations. St. Vincent’s streets are bumping as they count down nine mornings. The parangderos are spreading that festive Spanish vibe all over T&T. Here…we’re buried under mounds of snow and credit card bills….but that’s OK. It’s still the best time of the year.
Following four days of eliminations, it was announced Thursday that 16 out of 53 kittitian calypsonians have advanced to the semi-final round of the 2005/2006 calypso monarch competition. It remains to be seen if defending champion Socrates will walk away with the title for his fifth time. The man is good, but the question is…how does he measure up against veteran favourite Ellie Matt. Matt has been absent from calypso competitions for several years, but the ten time calypso king of St. Kitts and Nevis is back for 2005. The final battle goes down December 30th.

Every week, I bring you the latest carnival news…and it’s always the same thing. King dis. King dat… Even here at soca therapy I have to play second fiddle to De Prince. But that’s OK. So, what about the queens? Caribbean carnivals always devote much time and attention to Queen Shows. (Errr…beauty pageants) And if you don’t already know, that is serious business in the West Indies. Antigua Carnival does not jump off until July, buy a bevy of beauties are working the make the cut right now. The Antigua and Barbuda carnival development committee starting taking applications for the hotly contested Queen of Carnival pageant yesterday. Ladies between 18 and 25 looking to represent their island paradise to the fullest have just two weeks to register.

Lastly, If you’ve been asking Santa for a ticket to Trinidad for Christmas, don’t fret if Santa saves some money and books it for January instead of late February for the parade of the bands. Good news is the calypso tents will be opening their doors on January 27th…and that just might be your best bet to witness the humour, politics and creativity that makes carnival so wonderful. So, just be smart….take the early ticket…then call your boss from Maracas beach and tell him you’re real sick. Doh worree….I go be sick too.
I’m Nurse Karen, And that’s your weekly prognosis

Send your comments to Soca at FLOW 935 DOT COM
Now back to de Docta

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