The Rounds: Usain Bolt jumps into the action for Bacchanal J'ouvert

Good Evening Soca Lovers, I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Jamaicas two carnivals come to a dramatic end this weekend. Friday night, revellers, artistes and local heros got together in a cloud of mud, powder, paint and water for Bacchanal J’ouvert. Jamaican dancehall king and carnival lover Sean Paul, was sorry he had to run away from the excitement early to catch a flight to Australia, but the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt was in no rush for J’ouvert to end. Nope, not at all...he was in the middle of the action at Mas Camp in Kingston covered from hear to toe in Blue and White paint!

Photo of Usain Bolt courtesy of www.jamaica-gleaner.com

Over in Virgin Gorda, King Paido won his 4th Calypso Monarch Title with the songs “Time to Check Ourselves”, and “Dey Pon Farmville” a chune about that game on Facebook that half of you are probably playing right now. So now he’s got four wins in Virgin Gorda, the last being in 2000, to match the four wins he has in Tortola as well. If you ask me, there’s a good reason they call the man King.

St. Thomas has crowned their first ever party monarch last weekend, and HER name is Rudy! The addition of the competition, is a definite step in the right direction for Soca Music in the US Virgin Islands. The tune is called Pressure Me and a video for said song is just around the corner. So don’t forget to check me for that when the time comes.

After this weekend, the next big carnivals on deck are St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia. But New Yorkers will be plunged headlong into both carnivals before the soca lovers in the island even get to. Last night in Brooklyn, the Vincy community paid tribute to one of its best loved calypso and soca artists, POORSAH. This year marks 30 years in the biz for the iconic political and social commentator. Known for his tiny stature, nasal voice and frantic running and pacing on stage, Poorsah has 5 road march titles under his belt.

Poorsah at SVG Soca Monarch Semifinals, 2008

St. Lucians in New York are gearing up for... “I must be in dat” the event dubbed as the Official US launch of St. Lucia Carnival. It will feature 2010 mas presentations from a variety of popular mas bands, top DJS, and of course, performances from a cast of St. Lucian artists. I think the best thing about it is that Brooklynites will get a chance to register for Lucian Carnival costumes on site, before they even book flights to head to home in July.

When I was in Trinidad for Carnival, I was surprised to turn on the TV and see that Akil Borneo, a popular DJ on 96 We FM had put out a song as a soca artist under the name 5Star Akil. Well, that same guy made news for a completely different reason this past week. On Thursday Akil narrowly escaped death after being shot 5 times in St James Trinidad. He was rushed to hospital where he was swiftly operated on. While he’s not completely out of the woods yet, the good news is, he is in stable condition with hopes to recover.

My shot of Akil on the mic Carnival Tuesday 2009 with Evolution mas band, Trinidad

Before I go, special belated birthday greetings go out to Knycky Cordner who celebrated her special day on Monday in Trinidad. Patrice Roberts turns 25 today, and Sizwe C turns 30 on the 16th. Happy Birthday to all. I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. For more info on everything I mentioned tonight, visit me online at Nurse dash Karen dot com, or follow your favourite non-medical Nurse on Twitter. Twitter dot com slash Nurse Karen. Now back to de Docta!

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Booster Shot: Machel replaces Sean Paul for free Brooklyn concert TONIGHT!

New York posse!

Pay attention. You know I'm always teasing about how much you guys have to pay for entertainment compared to us spoiled soca fans here in Toronto. There may be no free lunch in life, but today YOU will be treated to a FREE concert by none other than Machel Montano HD.

The action takes place tonight at Wingate Park as part of the 27th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Concert series. Sean Paul was supposed to headline this evening's show, however, The New York Times is being reported that he's feeling sick and had to cancel. So, good vibes and speedy recovery to Sean Paul...but in the meantime, go out and support Boy Boy.

As if that weren't enough, the Mighty Sparrow is the opening act!

Here's all the info you need...

When: August 24, 2009 6:00 PM

Where:

Wingate Park

Brooklyn Ave & Rutland Rd

Brooklyn, NY 11203

Cost: FREE

Hustle over to the park after work and let's get your Labor Day started NOW!

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: Take a Trip With Me to Trinidad (Video)

If you bounced me in Trinidad for Carnival, you likely saw me grabbing little clips of everything. Somehow, I lost half of them - but the rest are edited into a nice little mini-movie for your pleasure.

See if you can spot yourself...or any of your favorite soca stars.

Ready to take a trip with me to Trinidad?

Click Here ---->

*** remember, there are lots more videos where that came from. search "mustardseedk" on YouTube, for a complete list!

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Booster Shot: Somebody say Tribe in de air!

Lemme tell you a lil sumting! Either everyone in Trinidad is a millionaire, or de promoters and dem really not interested in letting regular people in they fetes. Not so sure what kinda people are the ones gobbling up the tickets like rice and peas at Sunday dinner...but ah figure not every one is so ready to part with that kinda money. Did I say that already?

So where did I leave off? Yesterday, after cooling out at Beachhouse in the sun and in de rain we dragged our tired botttoms back home for a quick fresh. Then we turned around twice and headed to the Oval for the Tribe All-Inclusive. Tribe is one the best party bands in Trinidad. De mas could be so-so...but the vibes don't stop flowing. The party was the same. Took a lil while to get inside, but only because I was rolling with humanitarians who were holding pre-purchased tix for friends and stangers who didn't want to pay the extra $50 TT at the door. Dat is like $8...I would a let dem stand in line. But you dun know ah wikked.

So de lime outside de gate was cool. We saw de djs and dem biding they time until their sets. Hoppie, D'Bandit, and Playhouse...all made time for a photo op with me! (Ah de subtle power of words)



I heard Kes and Nadia dem singing they lungs out. My friend say she was able to ketch a glimpse of de man's bare chest on the big screen . I guess that's some kinda highlight, me ain't know. Jamesy P was next. Ah don't feel he was happy about that...having to sing two tunes over tracks, with a stadium full of Bashment Freaks still balling for Nookie with Kees.

Sometime in the DJ set we completed our duties at de door..and we came inside. Dat was a nice fete. Hands down, one of the best I've been to in some time. I have to thanks the worker bees at the gate for my rag and those non-discript pieces of jewellery. I doh self know what they be...but they pretty.

The show rolled on...Hunter, Bunji, Faye-Ann, Destra, Tizzy, Sean Paul, Beenie...woy! It was so sweet to see Bunji back in fine form. If marriage has taught the man anything, it's staying power and resilience. He was on fire. Lyrics, energy, stamina for dayz! The highlight of the night was a free-style battle between Beenie Man and Bunji Garlin that lasted could 30 mins. Trinidad's son won hands down! And the Jamaican rude bwoy conceded defeat by saying..."Bunji Garlin is one of the best, if not THE BEST DJ in the Caribbean." And with that, he walked off the stage.

Speaking of DJs...as in the kind that actually spin music fuh make people dance and ting. We had some great company in the Xcaliber International squad. Mr. Slaughter, Jester, Walshy from Black Chiney and Kid Kut...were by de wall getting the wine on to de soca.



At the end of the fete, it was hilarious watching all the men on the prowl. Not saying any of the ones ah already mentioned, but it was like vultures preying on dead tired women. De crew and I fought off our fair share and found the car. Big up to de chauffeur for getting us home safe and sound!

Lemme ketch a few winks. I have to recharge my Girl Power. Island People mas got next!

I'm Nurse Karen and that's your Booster Shot.

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The Rounds - April 1, 2007

April 1, 2007
Dr. Jay’s Rounds
By “Nurse Karen”
Good Evening Soca Lovers, I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. We’ve entered Spring and I’m actually starting to believe it.
As Easter rolls around, Jamaica is gearing up for carnival again. Last Saturday, Bacchanal Jamaica founder Byron Lee got the people of Clarendon in the mood at the Supreme Venture Carnival Blowout. The night featured covers of soca songs by Biggie Irie and Alison Hinds, plus the popular annual Tiney Winey competition.
St. Lucia is ushering in the new season by coaxing the big tourist money. There’s a new star studded celebrity event at the Rodney Bay Village Music bash, April 23 to April 25th. The inaugural festival will feature Destra, David Rudder, Beres Hammond, Sean Paul, Maxi Priest and Shaggy. With tickets set at $60 US, it’s obvious that they prefer foreign money to the local kind. For Lucians wanting to check out their favourite artistes, $160 EC is not much of a welcome mat…if you know what I’m saying.
The next big North American street party happens in Atlanta next month. DJ Tony Tempo tells me he will be bringing a mas band this year, which is guaranteed to encourage more participation from the youth. So, if you want to join the action, the parade of the bands takes place on May 26th.
T and T police are out to capture the true pirates of the Caribbean. Perhaps you know of them, you know the kind of people who try to get rich selling things that don’t belong to them in the first place. I have to hand it to the copyright organization of Trinidad and Tobago. Last week they nabbed a couple of street entrepreneurs who were selling bootleg soca CDs for which they don’t own the license. If you’ve ever traveled to the West Indies…or Brooklyn for that matter, you know how much of a problem that is. These guys selling bootlegs on street corners with no shame….and you have to remember, soca music is still an emerging industry. The artists have a short window to win the ears of fans during the carnival season and once it’s done, marketing and promotion is often done at a grass roots level. While I think the fine ought to be much higher then $3000 TT ( about $700 Canadian), I’m happy the cops are finally teaching a them a lesson. Since February of this year they’ve made more than ten arrests. The only people who should be making money off the sale of the music…are the people who are making the music.
In Antigua, spirits were low this week as West Indies fans witnessed their team tek some serious licks from Australia. A rain cancellation pushed the date back one day, which led to lower attendance. Some would say the only highlight of Wednesday’s game was a lunchtime performance by El a Kru. When tizzy hit the stage singing Expose, the crowd got together to jump and wave…which really couldn’t save the team anyway.
And according to Marxman Sri Lanka done knock de West Indies back to 1957. This week I asked Dr. Jay to run a little cricket set to encourage these guys to step it up… I thought I’d better ask the kingdom of soca to give our boys a little inspiration…but inspiration could never substitute for runs….i think I going and cry.
I’m nurse Karen and those were Dr. jay’s Rounds. Send your comments to soca a Flow 935 dot com. Now back to the doctor!

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