Eye Unit: Happy Birthday Sedale!

Nurse Karen and Sedale in New York

Today is Sedale's Birthday!!!!  If you haven't heard the name, this artist is a hard working St. Lucian chap currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York.  He affiliates himself with a vast network of Caribbean hustlers in the entertainment world including Infrared Sound (New York), Jam Crew Productions (St. Kitts) and budding songwriter and producer, Hitty (St. Lucia).

He's a humble guy who is eager to learn the soca business and do all that's necessary to make an impact.  I spoke to Sedale very early this morning, and he told me that the one thing that would make his birthday complete is a phone call from Skinny Fabulous.  Skinny, you dey?  Let's hope he gets it!

Can't control that one, but I can definitely send my own greetings!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEDALE! Don't forget to send your own greetings at twitter.com/sedalemusic


Check out this promo bit for his big tune from Lucian Carnival 2009 "Mentally Ill"

Love and Soca,

Nurse Karen

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The Rounds: Naki is "Always On Time", etc

Originally aired on FLOW 93.5 FM's "Soca Therapy" with Dr. Jay de Soca Prince,on Sunday, December 6th, 2009. Tune in every Sundays from 6 to 9 pm.

In this edition:
- Rate Kes the Band for the Independent Music Awards (Trinidad and Tobago / USA)
- First TEMPEST CD is released! ( St. Lucia)
- Naki transitions to soca (Trinidad and Tobago / Canada)
- FREE Iphone / Ipod Touch Steel Drum App (England)
- Birthdays:  Nadia Batson (Trinidad and Tobago), Black Roots (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Sedale (St. Lucia)
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Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Trinidad’s Kes the Band is waiting with baited breath to find out if they will be the 2009 Winners in the World Beat Category of the Independent Music awards. A panel of industry professionals is in the process of choosing a winner right now, but the public can still play a part in helping them to possibly win Peoples’ Choice. They’re up against four other acts. Just surf over to Musicians Atlas dot com, and do your part to support soca.

A couple of St. Lucians who have been working tirelessly to support the development of music on their island, have just launched a brand new compilation CD showing off some of the hottest up and coming talent on the island in various genres including soca. Francis "Leebo" De Lima and Christopher Hunte  are behind a project called "The best of TEMPEST Volume One". Tempest is an acronym that stands for “Televised Event Marketing and Promoting Emerging Sound Talent”. The organization has promoted four live concerts in St. Lucia since 2006, and also participated in the internationally known , St. Lucia Jazz Festival.

On the home front, one of Toronto’s own female Calypsonians, Naki Tuitt has made the transition into singing soca for Trinidad Carnival 2k10. If you’re not sure where you’ve heard the name before, Naki was the 1995 Junior Calypso Monarch in South Trinidad. Years later she moved here to Toronto where she has been competing in the Caribana Calypso Monarch for the last three years. Now, she’s got a groovy soca tune out called "Always on Time", produced by Jimmy Nutron...the same guy who did "Ramajay" for Machel Montano. If you’d like to support your hometown girl. You can grab copies of A Caribbean Soul Christmas and A Mastamind Christmas 4, where you can hear her take on soul music and and soca parang too!

For all the Iphone and Ipod touch users out there, I found an app that you can use to play along with your favourite soca tunes. Carnival Village UK released a free download called “Carnival Steel Drum”, which...no lie...is and electronic tenor pan that you play with your finger tips. Just tap different parts of the screen, and you can rehearse for pan alive! Surf on into the itunes App Store and download it for FREE!

This weeks birthday greetings go out to Trinidad’s Nadia Batson on Monday. St. Vincent’s Black Roots and St. Lucia’s Sedale on Saturday! I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. For more up to date information on everything to do with soca, check me out online at triple w dot nurse dash Karen dot com, or follow me “Nurse Karen” on Twitter. Now back to de Docta!

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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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