Booster Shot: Ricky T is repeat St. Lucia Power Soca Monarch!

(revised 9:45 am, Sunday July 12)

The crowd was thick at Mindoo Philip Park in Castries for the 2009 St. Lucia Power Soca Monarch competition. There were 19 competitors doing battle to dethrone the champ, Ricky T. But no dice. The star of the studio 758 camp, proved to be the crowd's favourite performer for the second year in a row. Ricky T's performance was a heart stopping show of colour, with old mas moko jumbies (stilt walkers), pyrotechnics, and beautiful dance. The onlookers rose to a new level of excitement after watching their soca hero burst into flames for about 5 seconds. In stark contrast to last year's performance, Ricky T's stage performance included creative input from by both himself and his father, as opposed to full reliance on his management team as in last year's competition. Specifically, Teasles dad coordinated the stunt in which the artiste's clothes were lit on fire.

Earlier this week, the cast met to draw for positions in tonight's show, in a rather unconventional way. After initial positions had been drawn, the floor was opened for bartering with sums of up to EC $2000 being exchanged in order to guarantee late appearances for some of the artists favoured to win. (One rep actually boldly admited to paying out $8000, to change his artist's place....mad eh?) After all that fuss, one artiste, Viking was absent due to responsibilities marking CXC's in Trinidad. (I guess soca ain't really paying well enough yet.)

Not my business, but the practice which has become the norm in St. Lucia for at least the last two years brings to light an uneven playing field that favours music camps that are financially well off. To their credit, they don't hide it. So who am I to criticize. Artistes know what they're getting into and stand to earn a little more than the guaranteed $1000 appearance fee if a top artiste is eying their spot.

The 2009 season has been interesting to watch thus far. St. Lucia on a whole has released fewer soca songs this year than in seasons past. Popular acts including Nicole David, Teddyson John, Ricky T and others contributed no more than one song to the carnival music mix. Nicole David was absent from the performance circuit after taking time out to deal with the tragic death of a relative in a vehicular accident early in the season. From what I've been able to see, other factors affecting the release of music here include things like computer difficulties and moreover, internal disharmony in some of the more powerful music houses. It was thought that some of those issues might affect how the soca monarch stage presentations played out. But, after seeing the show. Your nurse is still confident that that the cream always rises to the top.

Anyhoo, y'all don't want my 2 cents. Here's the info that pays...

Voila les resultats pour Lucian Soca Monarch 2009!

1. Ricky T - "Like a Jumbie"
Tent: Take Over Tent
368 points


Ricky T and Friends

2. Ilah Man - "I Want My Money Back"
Tent: NG Soca Stage
353 points



3. Superman HD ft. Teddyson John - "Up! Up! And Away!"
Tent: NG Soca Stage
349 points


Love and Soca,

Nurse Karen

Read more...

On De Scene : St.Lucia Soca Monarch Finalists

Last Night, I know a few of you joined us as we streamed the Preliminary LIVE (by teaming up with scruffytv.com) and turned out successful . The crowd was relatively small competing with the Big Cricket Action this weekend in St.Lucia. Nonetheless the hardcore soca fans came out in numbers at the National Cultural Center. I came in after making a round in Piton Party in the Yard and upon entrance was Orion performing "Bring the Iron Back" which received an encore from the few persons already present.The night proceeded as a few artits came on , I will admit some of the tunes, well it was my first time hearing it and it would take a while to catch with me. But Alpha 3 time Soca Monarch king closed the first half off with his latest track out the studio "What you waiting for" which was one of the crowd's favorite.

Then the backing band switched over to T.E.M featuring Penn on the samplers which turned the show up a notch! This segment was by far the most well received one ! Q-pid "relieve her pressure" and mine too! Superman and Teddyson performed on the single "UP UP UP and Away" which was chasos! I was up front doing everything I was told and I had a time turning out to be one of my favorite performances that night. Private 6 did not fail with "I doe Care" and if at some point de liqour got to you and you began looking Funny Platinum George took care of that ! Boy the entire show came to a close in a firey way!! Illah Man flatten the place , real flatten "I want my Money Back" good gosh!!

All in all next week Saturday looks good. Hats off to those who did not make it but gave their best I applauded you guys! Nurse Karen you ready, Soca Monarch July 10th 2009 at Mindoo Philip Park with the 19 joining Ricky T !!

SOCA FINALISTS :

1. Winter
   
2. Nintus
   
3. Frost
   
4. Ilah Man
   
5. Private Six
   
6. De Arc
   
7. Superman HD
   
8. Alpha
   
9. Blaze
   
10. Esteban
    
11. Kakal
    
12. TC Brown
    
13. Q-Pid
    
14. Platinum George
    
15. Cocoa Farmer
    
16. Minelle
    
17. Mantius
    
18. Orion
19. Jessica

Source : www.luciancarnival.com

Read more...

On De Scene: Lucian Music Making de Countdown (June 19)

Well nuff tune blazing de airways now a days . With some riddims causing sum serious problems and some collaborations being infectious . Now last time I gave you guys a glimpse of de tunes dat have Lucians chanting de hook and moving their waistline (Read More)

But Today Friday July 19th the songs making the countdown at the top 5 at 5 on The Wave 93.5 is as folllows


5. Up Up and Away - Superman and Mista Vybe


4. Rockshun - Ilah Man

3. Rock So - Emarand Henry


2. Mummy & Daddy - Mantius



1. Relieve Mi Pressure - Q- Pid



Happy Soca Weekend !

Rochelle

Read more...

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

Read more...

Promoter's View : Shane Larcher on Perfomance segment of Opening of St.Lucia Carnival

My previous post I indicated that I did not stay for the segment which ignited the Mindoo Phillip Park , but Shane Larcher gave a detail description of what went down. Shane is the man behind Party Entertainment 3D. He is reputable for throwing some of the wildest and orginal fetes in St.Luica. And if that is not enough he is the man behind the website www.slucarnival.com where he tries to expose the wider world about St.Lucia Carnival with coverage of fetes , limes and overall facts. If you are in St.Lucia come Carnival Tuesday I know this guy is going to be throwing a huge fete . Now here is his Review :

Shane Larcher and I caught off guard backstage at Opening of Carnival

"The vibe was intense, pulsating and very energetic. The
calypsonians graced the stage with the likes of Lord Believe Me, Ashanti, who
ignited the stage with his popular hit “Leave me alone” and others including the
2008 Groovy and Calypso Monarch Herb Black. After the calypsonians did their
performance on stage, it was time for the Soca segment to jump off. The crowd
was ready, the energy was crazy and it was time to give the people what they had
been waiting for. Many artistes hit the stage singing most of their popular hits
to much of the crowd’s delight, including Mantius, TC Brown, and Q-Pid who
brought her son on stage, who had the crowd in screams with his whine resulting
in an encore of the performance.

Then it was time for the 758 crew, better known as Mad Camp to hit the stage. With a quick band change, the energy was up again, ready to explode into the crowd. Teddyson started things off with his popular groovy and new track, warming up the crowd for the power that was about to come.

Signaling for Ilah Man, the two hands went up and it was madness inside Mindoo
Phillip Park. Performing hits such as ‘Mad So’, Illah Man surely delivered,
calling on Pringles aka Superman to fly. Patrons in the crowd moved from left to
right in the rain, as Superman HD commanded the crowd. Signaling Illah Man to
return to the stage, one popular song ‘I want my money back’ was a hit being
performed. Rags, towels, umbrellas and whatever persons could use were up in the
air, as persons chanted ‘I want my money back’.

With energy levels up, it was time for the Pressure man Ricky T, to hit the stage. Belting out his popular hits, Ricky T teased the crowd over and over cutting his latest song ‘Like a Jumbie’ short many times. Knowing when the crowd was ready, Ricky T belted out the big tune, ensuring that St. Lucians showed they were the best for Carnival.

It was real Jumbie in the crowd, as persons shoes came off, jumping, waving,
running and whining as Ricky T kept the crowd without rest. All good things must
come to an end, as the fireworks lit up the sky, signaling the end of a launch
packed with fifteen band presentations, steel band, carnival queen contestants,
thousands of patrons, vibes, energy and so much more. St.Lucia Carnival 2k9 is
here, enjoy cause "NOTHING SWEETER DAN
DAT!"

Shane

Wooow! I sure wished I stayed to see de madness,nonetheless I must catch it, cause season S T A R T !

Peace and Soca

Rochelle

Read more...

On de Scene : Music Making the Countdown #1

It is the eve of a long weekend in St.Lucia ,which will end with the Official Opening of Carnival scheduled for June 1st 2009.

I, like many soca lovers out there like to know what songs are captivating people's hearts . The Wave, one of St.Lucia's leading radio stations hosts their top 5 at 5(p.m.) and with the help of the Nurse tuned in to today's countdown to share with you .

The countdown for today Thursday 28th May ,2009 was as follows :

5. Reveler Girl – T.E.M.Band
4. Like A Jumbie – Ricky T
3. Turbulence – Matrix Band
2. St. Lucian Girl – Cherry L
1. Wine if You Wining – Teddyson John

Bare in mind we're only 53 days away from carnival so expect the countdown to change on a daily basis as new music gets released and songs are given more airplay.

I do hope ,I can bring this countdown to you guys on a weekly basis , so you can stay in the know of what happening in terms of music here . But hey, if not you can always log onto the wave (official website) and listen as Pringles a.k.a Superman gives a daily dose of Top 5 at 5, (Monday to Friday)

Peace & Soca

Rochelle

Read more...

On De Scene: Red Unlimited Ignites Onyan and de Mad Camp!

Saturday Night Red Unlimited held their official band Launch ,there was much controversy over their costume leak (Read it here), but the show was well attended as expected with this party band. Amidst all de Jazz in St.Lucia the Bacchanal could not be contained!

Red Unlimited is celebrating its 5th year on St.Lucia Carnival scene. Last year they won “Band on the Move," an award which signifies they were the most vivacious band on de road for 2kGreat.

MC Pringles a.k.a Superman (you may know him from his Socaritis track last year ) began de show at midnight warming up the crowd for the madness that was set to take place. The show opened with groovy sensation Teddyson John, who took us back into Carnival 2008 mode as he performed his last years track. To be honest I really came expecting to hear new tracks from the roster of local artists set to perform that night but de Mad Camp (Ricky T, Ilah Man, Teddyson John) will keep us thirsty just a little longer.

After the groovy warm up, the script turned to madness as Illah Man came on and the crowd went crazy over him. Boy, he really did work out de crowd as they ran up and down the Coco Palm Crowds. So the high energy of this Power Soca artist transferred right into the audience. In de middle of his performance the chant began “Whoosh Its Superman “and Pringles came on de “Socaritis” was contagious.

But the crowd was pacing themselves because de man himself Ricky T had not hit de stage. But as soon as Ilah Man left de stage Spectacle Band began de chant “Yo oooooh oooh Wam to Dem” and Ricky T came storming on stage and I would have considered show done! Ricky T took us right back to his first year and I must say hats off from de first time I saw Ricky T on stage to now, de man can sure electrify a crowd.

After a long set Ricky T had de crowd in his hands and then de Mad Camp was done it was now Antiguan Onyan and Friends to take de crowd till morning.

Well of course de costumes came out with de addition of one more section and from all the people I spoke to I maintain this band will be Sold Out soon (http://www.redunlimited.net/) . Interesting enough Skinny Fabulous "Head Bad" got a lot of airplay with the addition of de dubplate saying "Red Bad" as each model came on stage.

Well one ting I love mi ole school soca and Onyan had me moving my waist line all night long. The St.Lucian crowd always had love for Onyan and it was nice to see St.Lucian Derek Yarde on de piano during and Krocus alongside Onyan.

Just ten minutes before show was done that is when I tried making my way backstage to mingle. Along de way I could see other band spies enjoying the vibes. Spotted Rankin and Smokes and from the little conversation I had with them there will be a lot coming out of these two producers so note de names now!

Did not stay backstage too long but you heard it, there was a video shoot of Zionomi track on the Boom Boom riddim entitled "Who are you" during de weekend . So congratulations to Zionomi for this latest accomplishment. He is well known in St.Lucia for his reggae tracks and for the first time on a Soca riddim, he has Lucians devouring de tune with its constant airplay.

So everyone was headed to the club, and so did I after the place cleared off. And the Red Unlimited Band was hard at work to transforming the “Carnival Central” back to its ordinary state. I arrived at de club late and so I did not even get in because of the amount of people on de inside. No worries, I saw Dre from TriniJungleJuice again and had a lengthy chat with him and his colleague.

From their perspective, they seem to really enjoy Red Unlimited portrayal this year “Reflections of Rio” . And if everything goes well, they maybe returning to cover St.Lucia Carnival 2009 from de fetes, limes and mas. Last year from the Carnival 360 videos, I know the TorontoLime Posse had a hell of a time here, and I sure hope both make it to yet another Mas in this Simply Beautiful Isle.

TriniJungleJuice Shot of me and my girlfriend. Log onto http://www.trinijunglejuice.com/ for full photo gallery of de event and great shots from St.Lucia Jazz 2009.


Peace & Soca
Rochelle
www.twitter.com/rochellenoel
rochelle.noel@hotmail.com

Read more...

The Rounds: Herb Black is new Lucian Calypso Monarch

Good Evening Soca Lovers,




I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s rounds. It’s a been a couple of weeks since I’ve had the pleasure of being here in the flow studios, and let me tell you, I couldn’t wait to get back to tell you what’s going on in the Sunny Caribbean.


My three week Caribbean tour took me through Trinidad, St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Barbados. You know me, I had to connect with as many of your favourite artistes, producers and media outlet as I could just be sure, you’re always getting the most up-to-date news from the soca world. If you want journals, pics and tons of video, check out Nurse Karen Etc at Mustardseeds dot net. And be sure to visit Vincy Carnival 360 at Toronto-Lime.com

Here's the crew that made it possible working hard in Trinidad (Jan/Feb 2008), Jef (Camera and Editing)

Mr. Playhouse, the crazy host!!!




But listen, I ’m glad to be back. It’s not wise to stay away from Toronto too long in the Summer. After all, Caribana kicked off this past week. Yesterday was Kiddies carnival up at Yorkgate Mall. I’ve got your UNOFFICIAL results right here. Congrats goes out to Louis Saldenah Mas K club for taking Junior Band of the Year, with second place honours going to Carnival Nationz, and Toronto Revellers in with a third place finish.


Over in Barbados the list of Party Monarch finalists was released on Friday. 19 soca artistes will go head-to-head on Sunday, July 27th to see who can defeat reigning monarch Lil Rick. You wah know who? Kimberley Inniss, Miguel White, Khiomal Nurse, Justin King, Donella, Rameses, Peter Ram, Nathalee Burke, Red Plastic Bag, TC, Buggy, Jafar, Mikey, Blood, Mr. Dale, Hee Haw, Dragon Slayer and Jay – B.

Nurse Karen with reigning Bajan Party Monarch, Lil Rick in Toronto

In St. Lucia, Calypso finals were last night and a tune I really love managed to snatch first place. It’s called Suzette and it’s sung by a Lucian Calypso veteran called Herb Black. I’m not sure if there’s another island where same song could be entered in both Groovy Soca Monarch and Calypso Monarch and win de both of them. But such is the case in S.L.U. and once nobody breaking the rules. There’ll be no complaints from me.

Herb Black performing at Party in the Yard, St. Lucia

Tonight is when the eyes of the entire Caribbean will focus on St. Lucia. In a few hours the annual Caribbean Soca Monarch Show will kick off. Competitors from 11 nations will vie for the international title. It’s a little confusing to me. In years gone by, you could only compete if you were the reigning soca monarch of an Eastern Caribbean State. Now that it’s open to the entire region, it’s obvious that some countries don’t bother asking their actual monarch to compete. For example, Fireball and Denise Belfon will be representing Trinidad. Adrian Dutchin should have been repping Guyana, but he’s not.

Nurse Karen and Adrian Dutchin in Toronto

St. Lucia entered ALL of the top 3 finalists from last week’s awesome show. Ricky T, Mr. Pringles and Ilah Man.

Mr. Pringles/ Superman with Nurse Karen in St. Lucia

Luta managed to sneak in there for SVG alongside last year’s soca monarch Fireman . Plus there’s a mix of groovy and uptempo songs! Me eh know. Some things aren’t meant to be understood. But you better believe, this is a show to be enjoyed!

Fireman Hooper, Luta and Nurse Karen in SVG

I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. As always, leave me your comments online at the Nurse Karen Etc blog at Mustard Seeds dot Net, and be sure to grab the podcast from Soca Therapy dot com. Now, back to de Docta!

Read more...

Booster Shot: Clips from St. Lucia Soca Monarch 2008 (Video)

Performances from the likes of Private 6, Ilah Man, Nicole David and more!

More performances from Ninja Dan, Superman, etc.

Ilah Man's performance...

Read more...

Nurse's Lounge: My Radio Interview on the Wave, St. Lucia (Video)

Nurse Karen Radio Interview on The Wave, St. Lucia

with Mr. Pringles

Read more...