The Rounds: Wanna have a baby for Tyrese?

In this edition:
- August 1 is Emancipation Day
- Tortola Emancipation Fest 2009 (Tyrese, Shurwayne Winchester and YOU)
- Barbados Road March Results
- Antigua Road March Results
- Grenada Soca Monarch Results

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds. Caribana is over, but don’t worry bacchanal posse...the season is far from over. This month, the jump up moves through Barbados, Antigua, Grenada, Edmonton, Hamilton, Hartford, Barrie, and that’s not all!

In Many Caribbean territories, the celebration of Carnival is closely linked to the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire. That happened on August 1st, 1834 - that’s one hundred and seventy five years ago.

The 1st day of August or first Monday in August is recognized as Emancipation Day in Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and Bermuda. Trinidad and Tobago was actually the first country ever to declare that date a national holiday. And even here in Ontario, our government officially started recognizing it just last year. So if that’s not a good reason to celebrate...YOU tell me what is.

In Tortola, British Virgin Islands, Emancipation Festival 2009 wrapped up this weekend. They had a action packed week complete with j’ouvert, fetes and road parades. Last night the big event was a concert featuring Taurus Riley, Tyrese and Shurwayne Winchester. Fans gave mixed reviews on the event stating the Tyrese was out of place using profane language on stage and actually asking women in the audience if they wanted to have his baby. (um...no comment). Shurwayne and YOU’s performance was A-OK until an audience member decided to wet down the saxophonist during his solo. All’s fair in love and soca, i guess...but the sax man, Alton Bertie is a Tortola native...and I don’t doubt the hometown crowd got their kicks outta keeping him humble.

Nurse Karen with Shurwayne Winchester in Toronto 2008

Monday was Kadooment Day in Barbados. Edwin Yearwood reigns victorious as the 2009 Tune of the Crop Road March Winner for Middle ah de Road. Mikey’s chune “I in dat” was good enough for 2nd place, and Calypso vet RPB came 3rd with Something’s Happening.

Carnival Tuesday in Antigua was a splash of colour and revelry that saw Red Hot Flames capture road march with a ditty called Trade March. Newly crowned Party Monarch Tian Winter came second with Soca Rebel, and Claudette Peters’ Flying Colours took the 3rd spot.

Grenada Posse! Guess who’s wearing the Soca Monarch crown this carnival!?!!? Mr. Killa is back. He left his competition in the dust with this performance of Swing it Away. Defending champions Luni Sparks and Electrify, and Zingo had to settle for a distance second and third.

I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds, for more juicy details on everything mentioned tonight, check me out online at Nurse dash Karen dot com, or follow ME,,,nurse Karen on Twitter, now...back to de Docta.

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The Rounds: Soca stars hungry in New York

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I'm Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay's Rounds. This weekend Jamaica kisses their 20th anniversary carnival season good-bye. Revellers took to the streets today, for a jump in the hot sun.

Closer to home in New York, it was all things Machel Montano at Madison Square Garden's WaMu theatre on Friday night. (Check we together in Toronto in December)

The HD camp and their international cast of friends entertained 16000 fans between the two sold out shows that evening. What fans saw from the audience was an energy packed performance of chart topping soca hits. Behind the scenes, your nurse discovered the conditions weren't the best for some of the performers. With one show at 8 pm and one show at midnight, it's a long day at work for the entertainers. Unfortunately, organizers failed to provide any food whatsoever for the "and Friends" portion of the cast, quietly waiting back stage. So don't study the vibrant energy and smiling faces you can now see all over YouTube, there were a lot of grumbling bellies balling out with every jump and wave.

One of the next big gigs on the Machel Montano docket will be Miami's longest running Memorial Day Long-Weekend Reggae Concert: Best of the Best. I know Machel is not a reggae artist but lately he's been covering Bob Marley's "Waiting in Vain" and he's still performing Dutty Wine in his set, even though most people stopped doing the dance in favour of keeping their insurance policies. So the big concert takes place on Sunday, May twenty five at Bicentennial Park. Mr. Slaughter will be there as a DJ. You know he alway UP IN DAT...here's a shot of the 2 o'we in the Tribe All-Inclusive in Trinidad last month.

...And this is Walshy from Black Chiney. He go be there spinning too. Miami is his home turf.

The reggae acts include Super Cat, Buju, Beenie, Sizzla, Junior Reid, Barrington Levy, Tarrus Riley…ok, lemme stop. Nuff reggae. Nuff said.

While we on that vibe, I thought I'd let you in on some big news in Britain. Reggae artist Maxi Priest just replaced Ali Campbell as the lead singer of the band UB40. They are best known for the 1983 remake of Neil Diamond's "Red, Red Wine" and now they are set to release a modern take on "I Shot the Sheriff" featuring Mr. Maxi Priest.

Soca shares influences with a variety of Caribbean art forms. One such ORAL tradition is that of Rapso, it's a poetic storytelling style that relies heavily on rhythm and rhyme. In Trinidad, and organization called the Rapso fraternity is getting ready to host the 19th annual Rapso festival in April. People who go, will get a chance to take workshops, and even perform! This year the focus is on education….and me being a poet, I decided to do my part by educating you. So there you have it.

I'm Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay's Rounds. Leave me a comment at the (Nurse) Karen (Etc) blog, online at triple w dot mustardseeds.net and don't forget to download the podcast. Now back to de docta!

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