The Rounds: Porn distributor resigns from radio
>> Sunday, April 12, 2009
In this edition: Good Evening Soca Lovers, I'm Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay's Rounds. Happy Easter! This is the time of year we tend think about cute fluffy bunnies and little chicks being born. But that stuff just reminds ME of all the little mas bands in Toronto hatching their big ideas for Caribana 2009. It's band launch season kiddies! Which means carnival come back again! This year, Dr. Jay has joined forces with veteran title-winning bandleader Louis Saldenah to bring his own section called Crave. Marxman has signed on again with Tribal Knights, who's portraying the theme, Birds of Paradise. Jamaal MaGloire's Toronto Revellers invites you to Brazil this year. And Carnival Nationz? Well, for the time being, they are saying goodbye to former Bandleader Curtis Eustace. He's cooked up a brand new band called All Spice. Check your favourite caribbean websites for details.
Earlier this week, the daughter of Byron Lee dropped a bomb on the Jamaican media when she announced that Jamaica Carnival would be cancelled this year. 2009 was to be the 20th anniversary of the street jump up founded by her famous dad in the 80's. She points the finger at the recession for the cancellation, saying 80 per cent of the carnival events do not earn revenue, and a carnival was not viable with waning corporate support.
To avoid confusion, I want to point out that there are two carnivals in Jamaica. Bacchanal Jamaica, the more popular offshoot of the original carnival will continue as planned, complete with all the bells and whistles I've been telling you about: the Mas camp concerts, Beach J'ouvert and of course, the parade of the bands!
This recession ting not easy, yuh know. But, lucky for you, I know a few places hiring if you happen to be out of work. Trinidad and Tobago's Boom Champions radio station received a letter of resignation on Thursday from a long time news presenter called Davy Murray. He's in some serious legal hot water right now after appearing in court Monday on porn charges. Crazy, yes? Murray is charged with using the internet to distribute naked photos of a female soca artist who used to be pretty popular in Trinidad. And NO, I'm not telling you who.
If presenting news isn't your thing, perhaps you'll consider becoming the new lead singer of Antigua's Red Hot Flames! The popular soca band from the island with a beach for every day of the year is looking for someone to replace Esther Dyer who *cough cough* left the band back in August. The field has been narrowed to two. Oungku tells me he's having the hardest time choosing between Florida-based Saffire and Trini-based Bitts...you soca fans have known over the years as Lil Bitts. He hopes to announce the new leading lady by the end of the month after both candidates get one last chance to come and gig with the band.
So, that's the kind of week it's been in soca. One last thing. Fay Ann finally got paid on Tuesday. So, I guess the recession missing THAT family.
