Eye Unit: Marcia Miranda - Thiefing Parang Band

At this point of the day, I wouldn't be surprised if a few long armed neighbours and relatives have dropped in on you to eat you out of house and home. Ahhh, the holidays!

I trust you're having a fun-filled Christmas. It wouldn't be complete without some festive parang music and the trifling fellas that usually come around to play it!

Enjoy this one from Trinidad's Parang princess, Marcia Miranda!

Merry Christmas!




Love and Soca,

Nurse Karen

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The Rounds - December 31, 2006

Good Evening Soca Lovers,
I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds for Old Year’s Night 2006. As we move forward to 2007, here are nurse Karen’s top ten tips for success.

1. Make love your priority…
A couple weeks ago Dr. Jay started referring to Bunji Garlin by his wife’s maiden name. Only…she wasn’t his wife yet. The nuptials finally took place last week Saturday...and I’ve heard it was more like an all-inclusive fete than a wedding. Faye-Ann and Bunji sang for their guests and they ate everything from stewed pig, to wild meat. If the amount of food at a wedding is any indication of a couple’s love for each other, this marriage will last forever.

2. Always have a plan.
It looks like Trini Culture Minister Joan Yulle Williams still hasn’t found a suitable Chairperson for the National Carnival Commission with the main event less than two months away. For 2007, do yourselves a favour and plan ahead. Your good reputation is too valuable not to.

3. Aspire to achieve.
Dr. Jay and I believe YOU deserve success in 2007. So, when opportunity knocks, open de door…but only if your house is in order. Bajan singer/songwriter Shontelle Layne was more than ready to answer last week when she signed a 7-album recording contract with Universal/Motown. That’s the label that promotes Damian Marley and Chamillionaire. The young law student at the University of the West Indies won party monarch in 2006 with Nathalee Burke for her song Colours and she also wrote “Roll” for Alison Hinds.

4. Embrace change
If you’re afraid to try something new, take a lesson from Freddie MacGregor. In 2006, the Grammy nominated reggae artist produced his first documentary film…and in 2007 he will be releasing his own soca song featuring Bunji Garlin. If you don’t believe me, check for him on the road in Fun Station 4’s brand new mas band, Pulse8. Freddie will be in a section called “Cocktails: You Shake – We Stir”

5. Act your age
I don’t mean you must act older, just behave bet-ter. Do like Rootsman and use all your success and wisdom from the past to bring you more blessings in the future. Rootsy celebrated 30 years as a calypsonian in 2006, and for 2007 his new tune Soca Jumbie is proving to be one of the most requested new releases for Trini carnival.

6. Pursue your dreams
I grew up in the 80’s, watching the bands go by on University Avenue. I remember music with a message being part of the Caribana soundtrack. I remember wearing t-shirts that said free Mandela, and meh momma telling me not to go in certain stores because they got rich off of Apartheid in South Africa. And so I remember a song called Shaka Shaka that came out in 1988.
If someone were to tell me then, that it would be 19 years before Bally would pursue his music fulltime, I woulda laugh in they face. Well allyuh…when God give you a dream, it’s for you to wake up and live it. Finally, Bally retired from his job at Customs and will be advocating Calypso music as the public relations officer for the Trinidad United Calyposonians Organization.

7. Share your education
When you know something, believe you me there’s someone out there who wants to learn. Finally the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Education is offering workshops on Soca Music in the school system. Starting Friday, each school can send three students and one teacher for a course on how to become a soca performer, focusing on song lyrics as a tool for reading.

8. Find balance
It’s not easy to have it all….unless yuh some kind of soca prince or someting so. But, if you want the most out of life you have to work hard. Parang Soca songstress Marcia Miranda spent years working as a flight attendant for BWEE while working on her music. So, as you face your trials in the upcoming year - remember…you CAN have it all.

9. Make a lasting impression
You may be young, you may be small, but if you play your cards right, the world will remember you. Look at the Soca Warriors football team. Trinidad is the smallest country to ever play in the FIFA World cup and now two streets in Germany are getting a name change to celebrate that victory. So if you ever make the trip to Rotenburg, meet me at the corner of Trinidad and Tobago. I’m sure you could find some inspiration there.

10. Make time for fun
Our friends in St. Kitts are ringing in the new year at a “Night of Stars Gala and Ball.” Partygoers will be treated to music by Small Axe band and d’Vybz band all night long. Then tomorrow morning they’ll be jumping up through the streets of Basse-Terre…and there’s nothing wrong with that!

I’m nurse Karen, and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds for Old Years night 2006. Have allyuh-selves a good time tonight, and I’ll see you in 2007. Send your comments to SOCA at FLOW 935 DOT COM. Now back to de docta!

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The Rounds - November 19, 2006

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m nurse Karen and these are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Hear nah, we’ve now passed the half way point in November and everywhere you go…it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Today, de people and dem done block of de whole of downtown so all the little children could gather to catch a quick glimpse of Santa. All now, I still didn’t see the man, but whenever he makes his official visit to the city of Toronto, I can’t help but look forward to the holidays.

Next weekend…it’s off to the Big People Parang Show and dance, for a helping of holiday music and fun -- Trinidadian style. Think about it… If Santa Claus doesn’t get you in that holiday kinda mood, then you probably need people like Marcia Miranda, Scrunter, Kenny J and Leon Coldero to do it for you. None of them would be riding in on a sleigh next Sunday…but de vibes and ting might send YOU riding home in a taxi.

Mista Vybe flew home from Toronto a couple of weeks ago and landed straight into the sound booth. After the amazing success of “Ting fuh de Road” this year, earning him the title of first ever Caribbean Soca Monarch, the pressure is on for Carnival 2007. But first, Vybe is working on some Parang he-self. It surprised me to learn that he wrote a soca parang for Hypa Hoppa…and took to the studio last week to add his high energy background vocals to the mix.
For those of you who don’t know…Hypa hoppa is what you would get if you took FLOW’s own Wayne Williams, Ian Andre Espinet and de one called SPEX, and threw dem into a blender. He’s the Program Director at Trinidad’s RED 96.7. He’s a top event promoter and the force behind the unrivaled Radio Active Sound System in TnT. Now that’s what I would call a one-man entertainment callaloo…who happens to have a degree in Mechanical Engineering too. So, just maybe he could actually design a blender big enough to fit all dem boys dey. All that being said, Ah can’t wait to tek a taste of de song, once it’s done.

You know what else I can’t wait for? I can’t wait for Canadian Cable companies to start broadcasting Caribbean TV shows. If you’re listening, Santa…I think that’s what I want you to bring me. Tonight, in just a few minutes….all the TV sets in the Eastern Caribbean States will be tuned in to the final showdown for the Digicel Rising Star Competition. The finalists have been widdled down to two. Only Antigua’s Omar Rathurin and St. Vincent’s Kyron Baptiste remain.
Now, it’s no secret that I wave my Vincy flag high and proud…but if I still had minutes on my digi-sim card, I’d be texting a vote for the Antiguan with the winning smile. He became my favourite after teenage soca songstress Danielle Veira left the show. Plus, I heard that tonight he’ll be singing “Hot and Groovy”…one of my all-time favourite songs.

Make no mistake….Rising Stars is an important competition. It’s the one that landed Barbados’ Kimberly Inniss smack dab in the middle of the soca limelight with last year’s second place finish. Down in Trinidad Synergy TV’s Soca Star is getting the same kind of attention…especially now that the winner for season two will receive a recording contract with hot boy producer Shawn Mastamind Noel. And if you ask me, dah is money in de bank. Which would sure come in handy for the holidays!

I’m Nurse Karen and those were Doctor Jay’s Rounds. Please send your comments to SOCA at FLOW 935 DOT COM. Now back to de docta!

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The Prognosis - December 25, 2005

Soca Prognosis
Karen Richardson
December 25, 2005
407

Good Evening Soca lovers and Merry Christmas too…
It’s your resident Nurse, Karen, bringing you your weekly PROGNOSIS….
It’s finally here! Christmas Day is upon us, and everybody getting nothing - but de best. People always telling me they’re sorry I have to work, but I don’t mind it at all. My rounds are just about done for the day, but I may have to get my stomach pumped, so I could eat a little more.

This just in: The very best ginger beer was tasted in Brampton only minutes ago. I think I better verify my sources.

St. Kitts and Nevis is still blazing with soca. Calypso finals are around the corner and they’ve whiddled the list of competitors down to seven. Christmas Eve marked the one of the hottest events on the carnival calendar: Party Monarch competition. The best local soca acts took to the stage. The women will have their moment in the sun on Tuesday night for the Female Calypso Bacchanal .

In Montserrat, they just named a new soca monarch too. But between carol singing and feting for festival, those people too busy to tell me who. Must be nice….

They’re not the only ones….While you’re at home fighting up for the last bowl of souse, the town of Bridgeport Connecticut is making plans to add a dash of Caribbean spice to their annual first night celebrations. Local pan men, the Royalty Steel Pan Band will be ringing in the new year in a program that includes reggae, Latin rock, jazz and Irish folk music. I doh so sure how to dance all ah dat…but a little pan never hurt anybody.

Everybody knows Marcia Miranda and Scrunter want a piece of pork for de Christmas. And by now, is more than one piece they done eat. But many west Indians, particulary Seventh Day Adventists and Muslims will not be boiling down a salty ham today. Choice Cuts butcher shop in Chaguanas, Trinidad made sure to stock up on pork-free alternatives this weekend. Whether its Wild meat, roast duck, curried duck, lamb chops, curried goat, baked chicken, stewed beef, stewed chicken…it’s a blessing to celebrate the holidays with the soca parang pumping and your belly full. As for me…I still looking for de ham. Merry Christmas!

I’m Nurse Karen, and that’s your weekly prognosis.

Send your comments to Soca at FLOW 935 DOT COM. Ah gone.
Now back to de Docta

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