The Rounds: Caribana Results are in!

Good Evening Soca Lovers, I’m Nurse Karen and these are your Caribana 2010 Rounds!

Can you believe it?  Caribana 2010 is upon us...and the parade of the bands went down yesterday on lakeshore boulevard.  I hit the road early Saturday morning with Dr. Jay’s Portrait of Innocence section in Saldenah Mas K Club’s  2010 presentation “ Portraits”.  Hundreds of revellers took to the streets in a display of vibrance, colour and energy, jumping, waving, palancing and wining all the way to victory.  Thats right soca massive.  With 446 points from the judges, Saldenah is your 2010 Band of the year!  In second with 426 points was mega band Carnival Nationz, and for a very close third, we have Toronto Revellers, this year featuring live performances from Machel Montano HD on the road.

It’s been a great year for Louis Saldenah. At Thursday night’s King and Queen show, his loyal revellers shook their mas into first position for Queen of the Bands, as well as male and female individual. Another special honour was being conferred the Ontario Science centre Innovation Costume Award for “Queen” Pat Horsham’s portrayal of D’Chandelier – A Portrait in Chrystal.  This stunning representation of an elegant light fixture was constructed mainly from Recycled materials.

Seven points shy of clean sweep, Dexter Seusahai of Tribal Knights shook up the competition winning 2010 King of the Bands for his portrayal of “Predator Returns”  Congratulations to all the mas makers, and players keeping the culture healthy and strong.

Now on Friday, Pan Alive was a veritable Battle Zone, with 12 bands trying their darnedest to dethrone Montreal’s Salah’s Steelband Academy from their 3 year domination of the pan arena.  As it turns out, much like the winners ... the two bands who tied for 3^rd place, namely Afropan and Panatics also chose to compete with their own arrangements of Anslem Douglas’ pan tune “Battle Zone”.  In second place, we have Golden Harps international with “Surrender”...and in first... hard luck Toronto.  Salah’s reigns supreme again.   

Before I go, gotta update you on the results out of Antigua.  Tian Winter is now a 2-time King.  He took the party monarch title last night in his home Island of Wadadli.  In the groovy category, local soca queen Claudette Peters took snatched the crown back from last year’s winner Tian.  Ricardo Drue also competed in Antigua last night, celebrating his birthday in heavy competition.

I’m nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay's Caribana 2010 Rounds.  For more information on all you heard today, visit me online at www.nurse-karen.com or follow me "nursekaren" on twitter...

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The Rounds - August 5, 2007

Good Evening Soca Lovers,

I’m Nurse Karen and these are Doctor Jay’s Rounds. This is it Toronto: Caribana 2007! 40 years of mas in T.O….and we’ve STILL got it.
Congratulations to Jamaal Magloire and the Toronto Revellers Mas band for stopping Carnival Nationz in their tracks. The larger than life presentation of Viva Las Vegas clinched the band of the year title, denying last year’s winners their highly anticipated 3-peat. Instead Carnival Nationz had to settle for 3rd place, right behind longtime favourites, Louis Saldenah’s Mas K Club.
Friday night, the action was at Pan Alive…and there’s no doubt the music was sounding sweet, sweet, sweet. So sweet the judges and them had a hard time picking a winner. In the end, Salah’s Steelpan Academy from Montreal caused a major upset on Toronto turf. Rivals Pan Fantasy, Afropan and New Dimension left Lamport on equal footing, stunned…in a three way tie for second place.
Did you see how pretty the pretty mas was looking on the road yesterday. Sure, all the sexy Toronto men and women could take credit for that. But you really have to big up the bandleaders, mas designers and mas men and women for building some of the most spectacular big costumes Toronto has ever seen. If you were fighting up to get a glimpse on the lakeshore, do yourself a favour and buy yuhself a ticket to the king and queen show next year. That is theatre and pageantry….Masquerade at it’s best. Congratulations to Barokeete Canada’s Joanne Boisson for winning Female Individual of the Year. And Carnival Nationz Kurt Alexander, Tamara Alleyne Gittens, and Rudy Rampersad for winning top prizes for Male Individual, Queen of the Bands and King of the Bands respectively.
For all the bajans and Antiguans who weren’t able to find an outrageously priced flight to this year’s cropover and carnival festivities…let me tell you what you’ve missed. Over in Antigua, they’re celebrating 50 years of Carnival. As predicted last week, Claudetter Peters is once again Soca Monarch and Little Rick was Crowned party monarch last Sunday in BIM. His win was overshadowed, however, by a terrible car crash that claimed the lives of six barbadians on the way to the show. Allyuh remember to be safe on the roads as you enjoy the carnival. We want to see you again next year.
On a lighter note, Mr. Dale was just crowned the Peoples Monarch for Soca Junkie. As the Winner, he earned himself a brand to mazda sedan…The problem is… my man doesn’t exactly know how to drive. But don’t laugh too hard. Since they started giving out cars at these shows, he’s the seventh artiste to win that has no experience behind the wheel. Whappen tu yuh bajan posse…allyuh have the flattest island, with the safest roads…and if they sharing out cars…the least you could do is get a license.
I’m nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s rounds for Caribana 2007. Please text your comments to 9-3-5-9-3-5. Now back to de docta.

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