The Rounds: Machel to release a steelpan tune

Good Evening Soca Lovers, I'm Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay's Rounds.

If you are a fan of this radio show, you probably agree that soca is not just for Summer or even Carnival time.  It's music, so it's great for a workout, and even better for having a good time.  Barbados' Soca Duo, the Fraud Squad recently found themselves very pleased to learn that people in Toronto actually know how to respect soca music beyond the Caribana Season. Toronto's own locally produced TV sitcom, Da Kink in My Hair, just signed a licensing deal to use two Fraud Squad chunes in season 2 of the program.  Keep your ears open for the songs Haunted and Bring Drinks the next time you're watching those wacky gals at the salon.

    Looks like the TV world knows what's up, and the hip hop world does too.  The Ying Yang twins needed a hot remix for their song Dangerous featuring the likes of Wyclef Jean.  And what could be hotter than soca?  The twins reached out to St. Lucia's top production duo, Penn and Ace to give the song that festive island flavour and the rest as they say is….Dangerous! 

            With so many people beginning to realize the value of our beloved soca music, it's no surprise that the soca community is coming together to fight for its due respect on the internet.  There's a new initiative called Bring Soca to MySpace that is working to get MySpace dot com to create a soca category in its music section, and to develop  a sub-site for the English-speaking Caribbean.  For more information, log on to groups.myspace.com/socanow. 

At Broward Carnival 2008, with Trini Chutney Soca star Rikki Jai

            Who's ready for mas? Trinidad carnival has now begun!  The official launch of Carnival took place in Port of Spain on Friday...and officials say they are not concerned about the economic downturn.   Be that as it may, many artists in the chutney soca genre were a little disappointed to learn that the prize structure alotted for the Chutney Soca Monarch competition on February 7th have been reduced for 2009.  Rooplal Girdharrie won $200,000 TT last year, plus a car and other prizes.  This year, it's just the cash. That's basically cutting the value of the top prize in half.

In Toronto with Machel Montano, December 2007

           One never knows what to expect at Carnival.  And the guy who's most likely to keep us guessing is Machel Montano.  The soca star recently had a video shoot for a commercial for his signature event Alternative Concept.  This year's theme will be "Heavenly Drums".  Machel is seen playing steelpan while accompanied on keyboard by Phase 2 bandleader, Len Boogsie Sharp.  The image is out of the ordinary, but understandable when you find out that the defending champions of Panorama 2008 will be competing this year with a pan tune recorded by Machel himself.  The song is called Magic Drums, it was written by Kernal Roberts, arranged by Sharp and by all accounts, it's a real contender.

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Good Evening Soca Lovers,
I'm Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay's Rounds.

Have you ever felt the pain of heart break? Ever wished you could get something back that you know is gone forever. Around here, we does call dat Tabanca! And last night a few hundred people who vex with winter and missing the soca riddims of T&T crammed into Islandmix in Pickering for Dr. Jay's remedy. Before there was any reason for the tabanca to kick in. Dr. Jay, a big Toronto posse and yours truly were soaking up the oil and music in Trinidad last month. Check we!




When you feel that way, there's nothing better than a good celebration to get you by. So let me tell you what has other people smiling…And if yuh still working through allyuh Carnival Tabanca, you'll soon realize there's plenty more love to go around.

First off, New York's Ma$tamind Productions, the husband and wife duo that's responsible for bring you all those Mastamind Projects and Christmas albums celebrated 3 years in the business on Monday. Three years, five albums, collaborations with artists from all over; including Rikki Jai, Bomani, Sheldon Douglas, Adrian Dutchin, and Maximus Dan to name a few. We say congrats to dem …and keep making that music! This is me with Shawn "Mastamind" Noel, and Natasha Andrews-Noel in Trinidad last month.




Now down in Trinidad, everybody's favourite loverboy was doing a little celebrating he-self. Kees Dieffenthaller of Kes the Band rang in a birthday on Wednesday. In case you're curious, that little baby face and fit body now boasts 27 years on this earth. God bless us all!

In Miami, they are spreading the love Cuban style today with their annual Calle Ocho street fair. It started off 30 years ago as celebration of La Cultura Cubana, but nowadays it incorporates musical elements from thoughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It spans twenty-three city blocks with sixteen concert stages and the best part is, it's FREE. This year Shaggy, Wyclef and Chaka Khan join the action at Carnaval Miami's big Latin-Caribbean party…that features soca music too!

Now over in Jamaica, the carnival surprises keep on flowing. We usually don't expect a lot of new soca music from JamDown, but up and coming reggae star Da'Ville is adding his voice to the mix. He's making the ladies swoon with a SOCA release called none-other-than TURN ME ON! This soca track was produced by Trinidad's Sheldon "Shel Shok" Benjamin. If you didn't know, he the midi guy in Atlantik... and he produced Roll for Alison Hinds…plus a slew of other very big tracks! Here I am with the boys from Atlantik in St. Vincent last July. Shel Shok is the one standing behind me!

So there's no reason to feel sad and lonely when is out there celebrating life. So forget de Tabanca, cuz it go be Spring before you hear my voice next.

I'm Nurse Karen, and those were Dr. Jay's Rounds. Don't forget to subscribe to my podcast, or leave me a comment online at the Nurse Karen Etc blog at triple W dot Mustard Seeds dot Net. Now back to de docta!

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