Booster Shot: Happy Birthday Michelle Sylvester!

Gotta love November!

Last night on Soca Therapy, I failed to mention that today is also the birthday of Trinidad`s inaugural Groovy Soca Monarch, Michelle Sylvester.  She took home the crown in 2005 with "Sleeping In My Bed", and tonight she'll be the one wearing the party hat.  Happy Birthday to Michelle Sylvester!

With the 5 year anniversary of that Groovy Soca win coming around in just over two months, Michelle waisted no time speeding out the gate with "All I Want Is You" on the Let's Go Riddim.  This one has a very strong R&B feel to it.  Wanna hear?

Crazy In Love (2010 Trinidad Carnival)(Lets Go Riddim) - Michelle Sylvester

Happy Birthday Michelle Sylvester!  Stay blessed, and here's to a great Carnival in 2010!

Love and Soca,


Nurse Karen

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Booster Shot: Happy Birthday Denise Belfon

Somewhere out there, Soca's original rude gyal is celebrating her birthday.  Denise "Saucy Wow" Belfon has re-emerged as a crowd favourite during Trinidad's 2009 Carnival season.  Over the past year, she has been surprising fans with Jazz performances in Trinidad, and shedding a few extra pounds.  Just look at how great she was looking for Miami Carnival!

Other than that Denise has been and pushing out some quality new music.

The latest is a new single with Ghetto Flex called "Love you from the Get Go"

Love You From The Get Go (2010 Trinidad Carnival) - Denise Belfon & Ghetto Flex

Denise is working on an album that should be available by 2K10 Trini Carnival.  This cool groovy collab is one of possible three songs featuring Ghetto Flex on the CD.  So my gift to both Denise and to her fans...is to let you check out her new music!

Happy Birthday Ms. Belfon!!!

Love and Soca,

Nurse Karen 

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The Rounds: Scrappy's new album, Bitts and the roadkill, etc

Originally aired on Soca Therapy on Flow 93.5 FM in Toronto (Sunday, November 22, 2009)

In this edition:
- Tobago will have a rep at International Soca Monarch (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Still no venue for ISM (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Caribana dates set (Canada)
- Scrappy releases compilation album (Montserrat)
- Lil Bitts' and the dead dog (Trinidad and Tobago)
- Happy Birthday Saucy Wow and Boy Boy (Trinidad and Tobago)



Good evening soca lovers, I’m Nurse Karen and these are Dr. Jay’s Rounds!

Great news hit the beautiful shores of Tobago last weekend. The soca artists based there recently found out that the winner of their local Soca Monarch competition on January 17th will get an automatic bypass to the finals of the International Soca Monarch competition in Trinidad. Tobago joins the ranks of islands such as Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent who all enjoy seeded positions for their reigning monarchs. That means one less spot is open for Trinidad-based artists in the finals.

But all this soca monarch talk is probably still premature, considering the Caribbean Prestige Foundation still has not settled on a suitable venue for the 2K10 competition.

While we’re on the topic of Soca royalty, the 2005-2006 Montserrat Soca Monarch, Scrappy recently released a new album just in time for his island’s upcoming carnival season. Welcome to Montserrat Volumes 1 and 2 is a two disc compilation album showcasing STRAT’s top talents in both soca and reggae. But if you’re a big Scrappy Fan, he’s got a solo album set to drop any day now. It’s called “The Caribbean Dream”. Be sure to check it out.

Fast forward to Toronto Carnival 2010. Plans for next year’s Caribana are already beginning to take shape. Festival dates have been set for July 13 through August 1. Tell your family and friends!
Here’s something else you might want to tell your friends. Be sure to lock up your pets around Lil Bitts. I know I’m going to get in trouble for reporting this one. But today the artiste who is ironically promoting a single called “Careful” rolled over a dog with a car in Trinidad around 7 o’clock this morning. Lemme vouch for the girl and tell you, the accident was completely unintentional. After all, Miss Lady is barely big enough to hurt a fly let alone a dog. But sadly, the pooch did not make it.

As we approach the end of November, there’s no shortage of birthdays to celebrate. Denise “Saucy Wow” Belfon turns 41 on the 23rd, and on Tuesday, the 24th Machel Montano turns 35. Happy Birthday Soca Babies...we love you!

I’m Nurse Karen and those were Dr. Jay’s Rounds. For more information on any of the things I mentioned tonight, please visit me online at triple w dot nurse dash Karen dot com, or follow all the news, commentary and my personal daily shenanigans on Twitter dot com slash nurse Karen. Now, back to de Docta.

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On De Scene: Vincy newspapers disrespecting Soca Stars

Well, ah know dis one go be a shock to de Nursie... to see a post from me after so long. Hahaha. But after today's newspapers came out ah had was did have to commment. By now we all now how well Skinny Fabulous, Zoelah and Tabia did in the Int. Soca Awards, with Tabia winning 'BEST NEW FEMALE SOCA ARTISTE'. Zola winning, "FEMALE SOCA VOCALIST & FAVOURITE GROOVY SOCA OF THE YEAR", and Skinny Fabulous winning in all 5 categories where he was nominated: "BEST NEW MALE SOCA ARTISTE, MALE SOCA PERFORMER OF THE YEAR, OVERALL MALE SOCA ARTISTE OF T HE YEAR, SONG OF THE YEAR & FAVOURITE UP TEMPO SOCA (MALE).

Well, in today's papers, the story was printed on Pg. 52 in the Searchlight Newpaper. Lemme say dat again in case yuh ain't really ketch.. FIF-TEE-TOO. Now in the same paper on page 2, is some story bout somebody find some long lost relative. So this is more important news than our premier musical artform making great strides?

And if dat nah bad enough... in the News Newspaper, the story was on the second to last page... sharing the page with the weekly update on "THE BOLD & BEAUTIFUL". Like whatever de hell Ridge doing with Stephanie, is of more consequence than Skinny taking all the awards.

Is only outta respect for the Nuss, and my blogging family mek ah don't type two clean dutty word to go with this.

Anyhoo, I had to take time out of compiling the Top 10 Countdown for tomorrow nite to let allyuh know how the print media views our Soca artistes. Ah gone. Til next time.

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Eye Unit: Tizzy, Kamau and Problem Child liming in Florida

When I got back from Miami, I didn't waste time sharing with you about some of the places I went, and people I saw.  There was a post bigging up Barrie Hype for making it possible for artists, management and media to network in a meaningful way. If you didn't see it, read it HERE

Now if you actually want to SEE what I wrote about, now you can. I forgot to post this video the first time around.  Lo and behold, an entire month has passed, and I have lots of video to share!  Enjoy these rare shots of Tizzy, Problem Child and Kamau goofing around over food at Hibiscus Sports Bar in Sunshine Florida.

Enjoy!

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