Monday, February 21, 2011

Semi-Finals Panorama Results

SMALL

1. Arima Golden Symphony 263

2. Tornadoes 261

2. Merrytones 261

4. Golden Hands 259

5. St. Margaret’s Superstars 256

6. Southern Marine Steelband Foundation 253

7. Longdenville Claytones 252

8. Old Tech Steel Orchestra 250

9. Tamana Pioneers 249

10. Panosonic Connection 248

10. Codrington Pan Family 248


MEDIUM

1. Katzenjammers 264

2. NLCB Buccooneers 263

3. Pamberi 262

4. Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille 259

5. Valley Harps 258

6. Pan Elders 252

6. Arima Angel Harps 252

8. Steel Xplosion 251

9. Sangre Grande Cordettes 250

9. Power Stars 250


LARGE

1. Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove 270

1. PCS Silver Stars 270

3. Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars 269

4. Sagicor Exodus 264

5. NLCB Fonclaire 262

6 Desperadoes 260

7. Caribbean Airlines Invaders 259

8. Petrotrin Siparia Deltones 256

8. Starlift 253

10 RBC/RBTT Redemtion Sound Setters 250

Tribal Knights 2011 Band Launch



2011 Chutney Soca Monarch - Rikki Jai

Friday, February 18, 2011

2011 Chutney Soca Monarch Finalists

1 Anil Bheem (The B.M.R.)

2 Artie Butkoon

3 Drupatee Ramgoonai Persad

4 Kenneth Supersad

5 The Hunter

6 Soca Elvis

7 The Hitman

8 Adesh Samaroo

9 Oneil Bhajman

10 Ravi B

11 Rikki Jai

12 Rick Ramoutar

13 Sally Sagram

14 Terry Gajraj

15 Vishal Persad (K.I.)

WEBSITE: http://chutneysocamonarch.com

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

2011 Fantastic Friday Lineup

SOCA MONARCH COMPETITION 2011 FINALISTS

Groovy Soca finalists:
• Denise “Saucy Wow” Belfon
• Kees Dieffenthaller
• Kerwin Du Bois
• Destra Garcia
• Roderick “Chucky” Gordon
• Keon Heath & Roger Joseph (Patch feat Yankee Boy )
• Anthony “All Rounder” Hendrickson
• Rodney “Benjai” Le Blanc
• Jahmoun Mendoza
• Patrice Roberts
• Dexter “Blaxx” Stewart
• Cassiano “Cassi” Sylvester
• Megan Walrond
Defending Monarch: Shurwayne Winchester

Power Soca finalists:
• Ian Alvarez (Bunji Garlin)
• Andy Armstrong (Blood)
• Nadia Batson/Patrice Roberts
• Ravi “Ravi B” Bissambhar
• Wilt “Talpree” Cambridge
• Gamal “Skinny Fabulous” Doyle
• Destra Garcia
• Neil “Iwer” George
• Fay-Ann Lyons
• Stevenson “Shal” Marshall
• Machel Montano
• Tian Winter
• Michelle Xavier
Defending Monarch: Jason “JW” Williams, Ancil “Blaze” Isaac

WEBSITE: http://www.socamonarch.net

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Show your support for CARN 98.7 NOW!!!!

YOUR LETTERS OF SUPPORT ARE NEEDED NOW! NOW! NOW!
GO TO: http://carn987.com/support - and complete the online form.

Hello CARN Supporters,
Now is the time for you to show the CRTC the urgency in granting a radio licence to serve the Black and Caribbean population of Canada.

You can tell the CRTC of your support either at the CARN or CRTC website:

**By CARN Website: Go To - http://carn987.com/support

**By CRTC Website: Go To - http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-55.htm#14

**At the CRTC Website Link, look for: Item #14 -Intercity Broadcasting Network Inc.

**Deadline for Submission of Comments: February 25th.**


The CRTC has set the date of April 1st for the final hearing for CARN's (Intercity Broadcasting Network Inc) application.

On January 28th, the CRTC informed CARN's (Intercity Broadcasting Network Inc.) principal Mr. Fitzroy Gordon that the application has been placed on the agenda of the April 1st hearing in Quebec. This should be the final hurdle for us to receive our official licence to begin broadcasting.

This new licence is even more important now given that there are no more Black owned radio stations. As FLOW 93.5 has recently been sold to CTV-CHUM and programming at CKLN 88.1 will be no more, as this station's licence has been revoked by the CRTC.

Thank you for you continued support. We are ALMOST There!
Fitzroy Gordon

Meet Biter Lemon Carnival

Meet the Bandleader, meet the section leaders,
see the presentation for 2011 'Monsoon Wedding, Before the Storm',
enjoy music with DJ Victor Shim.
Discounts for early registration!

Time: Friday, February 25, 2011
7:00pm - 10:00pm

Location: Queen Victoria Pub and Catering
2240 Midland Ave
Scarborough, ON

Soca on Ice

Soca on Ice featuring Dr. Jay De Soca Prince


Soca on Ice featuring Dr. Jay De Soca Prince
February 12, 2011

Come celebrate the ongoing Kuumba festival as DJ Skate Saturday Nights explores hot Caribbean rhythms that will surely heat up the ice with Dr. Jay De Soca Prince.

Part of Kuumba presented by TD


Prices

Everyone: FREE

Saturday, February 12, 2011
8:00PM - 11:00PMThe Natrel™ Rink
235 Queens Quay West


Friday, February 4, 2011

Caribbean Carnival Season: Let's Party!

Hi Readers,

Check out this Time Magazine article......

Caribbean Carnival Season: Let's Party!

Big fun Trinidad is home to the largest of the Caribbean Carnivals

Jorge Silva / Reuters / Corbis

Fidel Castro has been trying to dissuade his fellow Cubans from throwing the celebration since 1960. In Haiti, the festival is so revered that Michel Martelly (a Carnival singer known for drinking and disrobing on stage) placed third in presidential elections last November. In Trinidad and Tobago, participants smear oil, mud or chocolate all over their scantily clad bodies, while in Curaçao, they happily set fire to a giant effigy of the king of the festival himself.

The wild world of Caribbean Carnival will detonate on March 7 and 8, just before the spiritual repose of Ash Wednesday. What cities like New Orleans and Rio merely hint at, the Caribbean grabs and runs with in its effervescent fashion — sometimes for months. Many islands have simply done away with the idea of Lent season altogether, and you'll find Carnival overlapping Easter in Jamaica, or popping up around Christmas in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Several island nations hold their Carnival smack dab in the middle of summer — in defiance of the region's hurricane season. It took the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti to shut down Kanaval there, the announcement made reluctantly at the last minute.(See Time.com/Travel for city guides, stories and advice.)

But how did a Catholic fasting season (carnevale means "meat farewell"), originating in medieval Italy, become one of the greatest debaucheries in the western hemisphere? Historians say Carnival in the Caribbean began in the late 1700s with slaves not only mocking the masquerade balls of plantation owners, but also following African traditions in using masks and dancing to scare away bad spirits.

Today, the Technicolor giant of all Caribbean Carnivals happens in Trinidad and Tobago, the island group just off Venezuela's northern coast. Tens of thousands converge to make it the biggest in the region. And Trinidad's is also unique in that it's colored by the country's former Spanish and English colonial powers, French planters, African slaves, Indian indentured laborers and other ethnic groups. Beyond the dancing-till-dropping in the 105-hectare Queen's Park Savannah in Port of Spain, there are serious competitions for limbo and stick-fighting. You'll spot Carnival characters like the ample-bodied cross-dressing Dame Lorraine, and feel free to grind against your partner in the all-out gyrating style of dancing called "wining."

And then there are the bands. Armed with steel drums and other percussive instruments, just one Carnival band can have thousands of members. Everything from Mozart to American rock anthems are played to the distinct beats of soca (a speeded-up form of calypso music). Costumes are showcased months in advance, and band competitions televised live. Winners walk away with tens of thousands of dollars in cash, and often contracts and endorsements.

"I found it to be a fairly overwhelming experience, unrestrained glee at an ear-splitting volume," recounts David Swanson, who has traveled throughout the Caribbean for 25 years and authored numerous guidebooks on the region. "Trinidad's Carnival is a huge industry."

The country's National Carnival Commission speculates the festival brings in tens of millions of dollars over a two-month period. At the same time, nothing detracts from its timeless societal catharsis. "One thing that surprised me was the element of spontaneity that still percolates into the festivities," says Swanson. "There's always a rule to be broken, a breach of protocol to be finessed." Wining, anyone?



Read more: http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,2045944,00.html#ixzz1D0JEgv8Q

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Part 5 of the Documentary "Streets of Colour" by Dalton Narine

Here is Part 5 of the Documentary "Streets of Colour" by Dalton Narine.

2011 Soca Monarch Semifinalists

The semifinalists

The following is the list of semifinalists (in alphabetical order of surname) for the bmobile International Soca Monarch and Play Whe Groovy Soca Monarch competitions which will be held at the Arima Velodrome on Sunday, February 13, from 6 pm.

POWER CATEGORY
NAME - SOBRIQUET

1. Ian Alvarez - Bunji Garlin
2. Erphaan Alves - Erphaan Alves
3. Edwin Ayoung - Crazy
4. Nadia Baton /Patrice Roberts Nadia/Patrice
5. Ravi Bissambhar - Ravi B
6. Keon Boodosingh/Greg Henry Zuki and Tim Tim
7. Wilt Cambridge - Tallpree
8. Kevin Celestine - Kevin Celestine
9. Shivonne Churche - Lil Bits
10. Hilton Dalzell Jr - Ghetto Flex
11. Destra Garcia - Destra
12. Neil George - Iwer (The Boss)
13. Wesley Hoyte - C’Donia
14. Imij & Co/Michelle Xavier - Imij & Co/Michelle Xavier
15. Roger Joseph - Patch
16. Fay-Ann Lyons - Fay- Ann Lyons
17. Terri Lyons - Terri Lyons
18. Stevenson Marshall - Shal Marshall
19. Konris Maynard - King Konris
20. Machel Montano - Machel Montano HD
21. Denyse Plummer - Denyse Plummer
22. Tony Prescott - Tony Prescott
23. Raeon Primus - Madd Zart
24. Adana Roberts - Princess Adana
25. Victor St Louis - Pelf
26. Dexter Stewart - Blaxx
27. Keith Sutherland - Ajala
28. Megan Walrond - Megan
29. Shurwayne Winchester Shurwayne Winchester

GROOVY CATEGORY
NAME - SOBRIQUET

1. Lawrenc Adams - Mr Renzo
2. Nadia Batson - Nadia Batson
3. Denise Belfon - Saucy Wow
4. Ravi Bissambhar - Ravi B
5. Terrin Callendar - Super Jigga TC
6. Judelyn Chitan - Sugar Jay
7. Shivonne Churche - Lil Bitts
8. Marvin Davis - Swappi
9. Kees Dieffenthaller - Kees
10. Ricardo Drue - Ricardo Drue
11. Kerwin Du Bois -Kerwin Du Bois
12. Joel Fevek - Zan
13. Nnika Francis - Nnika Francis
14. Destra Garcia - Destra
15. Roderick Gordon -Chucky
16. Kevon Heath - Yankee Boy & Patch
17. Anthony Hendrickson - All Rounder
18. Darryl Henry - Farmer Nappy
19. Rodney Le Blanc - Benjai
20. Stevenson Marshall - Shal Marshall
21. Devon Martin -Lyrikal
22. Jahmoun Mendoza - Jahmoun
23. Orlando Octave -Orlando Octave
24. Patrice Roberts - Patrice Roberts
25. Dale Rudder Mr Dale
26. Kimba Sorzano - Kimba Sorzano
27. Dexter Stewart - Blaxx
28. Cassiano - Sylvester Cassi.
29. Megan Walrond - Megan

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

FLOW 93.5 axes Dr Jay's Soca Therapy

FLOW 93.5 axes Dr Jay's Soca Therapy


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By Raynier Maharaj

The popular Soca Therapy show on Sundays on FLOW 93.5 FM is no more.

It has been confirmed that the show was pulled by the station’s new owners, CHUM FM, during a meeting with staff to restructure the station on Wednesday.

Soca Therapy host Dr Jay told The Camera at press time that he was “disappointed” but as a professional, he had to respect the decision by the station’s new owners.

“Of course it’s a tough day for the community, and everyone across the board who enjoys soca,” said Dr Jay.

CHUM purchased FLOW from Milestone Radio in June 2010, but CRTC approval of the deal only came Tuesday evening. CHUM is part of the CTVglobeMedia Group. On Wednesday, the station’s new management summoned all the staff to a meeting, and told them that there were going to be changes.

Soca Therapy is one of two Caribbean shows on FLOW which got the axe. The other is the reggae show Riddim Track with Speks, which followed the soca show on Sunday nights.

The Camera was unable to speak with Speks about the cancellation of his show, but Dr Jay said the move by CHUM seemed a clear attempt by the station to reposition FLOW in the market.

“I can’t say for sure if there will be any more Caribbean programming on the station in the future,” the radio host said.

The social site Twitter was all ablaze with the news of Soca Therapy’s cancellation, and Dr Jay said that while he understood the concern of the show’s fans, he couldn’t bring himself to answer them “just yet.”

Instead, he posted this cryptic response to questions: “Yes, it’s true. Soca Therapy has been affected by the changes at Flow. Sundays won’t be the same.”

Neither CHUM nor FLOW have commented on the cancellation of the Caribbean shows, or given a reason for the decision.

Dr Jay’s Soca Therapy was one of FLOW’s top shows, and earned the deejay turned radio host the 2002 UMAC Award for Radio Personality of the Year and the 2006 Stylus Soca DJ of the Year.

When the show went on the air in 2001, it was seen as a way of appeasing the fears of Toronto’s Caribbean community that it was being left out of a new station that was designed for them.

The original owners of FLOW had solicited the support of the community when it applied for its license but when it launched, it chose an urban format, which many saw as a slap in the face of the Caribbean community.

For Dr Jay, all is not lost.

“I was paying respects to the culture before FLOW came along, and I will continue to do just that,” he told The Camera. “This is not the end, it’s only the beginning. This is just a minor setback. I will continue to be the writer of my own book.

New radio station clears final hurdles, set to launch by Caribana

New radio station clears final hurdles, set to launch by Caribana

By Herman Silochan

Toronto’s Caribbean and African Radio Network broadcasting, 98.7FM, is getting closer to its launch, given, it seems, overcoming the final hurdles over the CBC’s objections.

“All the stops have been removed, we want to be on air by Caribana,” said Fitzroy Gordon speaking to me by phone from Ottawa on Tuesday. Gordon, the President and CEO of CARN, made no bones about it, that the CBC’s objections to using the 98.7FM frequency has cost him time and lots of money, but never once did he back down in the light of technical reports favouring him and his business partners. So far, they have shelled out about half a million dollars.

This paper has reported frequently about CARN’s roller coaster ride as it sought to gain that niche as a voice of Toronto’s Caribbean and African community. Another Toronto station, FLOW 93.5 FM had once been celebrated as that medium, but moved away in a populist direction dictated by the demands of a hip hop and Top 40 youthful audience. (FLOW is now owned by the CHUM group.)

Late last year, CARN was all set to begin preparing its studios; at that time Gordon was enthusiastic as he detailed the nitty-gritty of what it takes to get a studio on air. But the CBC continued its objections. They have always claimed that their FM 99.1 MHz in Toronto and 98.7 MHz FM in Peterborough were subject to interference from CARN and wanted to hold on to its control of the Toronto 98.7 MHz airwave. But in May this year, there were engineering tests and a trial run for CARN using this 98.7FM Toronto frequency. It was a success in favour of CARN. The non-stop music was catching. Indeed that trial period proved popular with the local Caribbean population, because once the tests stopped, there was a collective groan and a question, when will we hear more? At least this is my reading of all of this as I talked to many people in our community about CARN’s future. Last September final frequency tests showed that CARN’s wave will not interfere with the CBC’s frequency.

As we reported then, this is not a business for the faint of heart. You need lots of patience, time and deep pockets, plus a bit of political savvy. Gordon has been at it for about ten years. It was a case of David versus Goliath. Not only with the CBC, but with the powerful broadcasting establishment, an old boy’s network that is extremely difficult to breach. Then there was the credibility factor. Whom do you believe after you have been brainwashed for decades that only those in power know how to get things done, and we the outsiders, the upstarts, lack credibility, “our inability to do things right.”

On the political side of this broadcast equation, there has been persistent talk about the federal Conservatives playing handmaiden to Gordon and CARN, degenerating into spats with CBC honchos. Immigration Minister, Jason Kenny had long accused the CBC of trying to block CARN in its own narrow corporate interests. Not so said CBC officials, they had even offered CARN advice and surplus equipment. In my telephone conversation with Gordon, he was adamant that the CBC never offered him anything.

Now as we enter Black History Month, we find that Kenney demanding that the CBC apologize to the black community in Toronto for its obstructionist role. I doubt that this will ever happen. After all the CBC is also run like a business and seeks to maintain a maximum audience.

Why mention Black History Month now? Well at a major event and reception at the Ottawa Convention Centre on Tuesday, a cross-national audience was treated to a spectacle of black achievement and success in Canada. One highlight was the unveiling of a new postage stamp by Canada Post to honour pitcher Fergie Jenkins. Jenkins, as many of you know, was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 at Cooperstown New York, the first Canadian so honoured. But if Jenkins was to be the centre of this year’s adulation, it was a speech by CARN’s Fitzroy Gordon that drew rapturous applause and several standing ovations. He spoke about the need for a voice in the black and Caribbean community, the offer of real debate, the struggle to be heard. After twenty minutes, the line up to shake his hand was long, even other federal ministers having to wait their turns. Gordon collected a bagful of business cards with many asking to do future business with this new radio station.

CARN has come a long way to its final creation, and to see it stopped now by any corporate obstructionism will bring massive public outcry.

So at this year’s Caribana, not only will we have the usual spectacle of sight, but hopefully we shall be listening to a new sound, our own.

Tribal Knights - LEGENDS - Caribana Theme for 2011




DEXTER SEUSAHAI'S TRIBAL KNIGHTS™ SET TO UNVEIL 2011 THEME FOR SCOTIABANK CARIBANA FESTIVAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


FEB 2, 2011- TORONTO, ON


Award winning and twice "King of the Band" Tribal Knights™ Mas Club will be launching their 2011 theme for the Caribana season; LEGENDS -- Led by a man with a long history of impeccable costume design and Mas construction, Dexter Seusahai's Tribal Knights™ is ready to showcase to the public its 2011 offering for this year's Scotiabank Caribana Festival at its Annual Band Launch. On Saturday, April 2nd, 2011 at The Grand Luxe Event Boutique (3125 Bayview Avenue) he along with the entire Tribal Knights™ team invite you to experience the unveiling of "LEGENDS" in an event that is set to get you in the Caribana spirit through the shock and awe of spectacularly created costumes that represent Legends from around the World. This highly anticipated Band Launch event, hosted by Eman -- "The Man with De Steel" and SKF "the Champ", shall feature music provided by an exceptional line-up of deejays that include: Marxman (The Kingdom of Soca™ and Socatherapy™), DJ Soca Sweetness (2010 Stylus Spinfest Soca DJ of the Year), Jason Chambers (The New Flow 93.5), and many more. The doors will open at 9 p.m. and the show will begin promptly at midnight.


"We are very excited about this year's theme and it is our intention to ensure the best in quality and customer satisfaction to our masqueraders who show us tremendous support year after year." -- Dexter Seusahai


The Scotiabank Caribana Festival is the single largest Caribbean festival of its kind in North America and pulls in over 1.5 million attendees each year. The hard work and dedication of the city's Mas Bands largely made up of volunteers is what brings life to the festival. Following the Band Launch, registration will begin at the Tribal Knights™ Mas Centre located at 83 Dynamic Drive, Units 11 & 12 in Scarborough.


The Grand Luxe Event Boutique, is a breath-taking venue situated by Bayview Village and is the perfect central location for all of your guests traveling from anywhere in the GTA, readily accessible near highways and both private and public transport. With limited advanced tickets available, it is strongly recommended that you purchase yours early, as this will be the city's first launch of the year and is guaranteed to sell out.


On April 2nd, 2011, you can expect an evening filled with all wonder and mysticism of Legends of the World, and all the beauty and grace of a stunning cast of models. In another statement, Dexter Seusahai had this to share about the collection:


"It is very easy to cater to the females with the costume design, but this year we have paid extra attention to bring a men's collection that will blow you away" -- Dexter Seusahai.


"Dexter's designs are often kept so top secret that even his own team gets to experience some of the element of surprise. Now that is true dedication to the art form." - Darling Nicky


Advanced $15 tickets to the 2011 Tribal Knights™ Band Launch can be purchased from the following Tribal Knights™ team members: Dexter -- (647) 886-1867, Sean - (416) 550-7156, Troy (647) 217-9536 or email Nicky at nicky@tribalknights.com. $20 tickets will also be available at the door the night of the event.


For general inquiries email nicky@tribalknights.com or visit www.tribalknights.com.

All media welcome with accreditation, contact nicky@tribalknights.com.

Tribal Knights™ ~ The Spirit of Carnival


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