Greetings! The month of April sure passed by quickly.  St. Thomas Carnival is upon us and Jamband is heating things up.  I recently got a chance to hear their album and while Daddy Friday is no longer with us, Jamband is here to stay.  New lead singer, Pantha, has a voice reminiscent of Friday, but brings his own flavor to the band.  Check their new tracks, “No Jamband No Carnival,” and, “Wha You Mean By That,” and you’ll see they’re still coming strong as ever.  I predict Jamband will dominate the road with their music this year.  What would be a greater tribute to the late Daddy Friday than to continue the music that he loved so much!

So, last week I was making predictions as to who would do well this summer.  One of those individuals, Orande “Bomani” Charles, was in New York recently and collapsed and broke his jaw in several places.  He is expected to recover, though it will take some time.  His presence for Vincy Mas is undecided, but I do wish that he recovers quickly.  For those unfamiliar with the name Bomani, you may be more familiar with his music.  He had a big tune in 2004 with his winning Road March tune, “I Am Soca,” as well as his popular song with various names depending on who you ask, “Booty Call/Turn ‘Round/Shake It.”  No matter what you call it, the song is hot!  In 2005, Bomani brought us a nice groovy tune, “Wet,” that has picked up pace in soca parties everywhere.  Let’s all pray that Bomani gets better soon, and hopefully he’ll be back to doing music in the near future.

Jamaica Carnival just ended, and from what I hear, all went well.  Performances by Destra and Maximus Dan were received well by the crowd at the Beach Jou’vert at James Bond Beach in St. Mary.  I’ve heard a few tracks released for Jamaica Carnival from Busy Signal and Elephant Man.  While I’m not really a fan of the Elephant Man tune, “Dutty Winey,” (a sampling of Byron Lee’s Tiney Winey), I’m sure fans of Elephant Man will appreciate his comical take on the classic song.  Busy Signal has reworked Burning Flames’, “Workey Workey,” and he also has another track, “Pon De Pole,” which I think is pretty decent.  The jost popular soca tune from Jamaica that I’ve heard this year is by Mr. Vegas, with, “Genie Wine.”  After doing a remix with Machel Montano for, “Dance With You,” he’s done his own song on the same riddim.  The song is getting good rotation, so I expect to hear the song from now until Miami Carnival. 

Speaking of carnivals, Orlando Carnival is coming up at the end of May.  Things are gearing up as of now; so if you have a full tank of gas (bring along some friends to cut costs), head up there for the various fetes.  For more information on Orlando Carnival, you can check out their website at www.orlandocarnivalassociation.com.  Kicking things off for the month of May is Alison Hinds and Rupee at the Tropical Magic Nightclub (801 N. John Young Pkwy, Orlando).  I know I will definitely be there, as her new band sounds great!  This hot weather definitely is putting me in the summer carnival mode.

In the Tampa area, it’s the beginning of the Island Xpress Soca Party, to be held every third Friday beginning May 19^th, at the Harbor Club (915 East Grand Ave).  For all my South Florida residents, every second Saturday beginning May 13^th, is also the Island Xpress Party at the Roman’s Pub (1774 NW 183^rd Street, Miami).  For more information, log on to www.smallislandmassive.com.  Don’t forget about Generation X’s event this Saturday, Seduction, at the Bayside Hut (3501 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne).  There’s also a backyard lime on Sunday the newly formed mas band, Skan D’ Lus (2800 NW 175^th Street, Miami).  The time is from 3pm-10pm with food and drinks on sale. For more info, call 786-380-3038.  So this hot weather should encourage everyone to get out and enjoy the outdoor breeze (or other folks’ air conditioning), to reduce our own energy bills.  Have a great week everyone, and don’t forget to bring a designated driver if you plan on drinking.  Blessings.