From Christmas to Carnival in Music

The music of Christmas is putting up stiff resistance against the strong surge of Carnival music streaming into radio stations.

The yuletide releases have spanned the gamut of musical styles, from traditional parang to some truly humorous parang soca ditties.

Of the latter, coming easiest to mind are “Viagra” (All-rounder); “Chinee Parang” (Nature); a really funny single by Young Creole and the traditional new releases by Scrunter and Cro Cro.

One of the season’s hot picks is Strictly Soca Vol 2, The Best of Trinidad Parang, produced by Rituals Music.

Showcasing parang in the true old-fashion tradition, this CD includes popular songs by The Lara Brothers, Sharlene Flores with Flores de San Jose, Voces Jovenes, Los Alumnos de San Juan, Los Paranderos de UWI, Las Pastores and Viva Nueva.

It also contains two very special tracks, “La Gallina,” featuring Sotero Gomez and the legendary Papa Guhn and “Paseo,” featuring Sotero and Domingo Gomez. Music on these two tracks is by Lopinot Serenaders.

The other yuletide CD wor-thy of purchase is Holiday Vibes by The Vibes quartet.

This disc, with engineering by Raul Woon Fat, features straight-forward contemporary Christmas favourites like the evergreen “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “Silver Bells,” “Silent Night,” and “Joy to the World.” The quartet of musicians are Harold Gonzalves (keyboards); John Low and Lucille Gonzalves (percussion); and pannist Suzanne Low.

Neither yuletide or Carnival, a most unique and sensation-al CD to hit the shelves was Original Notes, by pan icon Jit Samaroo.

Musical guru of The Sama-roo Jets and a Panorama record-holder bpTT Rene-gades, Jit’s debut CD is a thing of rare beauty, a sure collector’s item.

Produced by Hydro Agri Trinidad Ltd, the CD com-prises six tracks, all originals by this master pannist/corn-poser/arranger.

Recorded at Coral Sounds Studio in Sea Lots by veteran engineer Eric Michaud, the cuts on “Original Notes” are “Song of Lopinot,” “Jaago,” “Pan Patterns,” “Utsav-Ki-Awaz,” “Coleman’s Jam” and “Milap.”

Caught up in the first wave of Carnival ’04 music are CDs by debutante recording artiste Lisa (“Don’t Waste My Time”) and Chaguanas songstress Stacey Sobers (“You’re Gonna Be Mine.”)

Lisa’s single has been produced by Ken “Shoroc” Hold-er while “You’re Gonna Be Mine” is Stacey’s first effort at composing a song.

She admits, though, that she got some help from Dewayne Ector, son of former Charlie’s Roots /Massive Chandileer bassist Eman Ector.

Stacey is the beautiful, rasta-haired sista in front of sizzling soca band Island Vibe.