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The Nation Newspaper | OF NOTE: Radio on fyah!

OF NOTE: Radio on fyah!
Published on: 8/17/07.


BY ANDREA KING


FAMILY,

Having just come off a successful – for some – Crop-Over Festival, musically speaking of course I am reminded of something Admiral Nelson said: "Crop-Over is the biggest funeral service."

Naturally I asked him what he meant and he replied something to this effect: "The DJs play the music for about six weeks and then bury it!"

Indeed, many people say they can't wait – no pun intended (on Board Mout Untreated T111 with Rusty Nail on the End's song, seriously :-| ) for Crop-Over to end to get the constant calypso and soca music off the radio. I feel moved to confess I was among that number in the days of my youth when my head was strictly into the conscious-raising vibes of reggae music, and the mind-blowing music of The Elements (Earth, Wind & Fire).

(Who can recall sharing cassettes and LPs of Bob Marley's Survival; Third World's The Story's Been Told, and Earth Wind & Fire's I Am?!)

But I'm happy to say my consciousness was sufficiently raised to appreciate the cultural outpourings of my own Bajan brothers and sisters, though oft-times the lyrics and treatment of topics leave much to be desired.

However, although we are now into two weeks past our time of bacchanalia, I can still hear soca and calypso playing on the airwaves. Which brings me in a round-about-way to what I really wanted to write about.

krosfyah. 2K7 album. Fire Proof. Their music. The songs. 16 tracks. You have. To listen.

I myself have not yet got past five of them: All My Life (Tony Bailey); Feels Like and Where I Want To Be (Edwin Yearwood); Bashment Bacchanal and Set Us Free (Khiomal).

When you think the fyah clan can't do any more, they go and re-invent themselves.

Khiomal, I understand, has to be credited for this year's performance concept, the Fyah 200.7 FM radio station.

The first "broadcast" was at Tim's on de Hiway last month, and as the band appeared on stage to begin, the "on air" sign lit up, and the DJ's voice filled the large tent.

The band's performance ran just like a radio show, with either Stan or Bubbles at the controls, and various popular artistes including Nard, Mikey and Lorenzo, Li'l Rick, Sickie (Troy Special), Mr Dale, Don Trent, Statement, John Mahmeed, Malcolm X, Styles P and Ramases, and Timmy, dropping their tunes in between the krosfyah set. The fyah "station" promos by the artistes added that bit of reality to the radio-land.

The addition of the Guyanese Road March King and Soca Monarch King, Adrian Duchin, to the fyah frontline hyped the male sexiness of the band; and another nice touch was the introduction of the musicians at the end of the set.

The "radio station" went off air for the final time last Saturday night at Tim's, and the broadcast was witnessed by perhaps the biggest audience for the season at the Spring Garden venue.

Luckily, Fire Proof will be around for all time.

Thank you krosfyah for adding to the enjoyment of the Crop-Over Festival.

Congratulations to Mr Dale – I'm a soca junkie without apology!!; Red Plastic Bag – one blood!; and Li'l Rick – I knew you would do it, Dawg.

And to all the other calypsonians and soca artistes who have contributed, keep on keeping on.

Hailing Dr Hilliard


For those of you who know who Dr Asa Hilliard is, he became an ancestor this week while on yet another pilgrimage to Egpyt.

For those of you who are not familiar with the great man, he was a 20th century scholar of the Kemetic tradition. Love and light

Cool...I think the radio concept coulda been done a bit better (meanin the concept was thought up prior to the season, but was never really announced...just came about in the performances).

The CD is sweet though. It Feels Like, All My Life, Higher, Bashment Bacchanal, Bring the Water Again, Where I Wanna Be, Taking Over Me, Set Us Free, Got This Feeling...love um all (well aside from the roadmix to It Feels Like - not cool).

Fiiiiind oooout wheeeeeere to buuuuuy! (please)

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http://cafepress.com/n00ntime

It's so true what he says though about cropover being the "biggest funeral"

I myself have been guilty of this just listening to calypso/soca just around carnival time ...but I think as the artist widen there horizons and incorporate other snipets of music and sounds from around the world I am able to listen to it more.

I definetly have to get that krosfyah c.d it sounding real good any suggestions Ms.Rumma-cita of where I can get that in our area???

__________________
*I have been Born Again*

I'm told you can go to JW & VP Records for the album (call them vs just checking the website).

yup krosfyah. 2K7 album. Fire Proofis at vp for $15.98+ tx

__________________
*I have been Born Again*

VP Records has it online as well.

VPReggae.com Item Detail

1 IT FEELS LIKE - EDWIN YEARWOOD
2 ALL MY LIFE - TONY'REBEL'BAILEY & TC
3 WHERE I WANNA BE - EDWIN YEARWOOD
4 BASHMENT BACCHANAL - KHIOMAL & MIKEY
5 IT'S TAKING OVER - EDWIN & RHADIKA YEARWOOD
6 BUMPER BUFFET(FLING IT UP GAL) - KHIOMAL
7 GIMME SOME MORE - TONY'REBEL"BAILEY
8 SET US FREE - KHIOMAL
9 GOT THIS FEELING - TONY'REBEL'BAILEY
10 BRING DE WATER AGAIN - EDWIN YEARWOOD
11 HIGHER - KHIOMAL
12 JAH IS YOUR LIGHT - KHIOMAL & STATEMENT
13 GUNZ AND AMMO - TONY'REBEL'BAILEY
14 I LIKE YOUR STYLE - EDWIN YEARWOOD
15 UNDER CITY LIGHTS - EDWIN YEARWOOD
16 IT FEELS LIKE(REMIX) - EDWIN YEARWOOD

__________________
http://cafepress.com/n00ntime

fyah has abandone the groovy songs for the uptempo stuff. i,for one, think that is bad idea. why? the soca industry in terms of the music seem to be moving away from the uptempo stuff to the slower groovy stuff.

Feels Like and All My Life are 2 of the hottest groovy tunes of the year.

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http://cafepress.com/n00ntime

All My Life
It Feels Like
Bring De Water Again
Gimme Some More
Higher
It's Taking Over Me
Jah Is Your Light
I Like Your Style
City Lights
Bumper Buffet


All of em are 120 BPMS or less...So just where have they abandoned groovy tunes?

trust me, there is nothing groovy about these songs on this album.

back in the early 90's, fyah was on the cutting edge of soca music, delivering songs such as pump me, night nurse, girl next door and many others. back then, almost every up-and-coming act wanted to emulate fyah's style of music. in fact, dem along wid nicholas influenced the music more than anyone else in last twenty years and helped to put bim on the musical map.

today, fyah does not hold the same sway with many fans as it once did. they just do not deliver the same cutting edge music as before.

You keep saying that...which is fine. But you can't say they've abandoned doing slower tempo music, because that is simply not true. There is so much more music out vs before. I remember years ago when I wanted to buy a CD it was Krosfyah, S1, RPB, and maybe some compilation. That was it. Now there is so much to choose from & the radio dj's have their own agenda. Bands have issues picking out the songs that they think will do well for their performances and for the season.

Whether you feel they've dropped off or lost their edge, they still remain far more consistent than most other bands or artistes. Looking at how the band acts in foreign places, I'd say they are one in a handful who hasn't had drama because their vocalists are having a bad day.

your have not refuted my claim. if you listen to their first three albums then listen to the last five;one does not feel the same vibe which the grounp had earlier its career. on the first three albums, they took soca to a higher level: people who did not listen to soca listen to fyah - that was how cutting edge fyah was.

I simply stated that they have not abandoned groovy soca for uptempo. Whether you like the tracks or not is your opinion, but the album contains a number of groovy tracks (more than half). Everything else is irrelevant to me. You've stated numerous times in threads relating to fyah, so I get your point. So long as I still enjoy it, I don't really care.