I must begin this piece by extending great sympathies to our sister Caribbean isle with regard to the devastating earthquake of Tuesday, 12 January 2010.

On the other end of the Caribbean event and emotional spectrum, Trinidad and Tobago approaches the Carnival 2010 crescendo —Monday 15^th and Tuesday 16^th being the climactic cap to another season that has showcased the country’s artistry and innovation through calypso, steelpan, soca, shows/concerts, parties (fetes) and parades.

For those of us unable to make it down for the annual event in any given year, this is one of two periods of intense cultural pining, (the other being Christmas), when even the elements seem to support the emotional narrative as freezing overcast New York juxtaposes warm sunny Trinidad…however, thanks to the Web 2.0 and sites like Toronto-Lime.com and of course YouTube we can virtually and vicariously participate in the Carnival phenomenon.

So, without further ado I share my top three soca songs for this season, all of which can be found on TorontoLime:

• No Behaviour (yes we follow the Brits still) by Machel Montano
• Best Time by 3Suns
• Pavement by Farmer Nappy and Kerwin Dubios

Also check out the ‘Palance’ video on YouTube, it’s sure to bring a smile to your face. (For those unfamiliar with the term, “palance” is basically a dance movement.)

So to all those like me in Crown Heights and beyond who wish we had an acquaintance like Scotty from Star Trek to teleport us there and back at light-speed, I say keep the faith, there is always next year, and take some solace in the fact that we’ll soon get our chance to palance during the 2010 Labor Day celebrations.

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