Umi leaves HD Family

PORT OF SPAIN, 10/11/2010 8:00PM ; FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Soca Star UMI, is no longer with the HD Camp. UMI made the announcement earlier this evening on Synergy TV. "Thank you" was all the Soca Star had to say about his departure from the camp.


Contact:

Marcus TR

marcustrservices@gmail.com

1-647-977-6787


Honestly, this news did not come as a surprise to me. Although I've been to only one Machel concert for the year, as a huge Umi fan I realised early on that he was not touring with Machel and the rest of the HD family but was instead doin his own more intimate thing. Of course people are speculating on the reason for him leaving the band with some saying Machel didnt give him much opportunity to grow as an artiste and others saying Umi was salty that he wasnt getting booked to perform on tour with them. I dont know how i feel about his decision just yet, his biggest hit since intially coming on the scene was Block to Block which he did with Machel so i guess only time will tell if he will in fact succeed on his own. Link to some discourse on the topic can be found below.


http://www.islandmix.com/backchat/f16/umi-leaves-hd-camp-226847/

Carnival 2k11 Updates

1) Well first and foremost my ticket for Trinidad Carnival 2011 is officially booked and paid for! Now bein the hot foot, half mad child that I am, I booked a one way ticket. This is because my school's spring break is the week after and i rel dont see the point of coming back to DC for two days of school. shhhhhhhhhh dont tell my professors lol

2) Savannah Stage
Now apparently i rel not cut out for this blogging thing, as you can see i havent posted anything on Miami Carnival (which was a BLAST) yet but more importantly apparently i was sitting on a scoop looong days now and failed to be the first to post it lol. So back in September I attended a function at the Trini Embassy here in D.C. to see what my Minister of Health Ms Therese Baptiste Cornelius and Minister of Arts and Multi-culturalism Mr Winston 'Gypsy' Peters had to say. and well...apparantly he had a lot to say lol. First thing was that we would be getting a stage for Carnical 2K11. *screams* Now this is going to be my first time playin (adult) mas and swear I could ask for a better welcome. I didnt think it was possible for me to get ANY more hype than i already was but...well...this surely changed that lol

3)People's Band
So basically he wants to set up a free band...as in in his own words 'we provide the music, you come in yuh costume'. Now at first glance to some (not me) this sounded fun. a nice cheap way to enjoy Carnival. But to me all i thought was 'good lord somebody gonna get shot' i mean think about it. when you pay for a costume you also pay for security, who gonna provide security? the government gonna take my..well your taxpayer money to provide security for some random unnecessary ruff n tuff band? or will there b no security? worse again. Who gonna b the dj? Who gonna pay the dj? Are these people going to be allowed to cross the band....I dunno. I am just rellll skeptical that this can be pulled off while ensuring that no crime comes from it or that it does not disrupt the experience of the people (like me) who actually paid nuff money to be on the road. time will tell......

4) Two Carnivals
So Gypsy also wants us to have two carnivals, saying that Tobago's carnival basically doeant make much sense being the same time as Trini's and it should be moved further down in the year to fill in the gap between Miami Carnival and Trini carnival (October to Feb/March) As someone who is currently suffering from serious carnivl withdrawal this re-scheduling makes sense, however I cant help but wonder how the Tobago people feel about that as basically if they wanted to participate in Carnival they would have no choice but to hop a boat and go to Trini...something to think about


Anyways thats all i can fit in for now, must go finish up some work...and look for Monday Wear lol

Miami Fete Roll Call!

So first off as i mentioned previously is TRIBE's IGNITE on Miami's Carnival Thursday!



Limited ladies adv tix are $20. after those are sold out the price goes up to $25. A very small price in the grand scheme of parties to pay for the TRIBE fete experience. Was grrreat last year and from what I've heard this year it will be even better.

Next on the list is the Black and White Affair




This party was so good last year that honestly only a free ticket to its competition would keep me away lol. Drinks flowed like whoa, had nuff food, well worth its $50. price tag. Service was great despite there being a LOT of people at this party. good warm up for the weekend feteing.

Last year this party was followed up by Greshman Entertainment's DV8 Miami, however this year they have replaced that party by a new and unique party, LIME. This party is being held in conjunction with Brooklyn's ShorBlu Events and is STRICTLY INVITATION ONLY. It is not an all inclusive affair, but you do get complimentary . NO complaints from me there as I know without a doubt that this event will probably end up being the highlight of my Miami experience. Based on the reputation and track record of the organizers and my previous experiences at parties thrown by them i KNOW this gonna b gooood!

Last but DEFINITELY not least is Vale Vibe Miami. I kno i dont need to rate this party, its name speaks for itself. Nothing but Great Expectations, although if its any better than las yr i doh think i cud handle it lol. I just remember steppin into that hotel and it was bare vibes. From the lobby to the elevator tstraight up to the actual party location on the roof eu cud feel the hype in the air. The only party I was sober at last year and the one I had the most fun at so u cud imagine how hype it was!

MIA-yo!

Miami Carnival plane ticket is officially booked! next on the agenda is to figure out parties. So far I'm hearing Tribe, Shine, DV8 and Vale as the places to be so fingers crossed we really do make it to all these parties. Also most xcited about possibly seeing TRIBE and BLISS costumes in person at IGNITE, you guys must excuse me as its my first 'real' band launching. I hope everything works out and that the boss doesnt fret when i duck work lol

Rumors!

A little Bajan birdie whispered to me that next year may see some changes in CropOver, mainly Tuesday becoming a holiday as well making Kadooment a 2 day shindig :D !!!! Still waiting confirmation from an official source but yo..Bim if this is true alyuh big in d dance!!! can't wait for next year!

My Band has launched!!

When I say 'my' band I mean my band of choice for Miami Carnival, One Island Crew. After the grrreat time i had with them last yr fuh sure i up in that this rounds. They have FINALLY (i've been Really hype about this lol) launched their website complete with prices and options, frontline AND backline for some costumes included. One thing tho, apparently body paint or rather good body paint is more expensive than i thought cuz they kinda bus price this year. My personal fave 'pretty mas' costumes are all over $160. US while my bodypaint outfit of choice is about $80. Now mind you some of those more expensive costumes only include non-alcoholic drinks #pause *blank stare* I will def NOT be in ANY of those sections lol. makes zero sense in my world. One good thing that I was not aware of, some sections allow you to pay an approx $50. downpayment on your costume so if things tight now you have the option of doing that and paying off your costume later on in the month. Any thoughts on my picks? I know the feathered one is a lil out there but for some strange reason its my fave lol

red sarong= $120 US, reg costume= $80US

Check out www.bigandstrong.net for the other costume options and registration information!

:(

so most unfortunately did not get to NY this weekend for Labor Day. In the meantime plans for Miami seem to be working out so fingers crossed that I make it!

Trini Carnival Updates

According to YUMA'S Facebook Fanpage registration starts today, this weekend also saw the launch of Island People's Shades of The Universe. Now I'll give credit where credit is due but...IP and YUMA lowkey dissapointed me. I expected, with all this talk from YUMA especially that the costumes would have been a lil bit more creative and not just beads and feathers on bikinis. Esp in a year like this where Tribe and even Harts stepped their game up, I just..wanted..more. Now I know I may be in the minority, I actually have friends who are going bonkers for IP and YUMA costumes and I am aware that a lot of masqueraders dont really care much about theme as long as the costume is pretty and skimpy BUT I guess I just wanted to see TRIBE get challenged in terms of creativity...O well, maybe next year....

i fell off! :(

sorry guys but hassle of roommate finding, school starting and my fave dog dying :( threw me off for a bit.

today tho...the much appreciated besssssss party fuh the weekend!

HARBOUR LIGHTS

Harbour Lights is some type of beachfront bar that for some reason draws the Crop Over crowd like bugs to a lamp on the Sunday before Kadooment Day. Now keep in my mind i was real sick, i'm talking coughing, sneezing, headachy, body pains sick. But being the true carnival baby that I am i took a swig of Buckley's threw some Ibuprofen in my purse and headed out anyway lol. Can I say BEST DECISION EVER!

The crowd was great, nice and uptown but not stoosh. Had nuff tourists but balanced it out with a lot of Bajans as well. I limited myself to two rum punch drinks (which tasted FAB) but didnt even need them as the dance had bare vibes. There's just something about partying on the beach..sand between your toes, star studded sky above you and EVERYBODY is just in a good mood, shit talking, wukkin up and just having a good time. Songs of choice for this night, Lil Rick's - Guh Down of course and suprisingly Shakira's Waka Waka...*insert comment about cbbean ppl and their love of (obsession with) soccer that turned this song into a party tune lol*

O and all that other stuff..bar service was really fast, friendly and had some hott bartenders too lol. parking was good as well, there were a couple parking lots nearby and well not much need for security as the crowd was uber well behaved. I found myself a sexy Baje ;) and danced all night. no really... literally ALL night!

Harbour Lights is def a do over, will be most present come Crop Over 2K11!

#cropovermemories

Just found this, sheer luck that i'm not in the video lol. but this was Lil Rick performing Go Down at Wadadah Foreday Mornin Brek Out.

TRIBE EMAIL:FYI

VERY IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION!

Please read ALL information below carefully.

Showroom Opening Hours

TRIBE: Mon - Fri 12noon to 5pm

BLISS: Mon - Fri 12noon to 5pm

We will be opening both showrooms on Sat 14th Aug, from 12noon - 4pm

For more information on BLISS or to be added to the BLISS mailing list, please send an e-mail to info@blisscarnival.com

TRIBE LOYALTY CARD (TLC) REGISTRATION:

Online Registration ONLY. There will be NO In-House Registration at Cascadia

• Online TLC registration: Your four (4) digit TLC code and username will be required. Online registration is valid and complete ONLY when accompanied by an online credit card payment.(VISA / MASTERCARD)

*It has been brought to our attention that TLC holders have been ‘selling’ their cards and/or use of their cards. TRIBE reserves the right to cancel any TLC for inappropriate use.

• TLC masqueraders who have forgotten/misplaced their username, can request them via e-mail by 5:00pm on Friday 20th August. Send e-mail requests to sales@carnivaltribe.com with subject "TLC user 2011". The e-mail must contain the following :

• Your Full Name
• Your 4 - digit TLC number

Please Note: Online Registration is NOT 24hrs a day. The website will be opened during the specific registration times ONLY

Important Advisory: When costume registration begins for TLC holders, please be assured that ALL SECTIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE.

We recognize that there is an increased demand for costumes this year and while we would like to accommodate everyone in their preferred section, we recommend that masqueraders have more than one choice, as each section has a fixed quota.

PAST MASQUERADER REGISTRATION:

• Online registration ONLY: Your username and password will be required.

• A subsequent e-mail will be sent out with details on Past Masquerader registration. Please stay posted to the website also.

MINIMUM DOWN PAYMENT:

Floor Member - $1500 TT or $250 USD
Frontline - $3000 TT or $500 USD

MEASUREMENTS/SIZES REQUIRED TO REGISTER:

FEMALE:
Hipband (Belt) Size in Inches
Bathing Suit Type ( Bikini , Whole piece, Tankini)
Bra Size (34B, 36C, 38DDD, etc)
Bikini Bottom Piece Type (Regular, Thong, Hot Shorts, Tankini-cut)
Bikini Bottom Size (XS, S, M, L, XL)

MALE:
Waist Size (34”, 36”, etc.)

IMPORTANT: Carnival costumes are custom-made items therefore please be advised that once registration is complete there will be:

• NO exchange or switching of sections.
• NO refund of deposit.
• NO changing of measurements or sizes

• NO costume transfers

Comments , questions concerns??

So far I know of at least a couple people who not too sure about the whole only online registration thing. I think it makes sense, I don't even know how Tribe made it work in years past with registration simultaneously online and in-house in terms of keeping track of costume numbers and knowing what sold out when. and doh talk for when the website crashed last year. IF (God forbid) that happens again at least you can rest assured that everyone is at a disadvantage and not just those who opted to register online. Plus this way it would stop people from spending the night outside Cascadia...yes there r some folks out there who did that last year...which apart from being a lil extreme is also NOT safe in these times. Anyways I think this is a step forward..good luck Tribe!

P.S. - Tribe has now updated their website so you can see the prices and options for the various costumes

P.P.S. - Nevermind...something's wrong and the costumes are not coming up..plus I think they have Bliss costume names down in error...confused..o well i'll give them a couple hours to sort it out

Special-ish small mention goes to

Wadadah Mornin Brek Out....

hmm where to start.......Now I had chked out the Crop Over 09 reviews on trini jungle juice and spoken with friends who attended Crop Over in previous years to make sure that i went to the right fetes, jump wit the right band etc etc. Wadadah was one of those parties that had gotten good reviews, so imagine my surprise when we get there post-J'Ouvert and d dance bus. yes i said it, BUS! if ever u cud shout n hear an echo in a field it wudve been at that party. I have no idea what happened, if maybe they didn't promote it enough..if too many ppl were bun after J'Ouvert or what but yeh.....if I had paid to get in I would've been reeeeeal upset. I stayed for Lil Rick's performance...took a lil 2 step in the mud in front the stage (no fault of the organizers, there was beaucoup rain that morning) then headed home to rest up for the nxt lime. The End

Interesting.....

Interrupting this lil CropOver review session for something i just noticed. As some of you may know, Tribe had a section in Baje International's Crop Over Band this year called Heaven to Earth. In my opinion, this was a gorgeous costume and truthfully the best I saw on the road for Kadooment.

'Heaven to Earth' - Tribe's section in Baje Internationals' Free to Fly (CropOver 2K10)

When Saucy first posted pics of the band, the general consensus seemed to be that this was not 'up to standard' and that Tribe needed to come better for Trini Carnival 2010 particularly because of the size of the head piece pictured on the right. Now fast forward to this morning when I checked Saucy's blog (as i do every day lol ) only to realise that Tribe is in fact offering a small headpiece option similar to one above for quite a few of their 2k11 costumes.

Xi'an Warriors backline with small headpiece

Persian Gold FRONTLINE with collar option and small headpiece

Interesting right....Now I can say that I am tempted by the small headpiece option, particularly after experiencing what it was like to chip down d rd in hott blazin sun with this heavy slippin-and-sliding-with-every-breeze-headpiece in Bdos, and also because it looks elegant and pretty in an understated way ...BUT Carnival is all about glitz and glamor and being out there with your costume so...y take a small headpiece when I can jam with something luxuriant and feathery...decisions decisions.....

In anycase I'm quite intrigued by what the feedback will be on these small headpieces..I think a lot of my people..like myself prior to 10am this morning were not even aware that the headpieces were that tiny..I actually thought that the Amazon headpiece I saw yesterday was the small headpiece lol (pics coming soon)

P.S. I have already started sourcing Monday Wear...excited much? lol

About This Blog

Just realised I jumped right into things without explaining the purpose of this blog, or why I started it. I love to party, fete, lime and play mas and have decided to share my experiences. Stuck here in D.C. for the last 5 years at school meant that I missed a grand total of FIVE yes FIVE Trini Carnivals for various reasons, not enough funds or having exams around that time etc etc. However being in the US also exposed me to different carnivals, I've been to Labor Day, MIA Carnival and DC Carnival and this yr I finally made it to Crop Over. For this reason my blog won't focus solely on Trini Carnival but instead review Carnivals around the world (aiming big ent! lol) and events in the DMV area since I currently reside there. I'm aiming to blog at least every other day whether is jus a lil video or full out review so stay tuned!

Guh down in d rain!!

So sorry for the delays in posting, this vacay was definitely not about rest and relaxation, it was more like 10 days of non-stop partying and rushing around. Am attempting to pick up where I last left off so lets see...

Backshun J'Ouvert



Sell off! Sell Afffffff!! lol. but no really, was a grrreat re-introduction to what real J'Ouvert is all about. mud, paint, liquor and bare vibes!

Things didn't start off so smoothly, went to pick up costumes Friday (J'Ouvert started at 1am Sat morning) and the 'boss' came out with a look after about 15 mins of looking for my costume. Apparently something went wrong during the costume transfer process and I was down for the wrong section. Well after hearing my trini accent that problem got solved one time(tourists rule!), doh mind my apparently medium backside ended up in a XS shorts lol. The boss and two other manager looking ppl were very cool about the whole thing. The two 'greeters' as they called themselves kept my friend and I company cracking jokes and talking ish while the boss sorted out the issue. Overall I was left with a favorable impression about their service just by that first interaction.

Then the day started. Dunno about other drinks but Rum Punch and Rum and Coke which is what I was drinking were flowing like water! That rum punch esp had a kick to it that well...had me up on the truck by the end of the morning lol. kudos to the bartender.

As for vibes...this band had vibes to spare lol. EVERYBODY was hype! Doh talk for when the rain come down, all u heard was 'guh down in d rain, guh down in d rain' as the dj pulled out a remix and the whole band most obediently continued wukkin up, jumpin and gettin on baddd! The route ended near a beach and that was all i needed, took a nice lil dip in d salt after breakfast then it was straight to Wadadah Mornin Brek Out.

Overall J'Ouvert experience on a scale of "(1)never ever doing dat again!" to "(10)sell afff i eeen that nxt yr!" did you even have to guess? 10 of course!

Below: One of my (and everybody else in Bdos) fave tunes for CropOver, Lil Rick's Go Down. This song took him to the second spot in the Road March competition which was no surprise as crowd reaction to it is ridic! Congrats sir!!

Recovery Mode

Am 100% bun out! Kadooment day was great, recaps coming sooon! Just taking this minute out to some free advertising for my band of choice for Miami Carnival, One Island Body Paint Band. My experience with them was tres magnifique last year, excellent customer service and bess vibes to boot so they will definitely see me for this year's Miami Carnival!

This year they are presenting AVATAR so check them out here! Personal favorite would be the male paint costume that looks as if its straight out of the movie!

Bask in d Glowww!

Innovative Parking

Krosfyah!

Edwin Yearwood :)

So Glow fete was sorta worth the $30 USD/ $60 BD price tag. Not being a fan of parties that are not all-inclusive I had some apprehension about this but I am sooo glad I chose this over Frazzled, which was about the same price but as far as I know had no performances and finished waay before Glow. We left Glow around 5am and the party was still goin...whereas only silence was coming from the Frazzled venue.

VENUE: The venue was well decorated, with great placement of the bars and bathrooms relative to the stage and main dancing floor so there was a smooth flow of foot traffic. The bar had a chit system which didnt really make sense to me as you could literally buy the chits from one woman and then take one step to the right and buy your drink with the chits...seemed unnecesary. Parking was terrible! People parked all up on the pavement, on the nearby roundabout, etc. To be fair though some of the cars may have belonged to the Frazzled Mug Fete which was held across the street.

VIBE: The vibe was good as well, not tooo hype but you could tell everyone was enjoying themselves, so much so that not even a lil rain cud spoil that fete, ppl just kept right on jammin and wukkin up.

PERFORMANCES: Too many to even remember them all. Krosfyah to Alison Hinds to the reigning soca monarch Blood to my personal fave Stabby and more! P.S. I got to meet Stabby :D #groupielove lol The Hypa Kids also came out and performed their hit 'Happy Feet' and swear they get more forward than some of the soca veterans. Doh talk for when small man took charge and started issuing directions, it was too cute, especially when he told the band to wheel n come again lol

What struck me most about this party was that not having been to trini carnival in so long (5 years) I got accustomed to only seeing big headliners like Machel and Bunji perform at the intl carnivals. So it was a welcome change to see all my faves performed live ESPECIALLY Krosfyah's set as they performed nuff oldies...sigh...it was like Private Ryan's groovy soca mix come to life.

Touchdown in Bimshire!

Landed safely, had Chefette's, Banks, and hit the beach too, nuh bad for 24 hrs right? Headed to Glow tonight, so look out for my review!

Guh Down!

Its 2am...eyes bloodshot, hair not done...suitcase not packed but....BARBADOS IN 12 HOURS!!!!!

The Way of The Warrior!!

"TRIBE....what can I say, in the words of Dirtsman alyuh come hott dis year!!!! Costumes are def a step up from last year's, particularly in terms of the bras as last yrs backline bras had many a masquerader complaining about the lack of beading and detail. My favorites are currently Amazon, Persian Gold and Mongol Warrior (I absolutely love the shoulders on this one!)

Amazon

Persian Gold

Mongol Warrior

Fingers are crossed that some way some how i get een for Carnival 2k11!

Please view the costumes in all their gorgeous, highly detailed, blinged and beaded glory at www.carnivaltribe.com

Ready for Mas Again

Tribe's 2011 Teaser is out!!!! got me crazy hype!! Current fave costume is at 0.12 secs into the video :) For those of you who may not know Tribe split into two bands this year in an effort to make the band more manageable. Interesting concept and I hope it works out. Would def not like to see Tribe go the way of Poison..(real carnival babies kno what I'm talking about).

On another note I absolutely LOVE what I'm seeing thus far from them, looks as though they're reinventing the wheel once again in terms of really applying the theme. Can't wait to see the costumes on Saturday!