Carnival Baby

Throwback Thursdays

2011-09-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

Just a listen in on my playlist today...When las you hear these tunes?

CHINESE LAUNDRY - COLORS (sry for the bad audio)

CHINESE LAUNDRY - BROWNIN

MACHEL - WHAT THEY SAY THEY SAY

BUD - MAN AH BAD MAN

NIKKI CROSBY - I'LL LEARN TO WINE

Anyone want to sign my petition to bring Laundry back to the soca game? Aside from colors which was on a completely different wavelength hhis other songs were heeee-la-rious!

Who remembers Mona Lisa?
"Show yuh have a Benz, Show yuh have Beemer! Show yuh have a Lexxus..park up in yuh area!! Jump up an up an up!!"
Laundry I miss you!!

And It Continues...

2011-08-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

So much thanks to everyone who commented on my last blog about Afro chic decorating wire bras. My friend emailed her on my behalf and seems like things are a go on that end :D.

Next up on the list are my boots and my monday waistband.

I plan to reuse my Monday boots from last year for Monday Mas again this year, but after last year's spray paint debacle i was in dire need of new tuesday boots. Just fyi....when decorating suede boots it is advisable to use FABRIC spray paint and NOT the regular spray paint. Lesson learnt! lol

I decided to step my game up a notch and go for wedge heel boots. I think I can handle it as my go-to pr of boots this last winter were wedges and I walked 20 mins to school in them on some mornings. It's really amazing the difference a wedge heel makes versus a regular heel of the same height. it feels as if you're wearing flats. I have narrowed my choices down to these three (see below) and will sleep on it and make a decision in the morning.

Amazon: $20.00

Go Jane: $30.80

Amazon: $22.99

My Monday belt will be pretty simple. It was inspired by the belly chains I've seen my Nigerian friends wearing. I just hope I'm skilled enough to pull off the design I have in mind lol. tomorrow I'm going to the bead shop to see if they have anything that will match Dubai. Hopefully I get these things out the way quickly so I can move on to my Monday headpiece!

Its Registration time! for Miami that is!

2011-08-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

I have decided that if all goes well for the next month moneywise there's no reason why I should skip Miami Carnival this year. Especially since one of my fave groups, Dirty Dozen Jouvert has a costume that would look quite lovely on me if I do say so myself ;)

Apparently this is the second time they will be bringing a section for Miami Carnival with Generation X. I sure wish I knew about this last year!

Taken from their Facebook Fan Page

Dirty Dozen J’ouvert premiered on J’ouvert Morning at Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2010. With a completely sold out band, we paraded through the streets, bringing back J’ouvert to the way it used to be - lots of mud, lots of paint, and lots of powder - but also with lots of drinks and food for the All Inclusive vibe.

The producers of Dirty Dozen J'ouvert have been involved in the promotion and prod...uction of mas in T&T, Barbados, Miami and Notting Hill, and we have pooled our collective experiences and resources to create a distinctive event.

The Difference?...OUR UNIQUE RECIPE!

We will provide our J’ouvert family with the right mix, the 12 Ingredients that we believe will give you the most Unforgettable J’ouvert you will ever Experience…

Or simply put by my friend, "Is a group of QRC fellas who hav rel vibes!" lol

Can't wait!

The Quest for Monday Fabulousity:Pt 1

2011-08-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

This is all i want...this style frame..decorated in my Dubai colors. So why is this whole 'find-a-wire-bra-designer-process becoming so gosh darned stressful?!

Now first off...TRIBE you should have made a wire bra option available. That would have definitely made things easier and I don't mind forking out an extra hundred or so US for said bra.

Secondly...why is it so hard to find a designer/wire bender to just make what you want. To date I have msged (or rather a friend did on my behalf to keep me anonymous :D) Darrel Bluze, Designing Daryl, Akin Ross and even the samba costumes guy.

Darrel Bluze is the designer of this frame and judging from his work he seems quite able to design what I need. He quoted me a price of $120US. I am based abroad and as he seems very hesitant to communicate via email this poses some problems. I emailed him initially and called when he requested, however after I sent a subsequent email minutes later based on our conversation he clearly did not remember who I was. He responded asking me to call him to discuss price etc, stuff that had already been settled during the first phone call :S If I was physically in trini I wouldn't mind taking a chance but I cant do much checking up from here so that option is out.

Designing Daryl told me his prices START at $125US. I sent him a photo of the frame I wanted only for him to respond saying basically that the design I wanted was shitty and he doesnt do work like that....I'm kidding! He didn't say shitty...just that his designs are 'far more elaborate'. Still contemplating this option....He told me to look at his designs that were featured on Saucy's page which I did. I kinda want something more naked than what I've seen from him so far. And I would feel kinda shame to tell him that, which is why I havent responded to him yet lol.

Akin Ross said his wire bra's are $185US and come with boy shorts and a matching neckpiece. Now I dont know where the boyshorts and neckpiece come in because I already have my extra bikini bottom and accessories lined up but w/e. $185 is definitely way...WAY out of my price range.

The Samba Costmes guy is not taking any custom orders... :(

So basically I am back at square one and contemplating just buying some wire and doing my own thing. If my last option doesnt pan out I just may end up doing so. In anycase I already have to make my own circlet/small headpiece since I got blanked from TRIBE. Not too sure why, as the girl just said 'the small headpiece is not an option for that costume' when i clearly didnt ask for it as an 'option' but an addition..o well...its honestly not that difficult to make one and trying to buy it from them was pure laziness.

BUT if anyone knows someone who would just make the bra frame I

want, no questions asked and no ridic price tag let me know!!!

Anyways fingers crossed I get this wire bra situation sorted out asap so I can focus on my Mon/Tues boots and Monday wear waistband! Yes I said waistband...I did say I was going all out right ;)

UPDATES

2011-08-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

I've been gone for a minute, had to deal with 'real life' so I've been spectating all the drama for the last week or so. And boy has there been drama!!

First off...Fantasy Carnival. How dare you! How dare you launch publicly, and cause me to envision myself chippin down the road a la Victoria Secret Fashion Show in all my winged glory....only to snatch that hope away with your 'who yuh know' committee registration. Good thing I'm a strong believer in NOT fighting dwn a scene so forget alyuh, I am officially registered to play wth TRIBE in Dubai's frontline :D. This was the ONLY costume I wanted from TRIBE (and yes i did pray a lil on it) so I am happy!

Talkin bout TRIBE....
So basically they are no longer tryin to keep up appearances with a hush-hush comittee reg and jus takin this committee registration business and running with it. Saturday 13th was the day to submit the downpayment and NUFF ppl i know, many of whom never played with TRIBE before were all registered in their section of choice. Now as for this 'send us a request and we will see if we can accommodate you' business, I'm waiting to see how it plays out. Is it going to be fair and first come first served or are they going to screen people...thats my main issue. Just picture if in years to come you have to submit a application, with headshots and full length shots and a nice lil essay on 'Why I Think I should Be Allowed to Play With TRIBE'. Somehow, jokes aside.....I feel like in a few years some band will make that a reality.....

Something like this..

Dear Madam TRIBEperson
I, Carnival Baby am hereby applying for a suitable section within your band for the upcoming 2012 Carnival celebrations. I have included a copy of my resume along with the requested photos for your perusal. Please do not be concerned about my love handles and jiggly thighs, I have committed myself to a strict diet/excercise regimen, which I have also included with this application. I also have a sworn statement from my personal trainer guaranteeing results within the designated time frame. I fully understand that failure to meet 'body good-oye' status could mean the forfeit of my downpayment and my place in the band, and I take full responsibility for preventing such a situation. I hope that you will find my face and body suitable for your demographic.
Sincerely
Carnival Baby

LOL! But really though, what if.....

I think this year more than ever the issue of how far you would go to be in the band/costume of your choice has been at the forefront. With bands becoming more exclusive and making committee registration de rigeur, it has been made clear to me that I need to know where to draw my line. So far I'm not too stressed about getting into where I want, but not everyone is fortunate in having friends/links on comittees. So what's left for them...Island People?? maybe YUMA..... Its a double edged sword as yes you want to give the people who have supported you, friends, family and sometimes your first time masqueraders who took a chance on your band first dibs, but it means that more and more anybody who is not in the who-yuh-know scene is sh*t outta luck.

Next post will be a condensed band review....don't want to put too much time on that as I dunno about alyuh but I'm past launches and on to Monday Wear, Makeup And Boots!

Take Me To...Dubai, Rio or Ibiza!

2011-08-06T09:06:00.001-07:00

My costumes of choice, in order, as submitted to my group's TRIBE link. I'm happy with these costumes and while I REALLY, REALLY want that tail lol, I can also be happy with Rio. I am definitely going Frontline this year and am just waiting to hear which section I got so I can order my boots and wire bra etc. No sticking this year!!

I have to talk about this latest thing. TRIBE's 'wild card' which allegedly allows its holder to register for a costume of their choice in a section of their choice. it could also allow for groups to be registered all in one section according to Saucy. (Chk out the discussion on her facebook page). I am of the opinion that this card won't make much of a difference. I think that if you're that high up on the popularity totem pole to be given one of these cards then chances are you would have gotten your costume of choice in anycase.

What I found a little more surprising is that apparently committee registration is supposed to be 2 female 1 male per section. *blank stare* As I tweeted earlier this week I am the only one in a group of 6 who did not have Ibiza as their first choice. Our list was submitted but the guy never said anything about too many of us wanting one section. Fingers crossed that we all get something we're happy with, and that I get to palance down d road wigglin my tail! lol

Monday Wear for SouthBeach/Dubai

2011-07-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Monday Wear - South Beach/Dubai by CarnivalBaby featuring a bikini swimwear

Early bird? Possibly. But I do not want to end up like I did last year. I ordered my Monday Wear at the very last minute and wasted $70 on a gold bikini that looked more Charlotte street quality than anything else. Also ordered my boots at the last minute only to realise that they were suede and not leather/pleather (how could i overlook that?!) and I didnt have time to get the spray paint for suede before I left for Trini. For the record NEVER use regular spray paint on suede, talk about a hot mess!
This year I promised myself that I will be better prepared and that I'll have all my stuff in order by December...we'll see how that goes~

Of course I will not be chippin anywhere in heels, those will probably be replaced by gold wedge heeled boots. AND all this is still dependent on if I end up in TRIBE or not... What with all this time on my hands and Polyvore being my new toy I can see myself doing more of these little creations, especially as I just realised I can clip my own pictures so persons will be able to find the actual source for the item.

Peer Pressure

2011-07-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

South Beach Individual

After Saturday's launch I was adamant that I did not want play with TRIBE next year. I felt a little pressured to buy frontline as their backline costumes look kinda blah and under-decorated. Quite frankly the only backline I like is Santorini and I played in Amazon last year so that's out. Even when it comes to the frontline costumes the only one I couldsee myself in is South Beach, and I think part of that is because I missed Carnival the year that Charmeuse was an option. Also, I am not a fan of how crowded TRIBE felt last year and was willing to give BLISS' alleged intimate vibe a try.

Fast forward to today. The same friend who said she got our link lined up and BLISS was a surety goes,

"I'm not sure I want the intimate experience, I'm checking with
our TRIBE link to see if we can pre-register"

*blank stare*

I am the only non-TRIBE loyalist in my group of mas playing friends and it didn't click that this could be a deciding factor until today. I would much rather go with BLISS or YUMA but thats not going to work unless I have company. So for now I have to keep my fingers crossed that BLISS' costumes blow TRIBE's out of the water otherwise I just may end up with them again next year. Le sigh!

Dear TRIBE: I am NOT Impressed

2011-07-24T06:50:00.001-07:00

I do believe that I may get some flack from TRIBE loyalists for this post, but I have to be honest with myself here. TRIBE disappointed me this year. I don't think that asking for some creativity or something 'out of the box' is too much. Last year TRIBE delivered everything I wanted and more and actually stayed true to their warrior theme. Silly me believed that this year would be similar.

My first issue is with staying true to the theme. Honestly those costumes are so run of the mill that they could be from any section in any band and for any theme. So the majority of the costumes look more or less like versions of each other in different colors, except for South Beach and Dubai which are the same colors in different designs -_- . Let me explain that statement. Its not that I am saying the costumes are exactly alike, but because they all have the same bikini, beads, feathers basis other than the colors there's little else to tell them apart. I also saw some repetition and similarities with 2011 presentations, See below for Exhibit A.

Gabrielle's Costume

This basically looks like YUMA's Scorpio version 2.0. Its like they took his leg and arm pieces...

and then the rest from this costume

tweaked it a lil and voila!

Now to all those who are saying TRIBE copied YUMA. Please recall that as I pointed out previously the designers who did Scorpio also did the very similar Spangled Cotinga, so if you want to go that way TRIBE copied YUMA who copied TRIBE :S

-----

South Beach looks a little Charmeuse meets Amazon/Amazonia.

South Beach pictured below

When I first saw this costume I was drawn to the wire bra, because its really well decorated. Then I realized it looks just like Amazonia's frontline bra. Strangely enough I cannot find a pic of anywhere on the web, hence the use of Amazon's frontline pic. The bottom is also essentially the same as Amazon's down to the triangle it forms on the back, however I was unable to get a back view to show you guys. May I take a guess that Lana Nobrega designed this costume?

Even Sandra Hordatt's Cyprus is bringing back memories. Take a look at YUMA's Leo frontline. See the uber naked back view. This post will be updated as soon as i can locate a back view of Cyprus, but again....very similar

This costume reminds me of TRIBE 2009 when it appeared that either a shipment of embellishments was lost or they were trying to cut costs with under decorated costumes. And of course the colors remind me of Osage.

Fiji is pretty but hypothetically speaking if I were to get this costume I would probably get my own backpack made, as for some reason this costume looks kinda naked. Maybe its that I'm not a fan of these mohawk headpieces, I prefer the more full ones that cover the entire head.

I wasn't interested in any of the other costumes other than Santorini and I couldn't find a pic of that on the web as yet.

Mention must be made of the lack of backline costumes. Firstly if the backline costumes are scaled down versions of what I saw last night then I am not looking forward to seeing them lol. there's barely anything to scale back! Secondly, how on earth do you have a band launch sans backline when the majority of you customers will be playing backline??? Don't get it at all.

Overall I do agree that that the costumes are pretty but they just don't get me excited like Way of the Warrior did. There's nothing there that looks 100% original and never before seen and I guess I had TRIBE up on a pedestal as it pertains to costume design. As I told a friend last night, next year just may meet me jumping up in an Angry Birds costume :P

Happy Blogversary to me!

2011-07-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

One year ago, in the midst of preparation for Cropover and hype over TRIBE's teaser vid I decided to start a blog to express my views and opinions re: Carnival. IMO there was a lack of blogs/info on International Carnivals and I wanted to document my Cropover experience. I NEVER thought I would still be at it one year later, as I usually lose interest in things really quickly. I've found that I love blogging ...well maybe i just love hearing myself go on about stuff lol. I also like that I can give the layman's version/experience seeing as thus far my blog has remained anonymous :). So here's to hoping i keep this up!

Love this song!

SIDENOTE:
My friends dubbed me Carnival Baby years ago. One J'Ouvert morning in the Southland, around 11am, my crew was bun and ready to go home. I gave them my house keys and stayed with the band BY MYSELF and chipped/jumped/waved from Library Corner to Cocoyea which had been the band's starting point. I didn't get home til 3pm and this was after heading out at 5am. They couldn't believe I had been on the road all that time and still wasn't tired when i got home lol. That was when they learned that I don't play when it comes to mas, Go hard or Go home! Aiming to get back to that endurance level this year, no more draggin the flag come Tuesday evening lol.

Now THAT'S What We Talkin 'Bout!

2011-07-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

Much betterrrrrr!

Woi Mas Teasers

2011-07-21T05:46:00.001-07:00

Darren Cheewah is doing a great job with all these hints and teasers he keeps letting out. A new Facebook group has been created, titled 'X2012', with teaser pics of Woi Mas' 2012 presentation. I 'borrowed' a couple pics to give you guys a sample..I'm very intrigued, especially by the first costume depicted below, can you say frontline?!. It will be interesting to see how they make these designs come to life, assuming that they aren't going to literally put folks in black catsuits with colored ribbons dangling from them lol.

Modern Day Torture

2011-07-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Yes TRIBE, give us a teaser...thats 80% black and white and grey...and a tad blurred/out of focus at times lol. I feel like I'm practically salivating..chomping at the bit. I WANT MORE!

OMG tho did you guys see those HUGE white wings on that costume. I think that's one of Sandra Hordatt's sections. . Knowing her penchant for uber sexy costumes this year she could quite possibly present a front line costume with a C string or a tapasexo. For the 5th? time I am really looking foward to Saturday, I can't wait to see the rest of the designs!

SIDENOTE:
Are TRIBE models required to sign confidentiality agreements? So many of them are on my bbm, facebook etc and not one peep from them on the theme and designs..

Also I think i caught a glimpse of the alleged animal print costume...between that and the pink its going to be a close call for me!

O well, 3 days to Take Off!

What I want Pt 2

2011-07-15T05:37:00.001-07:00

Customer Service and all that.

Customer service is right up there with costume design in terms of what I look at when choosing a mas band. I dont care how nice the costume is, it could be all blinged out with feathers comin out the wazoo but if a band is not organized I will pass on it.

Ideally I would like an easy registration process,as in just pick a costume, log on to the website on the day of registration and register for the section of your choice. A process thats probably going to become totally obsolete for people in my age group as more and more bands move towards committee registration and loyalty systems. In this area YUMA is most likely going to be the winner as BLISS and TRIBE's registration process is pretty much a 'who yuh know' scene if you don't have a TLC card. I am keeping in mind that YUMA said they do not want to increase the size of their band, meaning that if a lot of their loyalists..and they have A LOT of them as it is, register with them for next year it's going to really limit the no of new masqueraders that can get into the band.

Last year my costume cost exactly $638.00 US
Now when I spend that kind of money I expect a certain standard of customer service, which I got. I don't want to eat lunch late, or feel like I have to rush to the eating spot after crossing the stage to make sure I get food before it runs out. I also definitely want a guarantee that my band will be crossing the savannah stage on both days. Costume pickup should also be smooth, and if something goes wrong, cuz sh*t happens, I want to be able to rest assured that my band will find a good solution. Case in point last year when my headpiece went mysteriously m.i.a. at the mas camp. After confirming that it could not be found I was given a large headpiece at no additional charge and profuse apologies.

I want drink runners! And no I am not being a Miss Priss and demanding that people run back and forth in the hot sun all day supplying us. I want drink runners for that long wait to cross the savannah. Think about it, wouldn't that make sense? The drinks trucks always have to turn off at that point, so why not get people to walk thru the band with bottled water and shots down the hatch Scorch style. I know the bandleaders don't have much of a choice in terms of whether to have the drinks truck stay or turn off BUT they can look past that and fix the situation they do have. Last year my friend and I had to beg a piece of ice off somebody on the dj truck, no bueno. That combination of hot sun and alcohol is no joke ting!

Vibez
Now my friends and I can have fun anywhere, BUT a good overall hyped vibe is still needed on the road for carnival, especially when you're lazy and unfit like me, cuz I get tired fast! lol That said I was satisfied with TRIBE's vibe last year. I keep hearing about how great YUMA's vibe was but I have also heard about the food and stage crossing issues. I will give jack his jacket, I have never heard a band get so many positive reviews in terms of hype and vibes and 'omg i had so much fun'.

My other important issues are security and music/dj's
Needless to say I was a tad upset that Private Ryan played for BLISS and not TRIBE :( but we had some good dj's so that wasn't too much of an issue. Shout out to the 96.7 truck.

Security-wise PLEASE cut back on the stormers, I mean whats the point of having a rope if you're still letting random people jump in the band? After we crossed the stage on Tuesday I swear the band doubled in size! It was totally ridic and not to mention irritating as these stormers were very aggressive when it came to gettin a wine. I am also very paranoid about crime so something like that is a definite buzz kill not to mention NOT SAFE! I really hope that ALL the bands step up their security for next year.

So that's my 2 cents...well maybe more like a dollar lol

Cropover Soca

2011-07-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Just a post to share some of my fave cropover tunes thus far. Some or most of these names will not familiar. Most people only know about Lil Rick, Stabby, Skinny Fabulous, Alison Hinds, Krosfyah etc...Well there's also Hypa Dog, Hypa Kids, Blood and Mikey to name a few. Will never forget this year watching Intl Soca Monarch and when Blood came on I jumped up and start singing along and doing the dance for the song. *cue side eye from all my friends* Not one of them knew the song or who he was and this man beat Lil Rick for the road march. So get familiar!

Yes I included 'd sheep song'. I couldnt resist, its so silly I crack up everytime I hear it!

BONUS TRACK

The song everyone loves to hate

Straight from the Horse's Mouth

2011-07-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

Earlier today TRIBE replied to my tweet and confirmed that BLISS will in fact have a separate band launch from TRIBE. As it is presumably more hassling to have two public launches I am now wondering if BLISS may have a smaller maybe invitation only launch? Also concerned about how this bodes for my C2K12 band selection. My intention and I'm sure the intention of many other prospective masqueraders, was to decide which band to play in based on their costumes. If BLISS launches at a later date I may have to make a decision on whether or not to forgo TRIBE without even seeing BLISS' costumes. I'm going to cross my fingers that BLISS launches prior to TLC registration for TRIBE, otherwise is pressure!

P.S. kudos to TRIBE on their swift reply, I must say I wasn't really expecting to get a reply this soon.

What I Want. Pt 1

2011-07-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

In the midst of all these band launches and with more options than ever to choose from, I find myself contemplating what I really want from my costume and band next year, and what are possible deal breakers. I decided to use a couple blog posts to compile my Carnival wants and needs, especially as one of my three possible bands will be launching in a little over a week (TRIBE). At the moment the bands I am considering are TRIBE, BLISS and YUMA. Todays post will be the first installment and all about costumes, then I'll do another one later in the week on Customer Service, Vibes etc.

COSTUMES
I want it 'out there', I will not be satisfied by just a pretty costume with beads and feathers (yes Spice I'm talking about you! lol). If I do end up in feathers again I want a backpack/wings, or a collar (or both) but my costume must be 'POW in your face!' with how fab AND TRUE TO THEME it is. And yes for this reason I am considering playing frontline next year. I am also willing to step out of my comfort zone and play in something different. I will admit that I played it safe with Amazon last year. If I had to choose again I would definitely have done Masai Warriors or Mongol Fighters.

I want a belt and NOT a decorated bikini bottom. I may be slim but I still want whatever coverage that belt affords, no matter how little it may be. Plus the belt is way more forgiving of belly fat lol.

Quality-wise I definitely want a costume that lasts. Last year the speed at which my costume fell apart was absolutely ridic. Magnatac is readily available, dearest designers and mas camp workers utilize that instead of the cheap glue alyuh had las year nuh! Plz and thnx.

Now that I know TRIBE's theme is "Take Me To" and I assume that Bliss' theme will be similar as well, I am willing to forgo the feathers for an 'out of the box' maybe solely made of fabric costume. I can usually trust Solange Shaw-Gopaul and Lana Nobrega to bring me something I'll like, but this year Peter Elias is also going to be on my list of designers to look out for.
I think that this is where YUMA may fall short, as the only costumes I liked from their 2010 presentation were Scorpio frontline and Taurus frontline and backline and only Scorpio was 'POW' imo. I will still be on the lookout for the section designed by Richard and Anthony. One of YUMA's teaser pics was designed by them and they also did Taurus last year, so very soon I'll see if I was too hasty in dismissing the costume based on that preview. I do not know who designed Scorpio but I am tempted to think it was also them based on the similarities between TRIBE's Spangled Cotinga of 2009 and YUMA's Scorpio.

SYNOPSIS
I would like a pretty yet original costume, not the typical beads, bikini, impy skimpy business. A costume that is durable and doesn't have gems dropping off the headpiece while in transit from the mas camp to my house. (TRIBE that's you, better than that). Costume of choice is 50% of my decision making process when selecting my band so for the right get-up I would leave the comfort zone of TRIBE and play with a different band.

Tomorrow's blog post: Customer Service and all that.

Woi Mas Trini Carnival 2K12

2011-07-11T20:39:00.001-07:00

If I were to guess, this is a hint on Woi Mas' theme for Carnival 2k12. The only thing that comes to mind at the moment is 'X marks the spot' but a Pirate theme would be too easy...and a tad played out. Strangely enough I was really tempted to play in Skullduggery last year. Now don't get me wrong, I love my bikinis, feathers and bling, but I was weirdly attracted to their theme and just how different it was. If its one band I think will bring an original presentation that really sticks to the theme its this one, i hope they don't disappoint!

EDIT 07/12/2011
Just swiped this off a Woi Mas affiliate's page....seems as though the 'X' theme is mathematical. I can't even begin to guess at how they would portray this, also 'X' is usually an unknown factor which brings another slant to this theme....."Curioser and curioser!"

Oh and one of the powers that be at this mas camp needs to update their website info...or pay the website hosting bill. Shouldn't have www.skullduggery.com listed as the website on the fan page and its a dead link :S

Woi Mas for Miami Carnival 2011

2011-07-11T20:24:00.001-07:00

It seems that Skullduggery will be making its international debut at Miami carnival this year. According to a new event listing they are having the band launch this weekend. Looking forward to seeing them on the road!

P.S. I wonder if any other bands will follow suit??

St. Lucia Carnival

2011-07-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

I may not be going but that doesnt mean I cant share what my choices would have been with you guys. OR my fave St Lucian '11 soca.

I mentioned before that my band of choice is Red Unlimited, and its also the band that all my Lucian friends jump with. The costumes below were my top two picks for this yr.

Red Light District would have set me back between $850 to $900 ECD depending on when I registered. This was a women only section and also VIP. I love this costume, I wouldn't mind getting this as an option for Trinidad carnival as i think its right on par with some of our costumes in the more popular bands.

Redemption had an early bird price of $675 and then went up to $725. This was my second choice. I really like white and gold costumes and since I didn't get a chance to play with Titans this was the next best thing for me.

Glo Ko Ko! What's funny is that months ago I told my friend I liked it and he gave me a iffy response, fast forward to now and he loves it, has it all up on his bb status and what not lol. Its apparently been picking up steam in St. Lucia and is quite possibly a road march contender. Although it sounds more groovy than power I learnt that anything is possible after Guh Down placed a very close second for Road March in BIM last year. Although popular it was def not what I would call power soca, yet it very nearly beat Blood's Foot on Fire.

I really wish I could have made it this year but can't fret up too much. i just know to start planning for next year instead and live vicariously through my friends in the meantime.

"Take Me To"

2011-07-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

So its official(ish) that TRIBE's theme for 2K12 is "Take Me to", Saucy was right as always!

Dear TRIBE:
Take me to Rio or Dubai or Vegas baby!!!! *Ready for mas again!*

TRIBE is playing with my emotions

2011-07-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

No seriously lol. Just few minutes ago I tweeted about TRIBE not having any leaks or hints or anything this year. I mean everyone else is putting out teasers and they were staying mum. Its been driving me crazy!!!.

I guess they read my mind because a few minutes later up pops the flyer for their band launch on my facebook feed.

Now my mind is racing! My friend jokingly suggested TRIBE was about to have us chipping in flight attendant costumes lol. I doubt. I'm more thinking 'destinations' but didn't they sort of do that already with their 'Secret of Silk' in 2010? I don't know what else it could be...but they definitely have my mind in overdrive!

**Edit**. I knew I was missing out on someone's destination type presentation. I just remembered TRIBE's first band was 'Tribal Fantasy' in 2005. That was also the first time they had an Amazon/Amazonia section. If they really do destinations for 2012 it will be interesting to compare the two presentations. I also hope they avoid the Moroccan, Egyptian, Saharan etc costumes and styles that we've seen so many times over the years, from not just TRIBE but other bands like Island People, and really step out of the box and showcase other cultures/destinations. Of course all this is based on a big IF I am right about their theme!

Indigo: The Review

2011-07-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

I've been stalling on this review simply because I don't quite know how to express just how flippin good this party was.
And yes, I know I was adamant that I was NOT paying $70 for any party without a performer but peer pressure is a biatch and I caved :S.

In previous years the party was held at Decatur House in downtown D.C., but this year the promoters decided to be fancy and have it in Fort Washington. This venue was roughly an hr away from D.C. at someone's nice upscale lakeside house. As soon as you entered there was the bar (and my first stop) to the left, a dancefloor to the right, and the food was set up to the right of the dancefloor. All of this was flanked by a lovely view of the water. *gorgeous*

Its funny that I thought that they couldn't improve on this party, because they definitely did. It was like Beachouse meets Scorch meets D.C. Everyone clearly came out with the intention to get chocolate wasted, have a great time and managed to keep it classy while doing that. I personally had a ball!!! I wasn't even that tipsy seeing as food ran out b4 I got there (insert angry face), so I couldn't really drink. But the vibe was jus sooooooo good you didn't even need alcho to free up and enjoy yourself. I didn't want the party to end and was happy when they let us go til 6pm instead of 5. P.S. Hey Gresham, maybe you guys should look into 7pm next year..just a thought :) Oh and shout out to Barry, who did a great job on the turntables.

Now there were some cons, food ran out by 3 and for an expensive all inclusive that started at 12 and finished at 6 this was unnacceptable. The bar was understaffed and a couple friends of the promoters had to step in and assist at one point to speed up the drinks process, also not cool. The vibe and ambience of the party was THAT good that these things didnt bother me that much, although I did have to make a Mickey D's stop between Indigo and the Appreciation Party.

Overall Indigo gets an A+ and anyone thinking of doing DC Carnival needs to experience this party at least once. Trust me, you will not be disappointed!

YUMA Sneak Peek

2011-07-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

So YUMA has graciously given all us rabid carnival fans a little peek into what their 2012 presentation has to offer via their Facebook page!

Bling with white looks promising, Bling with color not so much. I am excited to see the finished product tho! Carnival fever is starting again :D

'Bling with white'

'Bling with colour'

Check out the comments on their fanpage here

Weighing in on the DC Carnival Parade 2011

2011-07-01T05:44:00.000-07:00

NY Caribbean Vibes' take on the DC 2011 Parade

I.C.E. Carnival's Opinion

Shortmus Production's Opinion

I don't need to say anymore about the D.C. Parade, they've said it all. Its almost one week later and I'm still disturbed by how everything played out. From my research I do understand a little more how things ended up that way but still.....its just sad. Again I hope that the DCCC and DCPD can work together to being the DC Carnival back to its former glory, and in time for 2012!

DC CARNIVAL PARADE 2011:The Review

2011-06-29T07:20:00.001-07:00

This review is going to be painful..but then again Saturday was painful, and frustrating!

So by now we all know that DC Carnival had some serious financial issues this year because of money owed to the Police Department for last year's parade. Eventually a compromise was reached where we could still have a parade BUT it would only be half the route and for a shorter space of time to cut back on DCPD costs. Good in theory, not so good in action.

Old Route: Total parade length included the red and green lines, the new route was just the green portion

Close up of the new route

The parade was supposed to start at 11am which at Caribbean People Time meant that the mud band didnt pull off until about 12:30pm. Then, to top things off, as soon as our band started to move the generator in the truck blew. Yep, NO MUSIC! Now on a regular parade day with time to kill, we would have been able I'm sure to pull aside and have someone fiddle with it for at least a 30 mins and get it working. But this year time was an issue so we just continued to head down GA Ave in silence, occasionally punctuated by shouts of "Oh gosh alyuh mash up d speaker boxx!!" and the like.

My friends and I decided that we would go a few sections up to the Indulgence Paint band and chip with them so our parade wouldn't be a total flop. Only to realize that the bands were moving so quickly that Indulgence had already 'crossed' and finished the parade, and it was only around 1:30pm! Pissed would be an understatement for how I felt by then. The bands between Indulgence and the Mud band were of the more ethnic types, Haitians, and Africans etc so we just killed time looking at them..since there was nothing else to do really.

Then, a grand total of 5 blocks from the ending point the mud band's generator suddenly decided to work and I'm not gonna lie, those 5 blocks of jammin rivaled my entire Tribe Red Ants experience lol. I could only imagine just how good my parade would have been if that truck had worked for the full route. The mud band crossed by around 2:30 and the parade was officially a wrap. (Bear in mind last year it finished after 4pm)

I honestly don't know what to say. I can't come down too hard on DC for this ish because it is what it is. My only issue is that this whole thing just smells fishy to me, I just feel as if some part of the story is missing. I just really hope that the DCCC made enough money to cover last year's and this year's debts and pave the way for a proper, full blown DC Parade next year.

I don't want to give much attention to the violence that was reported as ocurring during the festival. I was actually unaware that any of it happened until yesterday. I think that what everyone should understand is that like other urban areas D.C. has its share of crime, and Howard University has a reputation for being located in the 'hood'. The fight that has made the rounds via youtube and worldstar actually occurred AFTER the parade (around 6:30pm) by which time the actual participants in the parade were already off the streets. So please people don't let anyone tell you that it was Howard University violence or DC Caribbean Parade violence. It was just typical, ignorant DC local behavior. I' m a little confused about how it was possible for the fight to continue as long as it did with no police interference, especially since the DCPD are usually zooming up and down GA Ave on a regular basis. Its very, very strange.....that's all I have to say about that.

Eyes Wide Shut: The Review

2011-06-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not gonna lie, two days before Machel's concert I started debating whether or not to sell my tickets. It seemed like everyone was going to Kes and for a lil while I even wondered if this concert was going to flop. I am soooooo glad that I ended up sticking to my original plan. Machel was bess!

I got to DC Star at around midnight and got in easily, the line was short and the entry process ran smoothly. It was interesting to see that they searched/scanned people a grand total of three times before they were allowed in. I guess they were taking no chances, which was wise considering the reputation of that neighborhood and the fact that Machel concerts tend to have their own brand of wileness as we all know. As iffy as I had been about the type of crowd that would have been there all my concerns disappeared once I walked in the club. The party had rel vibes and it was clear that everyone was just there to have a good time.

We jammed, wined and wukked up courtesy Dj Super Slice for a lil bit then it was time for the performances. Farmer Nappy came out first and did his thing and then it was time for the Soca King himself, Mr Montano. (I was secretly hoping for a lil Patrice too but she was MIA this rounds). I must say I thoroughly enjoyed Machel's performance. Yes things got a lil wild in front the stage but being a Machel veteran I know how to hold my own in a crowd like that. When I couldnt take the jammin anymore I headed to the 'middle' of the club where I could still see Machel but without all those ppl advantaging my poor toes lol. And yes as other people have testified Machel did do his usual vulgarity on stage but ummm...ppl is Machel we talkin about here, what did you expect?! Every Machel concert I've been to there's always been him playing with his nipple ring, winin up a storm and ALWAYS some thirst grls/women in front the stage trying to grab his crotch. The only difference was that this time he said and I quote

"Ladies in front the stage, alyuh could stop trying to pull down my pants cuz guess what, I not going home with any of you!"

LMAO! They looked so ashamed afterwards!

Special Guest Walker made an appearance which I loved as With or Without You has always been one of my fave songs. He even put down a small wine on the stage, and what can I say, 'A' for effort lol.

This was hands down one of the best events for the weekend, Machel performed from around 2am to like 4:30 (after begging management for extra time) and joked that we were gonna make him miss his flight. He later replied to my tweet saying that he made it tho :)

At one point one of my friends turned to me and said "Damn I forgot Machel had all these tunes yes!" From Too Young to Soca, to Pretty Gyal to Advantage we heard it all! What had me laughing is that while DC Star was getting advantaged....the Kes concert was already over. I heard that Kes was off the stage by 2:30am and the party finished soon after. A lot of my friends were totin that Machel was on stage for so long, to the point that at 4:30 I had to send a mass text letting them know it was over and they could stop totin and go to bed lol.

Long story short Machel officially brought my carnival vibe back, by the end of the concert I was making plans to be on the road the next day and bbming my friend asking for Indigo tix. So thank you Machel, for saving MY DC CARNIVAL!

C'est Fini!

2011-06-27T05:23:00.001-07:00

DC Carnival weekend ended last night. Overall I had a great weekend, there were definitely some ups and downs but at the end of the day I totally enjoyed myself.

My first event was the Launch Party at Bar 7 on Wednesday. It was exactly what you would expect for a warm up party, a more lounge than club type setting and a chill crowd (well except when wotless and where yuh from' played). The event was free with happy hour from 10pm to 11pm. The crowd was a tad uptown as I think at least half of the people there just kinda wandered in after work and found themselves in the middle of a carnival party. This was evidenced by what one patron said to DJ Hazzard (see his tweets about it below). I just about flatlined when I saw this, I mean who goes to a soca party and asks for Trey Songz?? LOL

I do know there was at least one weirdo in the mix who approached my friend with the opening line of "yo ma you aint got no panties on huh?" -_- I kid you not. We couldnt even be that mad because it was obvious that he was really drunk and we also didnt want to cause a scene so we just moved as far away from him as possible. Other than that it was a good night. This was a nice addition to the Carnival weekend line up and I hope they have it again next year. A link to the photo album for the event is below.

http://www.facebook.com/DeeJayHazzard?ref=ts#!/media/set/?set=a.751389866610.2183269.8908404

ONE
This event was held on Carnival Thursday and basically replaced TRIBE's Ignite. I missed Ignite last year but did attend it in '09 and I must say I prefer Ignite to ONE. ONE was held at the Muse Nightclub which was a tad too small for the crowd imo. Also, a lot of people including myself were a little upset that it ended at 2am which is typical for dc clubs during the week but not of course the usual finishing time for carnival parties. Hopefully next year they find a club that facilitates a later end time.

At that point of the week I honestly was not feeling the Carnival vibe at all and was still adamant that I would not on the road on Saturday and would not be attending Indigo. Particularly after Thursday night I just was not feeling the hype that I usually get so close to the actual Carnival weekend.

That all changed after Friday night....to be continued!

Machel to perform at White House

2011-06-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

Link to article below
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/featured-news/Machel_to_perform_at_the_White_House-124472059.html

Nice to see that all of this is cleared up and I'm extremely proud of Machel...this is a huge accomplishment! I can't help but wonder how this performance is going to go down tho....am I the only one picturing Machel and Brittany dancing to 'Bend Over' in front of the Obamas? lol!

So far DC Carnival is shaping up to be ...okay. Wednesday night I attended the Launch party at Bar 7, last night One at Club Muse and tonight which is my last night of partying I will be at DC Star for Machel's performance :D I really hope that tonight is great as the events thus far have been decent but not as good as years past. My experience this year has actually made me pretty sure that unless these promoters and the DCCC get it together next year, DC Carnival will not be on my list of events to attend.

At the last minute the Saturday event got switched up and they basically changed the focus and headliner acts from the whole bag of artists they had listed initially (and their emphasis on Kes) to just Blaxx and Benjai -_-. They then put Kes onto the Friday party so it went from hosted by to performance by. Now what if as intended I had already bought my ticket for Sat so I could see Kes perform? I would have been PISSED! Thankfully I am Ms Last Minute and kept stickin with that and now Saturday night will meet me in my bed.

Allegedly one of the promoters for the Saturday event got shortchanged in the mix-up. The Saturday event was their only fete for the weekend, unlike the other promoters and now they stand to lose revenue due to the recent changes. This is because of course Benjai and Blaxx will not pull the same crowd as Kes. Talk about taking the L.

Thats all the updates I have for now, now excuse me while I go nurse my mini hangover, Long Island Iced Teas are my kryptonite! :S

Update on Cuba Carnival

2011-06-20T05:43:00.000-07:00

Taken from today's Express

Trinidad may miss own party
By Wayne Bowman wayne.bowman@trinidadexpress.com

The 31st Caribbean Music Festival, also known as the Fiesta del Fuego Caribbean Festival, taking place in Santiago de Cuba next month, is dedicated to the arts and culture of Trinidad and Tobago, but there may be no Trinbago culture at the festival.

Locals with interest in the festival, scheduled to come off from July 2 to 10, said the Ministry of the Arts and Multiculturalism failed to fulfill its commitment toward supporting a local contingent participating in the festival.

A source from the Ministry denied this, saying the Ministry paid for two representatives from the festival producers, Casa del Caribe and the Cuban Ministry of Culture to come to T&T and stay at the Chancellor Hotel, St Ann's, for several days for the purpose of working out plans for Trinbago's participation in the festival.

There were, however, never any meetings between the Ministry and the Cubans, who left without accomplishing anything, a source connected to the Cuban organisers told the Express. The source said with the knowledge of the Ministry, a local travel agent placed on offer two charters providing about 160 seats each.

There were also 200 rooms pre-booked at two hotels, one a three-star the other a five-star for Trinidadians expected to attend and participate. Those rooms were released from the pre-booking last week after there was no definitive confirmation from Trinidad, the source said.

The Ministry source said the Multiculturalism Ministry did express that it will support the participation of Trinbago in the festival, but there were certain concerns that needed to be addressed before any investment into the venture could be made.

The Express was told that either Minister Winston "Gypsy" Peters or Permanent Secretary Vel Lewis would contact us yesterday afternoon to explain what was taking place, but up to press time, no one from the Ministry had contacted us. The Cuban Embassy also declined comment on the issue.

The Caribbean Music Festival is an academic and cultural space for debate on the history and culture of the Caribbean peoples. The festival also provides an opportunity to appreciate the region's rich cultural heritage through dance, music, painting, visual arts, theatre and literature.

The festival is therefore a platform for solidarity, diversity, friendship and hope for peoples sharing a common destiny despite speaking different languages.

The charter flight and hotel accommodation package is being offered by Naipaul's Travel Service.

Funny how the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism puts so much emphasis on wanting to see Carnival expand and for Trinidad to 'own' Carnival then they drag their feet on opportunities like this. SMH.

Bits and Pieces

2011-06-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

Well first off does Machel Montano know yesterday was not April Fools? Everyone was going crazy yesterday over his announcement that he would be performing at the White House. I refrained from posting anything because honestly well...I didn't believe it. I googled and binged and wikipedia'd and nowhere could i find any original US government source to support this claim. I followed the link posted by The Sweet 7 that led to this page. Note no mention of Machel there. I guess we will eventually get the behind the scenes story from his camp, and hopefully sooner than later. Maybe it was a joke that went a lil too far?

Still undecided on what I'll be doing for DC Carnival....got all excited about the Machel concert on Friday but I'm now rethinking it. I mean what if like the White House performance this doesn't get off the ground? I have also never heard of these promoters which makes me even more hesitant. If one more DC promoter has a performer-less party after falsely advertising the opposite I WILL trip so maybe I should just avoid this one lol

In other news TRIBE launches on July 23rd, first said by my friend then confirmed by Saucy. So yes folks its time to get that deposit money ready and your committee link on speed dial lol. I'm thinking of doing frontline this year but that depends on how much progress i make in the gym. I'm also still hoping for huge Victoria Secret wings but we'll see....Hope they put out another teaser video as well!

One can always hope right?!

DC Carnival Party Woes

2011-06-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

Brace yourselves, its gonna be a long post!

I've put off blogging about this for some time now in hopes that how I felt would change. I really hate to have to be negative about a promoter that has done such a great job in the past but I feel strongly about the situation.

According to one of my friends I am the DC Carnival financial analyst.

Last DC Carnival I had a blast! I went to Machel the friday ($50 approx), jumped with the mud band Saturday ($15 because I only paid for the tshirt) and Indigo the Sunday ($40).. Now mind you Machel performed for a pretty long while complete with Patrice and Nappy, I heard everything from 'Stalker' to 'Music Farm' to his most recent hits. The vibe was bess and food and drinks just flowed. I 100% got my money's worth and then some. Indigo was undoubtedly hands down one of the best fetes I've been to in a really long while, so much so that this year I said I would prob just go to one party for the weekend and Indigo was it. The crowd kept it fun but classy and it was the perfect end to my carnival weekend.

Fast forward to this year and lets see how much this same weekend would cost me now. Friday 'concert' with Kees ($55.), mud band ($35), Indigo ($70). Yes I said it..SEVENTY DOLLARS USD! Now the mud band is getting left out because honestly that is and has been for some years now the price of their real package which includes t shirt, breakfast and non alcoholic drinks. BUT as for the other two. First off to all you folks getting hype off of seeing Kees perform please take another look at the flyer and note that it says HOSTED BY Kees. Nowhere on the flyer does it say prformance by! So more than likely I would be paying $55 dollars to watch Kees be a mic man and if I'm lucky maybe he'll sing a verse off one of his songs. Yeh. Not happening. I'm sorry but if I spent the same amt to see Machel do everything but back flip off the stage there is no way I'm going to spend that amount this year for a regular party. ESPECIALLY when the Saturday night will have legit performances and its only $35.

Then Indigo...sigh. where to start. I mean its true that it comes down to "Supply & Demand. they can charge what we will pay...." as @cropover123 tweeted to me but jeez a $30 jump with nothing to show for it? Alyuh have no shame? Despite the pressure of my presumably richer? friends I have decided not to bother 'submitting my ticket request for review' this year because honestly its just not worth it.
1)No performance
2)The crowd is already pretty much as bougie as it could get...there was not a single person at that party last year that was remotely hood or grassroots or however you want to say it. So basically there's no room for improvement here in my opinion as Gresham Ent was already doing a good job of crowd selection.
3)Drinks menu looks pretty much the same as does the dj lineup except there's no Private Ryan :(

I mean really..you expect me to pay more to go to a party with the same djs, same drinks, same crowd? Negative!

So my DC party plans are now pretty much up in the air...who knows, maybe I'll just sit this year out at home...or take that $150 and go buy myself a Longchamp lol

FINALLY!

2011-06-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday I was wondering about the lack of info on the DC Carnival fetes. Other than the smaller events I had heard nothing about the events on DC Carnival weekend. In fact, I was starting to wonder if maybe their short notice on the fact that there would be a DC Carnival this year interfered with planning. But thankfully and finally the website is up, so go on and click over to http://www.dccarnival.com/ for info on all the upcoming festivities!

I have noticed that there are some changes in the line up this year. For the first time in...well rel years there is no TRIBE IGNITE on the Thursday.....wonder why?

Also, typically there are two events on the Carnival Saturday, one hosted by Pumpstation Entertainment and the other hosted by Basement Knokers Ent, however this year it seems that they have joined forces. Hopefully this all works out as both these events are typically 'ram out' so it will be interesting to see if they can find a suitable venue for the large crowd or perhaps cut back on no of tickets sold.

Regardless of all the changes I am definitely looking forward to the weekend, especially seeing Kees perform :D. Also extremely pleased that the Friday night event has been moved even closer to DC proper, definitely makes it easier for people like me who don't own cars. The 'purchase tickets' link is not working yet but hopefully this gets sorted out soon. Can't wait to buy my tickets! (and I hope they don't sell out before I do).

CUBA CARNIVAL

2011-05-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

Article taken from the Trinidad Express on May 23rd 2011

Cuba to host Trini-style carnival
Story Created: May 22, 2011 at 11:50 PM ECT

Cuba is paying tribute to the T&T Carnival

This year Cuba's "Fiesta del Fuego" (Fire Festival) or literally translated as the Festival of Fire, would be incorporating Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival in their annual parade, which takes place from July 3 to 9.

Derrick Lewis, founder of Island People, has already gathered 21 boxes of costumes and materials and would be formally presenting them to Humberto Rivero Rosario, Cuban Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, today. In advance of this last Friday, an informal presentation was made to representatives of the Cuban Embassy. The items are all locally made and include headpieces, costumes and fabric.

Lewis said he was "informally asked" to contribute to this year's Festival. Lewis said the opportunity to assist was an honour adding he was given short notice and was unable to contact most of the other bandleaders but hopes that they would also contribute.

Lewis said however he was not invited to be a part of the contingent heading to Cuba.

According to the website http://www.ehow.com the Fire Festival was created in the early 1980's as a theatre festival, with the intent of recognising the importance of various unique cultures. It expanded gradually to include elements of the greater American and African indigenous roots.

I would love to see how this turns out, and of course I also love that there's a potential new Carnival destination ;) I've noticed that of late Cuba has really been trying to make changes to their way of life so that they're not so isolated from the world and definitely working towards giving their citizens more freedom, choices and options. It's amazing that they have included expanding their Carnival with their other undoubtedly more pressing and 'serious' programs and I hope that their Carnival comes off spectacularly!

Power X 4 2011 CropOver Presentation

2011-05-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

Earlier tonight Power x 4 emailed their 'special mailing list' which consists of their version of 'TLC Cardholders' (back when TLC meant something), a sneak preview of their 2011 presentation. When I first saw this email I did a double take, checked the date on the email, asked my Bajan friends if there was some mistake, because surely Px4 was not doing the same theme again. And of course even if they did more effort would be put into designing, rather than just putting different color beading on the same bra styles etc. But no...sadly this is the real 2011 presentation. Just to highlight the similarities I included some of the 2010 designs. Although the link did include pics of the headpieces, which are a step up from last year and the bikini bottoms, it was in flash player and I was unable to download the actual pics.

P.S. Early registration for PX4 starts on Monday May 16th.

2011 COSTUMES

2010 COSTUMES (Sample)

To say I am disappointed would be putting it mildly, I can't believe in this day and age when everyone else is trying to step their costume game up Power X 4 would engage in such lackadaisical designing. I mean how is it that St Lucia has a smaller Carnival yet the costumes from Red and Just 4 fun are far better than anything I've seen Power x 4 put out over the last three years?? Couple this with my less than stellar experience with them last year and I think I'm going to have to pass on playing with them again this year.

DC Carnival Updates

2011-05-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

Rumor has it that this year the annual Friday event usually held by Gresham Entertainment will make us 'wine to d side' and get on 'wotless' ;) If its half as good as Machel was last year it will sell off!

Panisha Mas has released photos of their section in the Indulgence Mas Band. Basically you can either play in the paint section in a tank top and shorts($70) or in the pretty section in a decorated bra and your choice of boy-shorts or regular shorts ($85).

'Ice'

'Strawberries and Cream'

'Honey'

The option to play in a scaled down 'pretty' carnival costume for only $85 USD just might see me make the switch from paint to pretty this year!

Whats poppin in the DMV: May Edition

2011-05-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

May 14th: Second Installment of Pulse Saturdays

SOCACIZE® Bootcamp
An exhilarating Caribbean Workout!
7-9pm at the TnT Clubhouse

May 28th-29th: Caribbean Wine Fest
I was first introduced to this event the summer following my junior year in college. The wine is great and the vibe is always good..it reminds me of a laidback breakfast fete. You are allowed to bring your own food into the venue and the wine is sold at $10 a bottle. Thats great for me as I usually can't make it past that first bottle lol so all-day drinks for just $10 is not bad at all!

May 29th: Soca on a Sunday
Please ignore the fact that the flyer has a different date on it, according to Facebook this event is definitely scheduled for May 29th. I don't know..maybe they're cutting costs? Reuse, recycle??

Indulgence Mas 2011

2011-05-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

The Indulgence Mas Band has officially announced their theme AND started registration as of yesterday ($65 early bird registration til Saturday). Albeit it was done without the usual fanfare, but the photos are hott and I think I've more or less decided that this year I'll play with them again. I can def see myslf as the 'strawberries and cream' type ;) I have also decided that this year I'll be prettifying my costume so you just might see me in the paint band with eyelashes and boots lol. Don't judge me! I'm still suffering fom PCD so this is my way of spicing up my D.C. experience. You can see more pics etc in the Indulgence Facebook Group.

On another note Panisha Mas seems to have joined forces with Indulgence this year. Usually Panisha does their own paint section as well as a 'pretty mas' section but I've heard no mention of the latter. I assume its due to the whole confusion on whether there would be a DC Carnival or not but seeing as they are one of the better bands, in my opinion this is a real loss to the parade.

It seems as though despite getting the go ahead for this year next year's DC Carnival may also be on shaky ground and NOT as a result of financial issues. Rumor has it that the new D.C. Mayor does not see the point of keeping the festival as in his opinion that it is something that only the Caribbean Community takes pleasure in and not the wider D.C. Community. Doesn't sound very plausible to me, as far as I can see the city gets huge spikes in revenue to restaurants, clubs, vendors, hotels etc during this week, so why get rid of it? Something to look into perhaps...

I'm Back! Review of The Launch of Pulse Saturdays

2011-05-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

So its been some weeks but school is out, work is manageable and I am officially done with my moving process! Now that I had some free time I decided I would break my limin fast and go to TnT Clubhouse on Saturday to take in a lil live soca via an alleged performance by Shal Marshall.

So my crew and I get to the party at around 1am and talk about shout and echo! When we walked in we literally were the party as the upstairs floor was empty, so much so that the bartender had his head on the counter takin a nap lol. But we said small thing, money spend and we WILL enjoy ourselves tonight. So said so done, I haven't had that much fun in a really long time, and there's always something liberating about partying somewhere where nobody knows you and you could get on as wild or as 'cave' as one of my friends says as you want.

As much as we had fun there were three things that bothered me about that night.

1) There was little to no real promotion of this party, I found out about it only because one of the dj's happened to be on my fbook and when he changed his pic to the flyer on SATURDAY as in the day of the party it popped up in my home feed. Now in my opinion if The Clubhouse is trying to re-brand itself and really get the venue out there they really need to step their promoting game up. I'm also not pleased with this alleged move they're trying to make from being known as 'The TnT Clubhouse to just The Clubhouse but I wont go there in this post :) As a result of this little to no promotion the crowd was small and it was really unfortunate as the dj-ing was topnotch. It was honestly some of the best mixing I've heard in a while and the dj was definitely skilled at building hype. Especially as the existence of DC Carnival is so tenuous its very important that these promoters and djs and stakeholders go 'hard in the paint' to promote caribbean culture and events so I really hope they step it up for the parties to come.

2) Its been about 4 or more years that this venue has been serving as a place to hold parties and you telling me you cant find a bartender who knows how to mix a long island iced tea??! I am a long island connoisseur and that weak drink that bartender mixed for me did not cut it at alllll.

3) And this is my biggest gripe by far.
Dear Shal Marshall, I don't care if the crowd only had 33(yes I counted) people, standing in the DJ booth while your songs play does not constitute a live performance. Last time I checked the flyer said LIVE PERFORMANCE BY SHAL MARSHALL , not 'come watch Shal relive his mic man days'. If I knew that was what it was gonna be like I would have stayed home and streamed red 97 for free in my house. It amazes me that these dj turned soca singers complain about not being taken seriously and then he would come and pull a stunt like that. And then have the nerve to go sit dstairs on the club's lower level and watch basketball, *BIG steups!* I have seen people like Ziggy Rankin sing his heart out for smaller crowds than the one in Clubhouse, and JW and Blaze give their all wherever they perform, so there is no excuse for what he did, NONE.

There are MANY more fetes to come as the DC Carnival season is getting off the ground so here's hoping I make it to Benjai in a couple weeks and that he doesnt disappoint!

Decision on Tobago Mas By Month End

2011-04-19T06:14:00.000-07:00

A decision on whether there will be an October Carnival in Tobago will be finalised by the end of this month, Arts and Multiculturalism Minister, Winston “Gypsy” Peters said yesterday. He was speaking at the end of a 90-minute meeting a team from his ministry had with Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London and an assembly team at the Calder Hall Administrative Complex, Tobago. At the meeting the minister presented a proposal for the Tobago Carnival while the THA presented its proposal for an activity.

Peters said while no name had been given for the activity, technical teams have been put in place from “both sides of the spectrum to try to iron out the chinks and to ensure that whatever we propose to use to go forward, whatever name, whatever activity we propose to have will be done” when they meet on April 28. He will then meet with London shortly after in Tobago to finalise the decision of the technocrats. Peters described the meeting as very cordial and professional, adding:

“I think that from the last time to now we have gotten much further in terms of where we should be and by the end of the month we should have some kind of a decision on the way forward.” Peters and London previously met on February 28 to discuss the issue.

London said the meeting was very productive. He added that it was agreed that from a Tobago perspective there was a trough in the tourism sector between early September and the end of November and the THA, the TDC and the Central Government had been working to see how they could treat with that trough to increase visitor arrivals. He said it also was agreed that one of the ways to treat with that trough was to have various types of activities. London said the Tobago sub-committee had indicated there were some concerns, among them the branding of Tobago, the levels of inconvenience and the problems and challenges of security.He said the ministry brought a proposal about the type of Carnival activity it would like to see in Tobago.

Since it was the first time the THA team was seeing the proposal it was decided a joint technical team from the THA and the ministry would meet in Trinidad to see whether there could be a marriage between the proposals and the concerns raised by the assembly. London said coming out of that meeting a decision would be made about an activity. He added: “I think the discussions were quite professional, quite cordial and quite productive and I think we have reached a point where the THA will be in a position very close to making a decision on the issue. “I have a commitment from the minister that outside of the elections we will work together as a team.”

.

I really hope we get this Tobago Carnival this year, and that it is planned and executedly properly. I do not want some thrown together affair.

Now that talks are officially underway I wonder how the existing bands will tackle this. Bring your 2K11 costume, pay a lil $500 maybe and jump? Or would they do separate costumes mayb t shirts and shorts? Would they even allow these private bands or instead, would they just have one huge People's Band :S . For me at least I do believe if I take my Amazon costume back on the road I will be naked at the end of the day based on the rate at which it was falling apart. Regardless, I am very interested in this new venture and hope they have more news for us come April 28th!

Frugalista Fashion

2011-04-18T11:41:00.001-07:00

Its not easy being a shopaholic on a student income so I've found little tips and tricks to help me get what I need at the lowest cost possible.

Exhibit A:Perfume
I looooooove wearing perfume, but can never commit to just one scent. For example at the moment my go-to daytime perfumes are Marc Jacobs' Daisy and DKNY's Be Delicious while I prefer to wear Versus by Versace and Givenchy's Very Irresistable at night. Now this could very well run me over $200 easy, as the average cost of the regular sizes these are roughly between $40 to $72USD.

Enter The Rollerball and cue the start of my love affair with Sephora! For just $20 I can have the rollerball in almost any perfume I want and as an added bonus for the lil miss frequent flyer that I am, they are small enough to fit in my makeup bag and can fit in my handbag without making it bulky. Sephora also runs specials on them occasionally, such as the one I listed below which you can get right now.

SIDENOTE: Was inspired to write this blog after my regular sized $60-something-more-than-half-full DKNY Be Delicious decided to start smelling funky after only having it for a couple of years. Ideally perfume should last between 5-7 years but I guess it got too much sun exposure (I sat it on my windowsill)...such a waste and all the more reason to stick to my minis as I have yet to finish a regular sized bottle of perfume. They ALWAYS go bad b4 that can happen.

And yes I am aware that I defined this blog as a 'carnival blog' but in my book Carnival is not just the costume and the bands but the makeup and accessories too, so expect to see blog posts on everything from monday wear and boots to makeup and eyelashes :)

Rollerball Collection For Her
$140 value for only $60!
Fragrance lovers can experience seven of Sephora's most coveted women's scents with this set of full-size rollerballs. Try them all at home, keep one or two in your purse, or give them away as a luxurious little gift.
This set includes seven full-size rollerballs:
- 0.34 oz Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gioa
- 0.2 oz Coach Poppy
- 0.34 oz CLEAN Shower Fresh
- 0.33 oz Hanae Mori Butterfly
- 0.25 oz Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy
- 0.32 oz LaVanila Vanilla Grapefruit
- 0.34 oz Paco Rabanne Lady Million

Its on! But Y No Machel?

2011-04-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

The Six Flags caribbean Concert series is on again, and boasts most of my 2011 faves thus far, i.e. Iwer and Kees :D . So here I am all excited when I take a second glance at the list...buh wait..no Machel??? Not even a lil HD Family made the list, never mind that Patrice is starring in one of their homepage ads with a big 'ARTIST LINE-UP' next to her *side eye*. And yes I know Aaron Fresh is on there but I haven't yet accepted him as HD, I'm STILL not over his predecessor Umi leaving HD. I sure hope that this list of confirmed persons gets a lil longer in the near future, especially as i am still salty over missing Machel in MSG.

Confirmed Artists:
- 2011 Trinidad & Tobago Groovy Soca Monarch Champion – Kes The Band
- Def Jam Recording Artist – Aaron Fresh
- 2011 Trinidad & Tobago Soca Monarch Finalist – Iwer George
- 2010 St. Vincent Soca Monarch Champion – Skinny Fabolous
- 2011 Trinidad & Tobago Groovy Soca Monarch Finalist – Benjai
- 2011 Trinidad & Tobago Groovy Soca Monarch Finalist – Chucky

DATE: July 9th 2011
VENUE: Six Flags, Jackson, NJ

REDjet

2011-04-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

As a relatively frequent flyer this airline seems to be the answer to my prayers. Island hopping, while fun, is costly and for me at least flying LIAT although cheaper than Caribbean Airlines is no longer an option. The first and last time I flew with them I prayed all the way from Barbados to Trinidad as I was sure that that rickety-vibrating-and-making-random-loud-noises-plane was only managed to get airborne by the grace of God.

Caribbean Airlines, while my airline of choice has been bussin price on me as late, as well as I have been having some serious customer service/flight booking issues over the last few months. Now while they have made me considerably richer in the world of flight vouchers, their overbooking/flight cancelling shenanigans have the potential to be quite inconvenient. As a matter of fact the universe knew what it was doing when I couldnt get Beachouse tickets, because thnx to Cbbean Airlines overbooking ALL their flights from JFK I was denied boarding to my original flight and placed on a later one that just barely got me home in time for TRIBE's Ignite.

Taken from their Facebook Fan Page:
REDjet is the first ever Caribbean Low Fares Airline. Unlike traditional airlines, low fare airlines cut out all unnecessary waste to keep fares low and passengers happy. REDjet operates a 'Pay for What You Use' policy meaning on top of your base fare you only pay for what you want including checked baggage, food and drinks and priority boarding.

Now while I try not to fly Spirit because of the same 'pay what you use policy' I really dont mind this approach for a regional airline.If I'm hopping over to another island all I need are bikinis and coverups and generally impy skimpy wear so one carry-on works fine for me. The flights would also obviously be shorter than international flights so I can also do without the airline offering a meal. REDjet has also claimed that they will fly non-stop which is something I would definitely appreciate. I really dislike having to stop on the way to my destination, flying from Trini to JA for example was particularly irritating as we made at least 3 stops on the way.

I really hope that REDjet successfully launches as I believe that this is exactly the competition we need for other airlines *cough*Caribbean Airlines*cough* to lower their fares. Which in turn might make my Cropover ticket this year a lil cheaper....one can hope right. With less than 24hours to go before their first tickets reportedly go on sale, I wish this new company all the best.

UPDATE: So this lil notice on their website will have me holding onto my money for a lil while longer, either til its resolved or their first flight happens, whichever comes first. Wasnt even aware it was legal/allowed for airlines to book flights before they have complete approval and permission to fly. Interesting.

Airone Ventures Ltd trading as REDjet has applied for a license under the Civil Aviation Regulations, 2007 for a Barbados Air Operators Certificate. The applications are currently being considered and the license and certificate status is pending.

O The Uncertainty! (and tonight's disappointment)

2011-04-05T20:51:00.001-07:00

Doing some deeeep digging in an effort to determine whether or not the 2011 Crop Over parade will be a two day or one day affair. The Trinijunglejuice calendar says 2 days but the official Crop Over calendar that I previously posted said one. Today i found out that last year the government of Barbados actually switched their emancipation holiday to the Tuesday after Kadooment Day but...there was still only a one day jump up so thats apparently irrelevant. I sure wish they would issue something official sometime soon so I could start looking at dates and tickets.

**UPDATE: Trinijunglejuice is of the opinion that despite last year's announcement of a 2 day parade (and the dates on their calendar) there will be a one day jump up this year.

SIDENOTE: According to the Honorable Minister of Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs, Mary King tonight, costumes pieces should not be imported because they can be produced cheaper in trinidad. O really now? Now quality questions aside, if that was the case wouldn't the bands have been producing these pieces locally to save themselves some production costs? I was honestly looking forward to speaking with Mr. Winston Peters tonight, assuming that this forum would be similar to the one I attended last year. Turns out it wasn't and Mr. Peters didn't even show. So my questions on the logistics of where the manpower for this proposal will come from, the issue of the likelihood that any additional costs incurred will be passed on to the masqueraders etc will go unanswered, for now.

Whats poppin in the DMV??

2011-04-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

April 9th

UMBC Carnival 2011

Venue: Center Road and Erikson Field

1000 Hilltop Circle

Baltimore, MD

12pm - 4pm

This is their first carnival parade, complete with paint, dj's, a road to chip on and a lil mini-savannah at the end of it.

April 17th

Annual I.C.E. Carnival Curry-Que Fundraiser

No Flyer Available

April 23rd

12 Hour Dance-a-thon and Annual Glorious Saturday Fete

Venue: TnT Clubhouse

Cost: $20

4pm - 4am

This event is geared towards raising funds for DC Canival so come out and give your support!

April 24th

KES 360

Venue: Amnesia (NYC)

4PM -10PM

Brought to us by ShorBlue Events and Big and Strong Entertainment this will be a full performance by Kes the Band.

DC Carnival is on? yes...maybe???

2011-04-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

According to one of my fave blogs D.C carnival is apparently back on with the setting up of a payment plan to address the financial issues. I have googled and asked jeeves and all that jazz but am yet to find the original source for her info so for now i am going to just trust in whoever her source is and start getting my DC Fete budget ready lol. Not sure how and when I 'm going to have my personal launch...i.e. the first fete for the season but when I decide I'll let you guys know! the 'you guys' being the people I believe read this blog and just don't comment? Yes? Maybe? til nxt time!

Fete Fashion

2011-04-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

In recent years as my love for and subsequent participation in Carnivals grew (also due in part to my love for Scorch fetes lol) I had to switch up my wardrobe a bit from more club based to easy-breezy-fete wear of the romper and beach cover-up persuasion. I have a few months to prepare for my next few Carnivals, as D.C. Carnival is in June..well hopefully, so I am taking this opportunity to gear up for the upcoming Carnivals via some retail therapy. My go-to website for sexy cover-ups is Victoria's Secret, but I have also found some gems in Forever 21.

V.Secret: $58. USD

V.Secret: $64. USD

Link to one of my fave rompers..could not post the pic because..well you'll see why lol
http://store.americanapparel.net/rsa0321s.html $38USD

F21: $19. USD

These are just a few ideas, and as you can see its easy to get what you need no matter your budget, prices of fete-type clothing can range anywhere from $10. USD, (i kid u not!) to $70. USD, and over of course but I really think anything over $60 is kind of pushing it. I'm still a college student after all...

ADVANTAGE VIDS:Tribute and Original

2011-03-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

Just came across the tribute vid to Advantage, the 2011 Road March and hit that copped Machel that good good 2 mill winnings. The video was done by Trinitoons. Recognize that costume at 3:43 in the Original video? It's TRIBE's section in Baje International's 2010 presentation, Heaven to Earth!

No DC Carnival? say it aint so!

2011-03-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.savedccarnival.com/site/

The above link is confirmation that the rumors were true and financial issues are threatening to prevent the annual DC Carnival Parade from being held this year. This is truly unfortunate as (and i'm not being impartial just cuz i live here) DC Carnival is pretty good and usually attracts big name acts like Bunji, Fayann and Machel. As someone who has dabbled in the DC promoting world I know a lot of people who depend on this event to draw the crowds necessary for their own parties I hate to think of the negative impact this could have on them as this is a huge chunk of money they will lose as trust and blieve DC Carnival fetes are always ram out! So please give a little if you can...they certainly gave to us by allowing us to experience our culture so far from home for all these years and stepping things up year after year to ensure that we, the customers were satisfied. Remember, every little bit helps!

Jamaica Carnival

2011-03-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

So with months to go before the launch of my bands for St Lucia Carnival and Cropover I have temporarily turned my attention to Jamaica's Carnival. Now up until a year or so ago I had absolutely no idea that Jamaica even had a carnival but apparently it has been steadily improving over the years and i think since my 'Jamaican New Year's' plans may be put on hold for this year this is an opportunity to still make my once a year trip AND fit a Carnival in there too. The first band that popped up when I googled it was Bacchanal jamaica and I'm actually quite impressed with their costumes. Well aside for the kinda beaded skirt thing they put on the belts because i just have a personal vendetta against them lol. My top 2011 pics are below in order from first choice to third.

SIMYRIA

$145. USD

MACEDONIA

$165. USD

ATLANTIS

$170USD

Source: www.bacchanaljamaica.com

TRIBE:Way of The Warrior 2K11 Experience

2011-03-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

How funny that my first year playing mas my #1 costume pick, Tribe's Amazon ended up being my costume. Will be forever greatful to my friend and her links for this experience, cuz of course since around 2008 getting into TRIBE minus a TLC card is only possible if you have that good good pre-registration hook-up! Strangely enough I had no real intentions of playing mas this year, compared to other years where I registered and then sold my costume (will always regret not playing in Water Nymph!) or contemplated playing with other bands....and then said nahhh

So because I tend to b a lil blonde at times, silly me didnt let one of my friends pick my costume up, but instead waited til I got home to go collect it. Collection was smooth-ish. They go by this chit system that if applied properly would make sense, but on this day for some reason they waited til they had a lot of people present and then started handing out chits so of course everybody rushed and the expected ' we were here first and they get chits before us' arguments started with one particular woman threatening to 'get beetham on them' *bbm scared face*

Then a few hours wait for my chit no to be called, but after that things moved smoothly until....the TRIBE Distribution lady came out holding my costume box and NO HEADPIECE. Fifteen minutes later and still no headpiece but the very nice lady keeps coming back to reassure me that 'the issue with my costume' was being sorted out. Eventually she comes up with a large headpiece (i had ordered a small) and told me that it was on the house and apologizes profusely. Now while this issue was dealt with swiftly and promptly and I LOVED my new headpiece, other masqueraders were not so lucky. While I was there there were a LOT of Iroquois masqueraders who were upset about their missing headpieces as well as the guy next to me was somehow registered for a wrong section in error by TRIBE and had to take a costume from another section. I'm not sure what it was about this year, if by bringing out two bands maybe they stretched their resources too thin but from the get go there were quite a few hiccups.

I had a great time on the road Monday, and have absolutely no complaints, the wait to cross the stage wasnt too bad, drinks were flowing, my lunch (pelau) tasted great and OMG those cocktails they served after lunch were divine! Some people complained about the length of time we stayed at the rest stop but I honestly feel like for me at least that was necessary for me to last the rest of the day on the road.

Tuesday...blehh...the wait to get to the stage was borderline ridic, no fault of Tribe's I know but I really wish that the powers that be would allow the drinks trucks to remain with the masqueraders until they actually go on stage as opposed to turning off beforehand. My stage experience on Tuesday wasnt all that either. Monday they held my section back until the stage was clear then let us go all at once so we got that euphoric burst onto the stage. I jus remember feeling this huge release and understanding that yes THIS was what the savannah stage was all about, niceness! Tuesday....there was a truck mix up..they started letting Amazon on then Hoppa had to tell the security no and call us back. Then when we did get on you could barely hear the music for some reason...and i dunno..it just didnt have that climax like Monday. Also there were nuff BLISS masqueraders with us..chippin wit the band..inside the rope mind you, getting drinks by the truck..and crossing, yes i said it crossing the stage with us as well. Now my thing is, if you pay for the ultra exclusive experience, because TRIBE is too big and what not then STAY with your ultra exclusive band nuh. Then people wonder how TRIBE ran out of food monday. well obviously if BLISS folks were up in the mix there wouldnt be enough food because they simply didnt cater for that.

What else...there was no announcement when the trucks started pulling off after lunch, so lo and behold by the time we get ourselves together the last truck is announcing that its leaving. Now this truck had some difficulties rounding a corner and ended up getting left behind, but the masqueraders that were left waited on it. Now imagine our surprise when this truck starts speeding off leaving us to literally run behind it to catch up to the band. and that set the trend for the rest of the day cuz from then on it was either the band not moving at all or they speeding :S. BUT I still had fun, I mean neverending Johnnie, sexy TRIBE men and that god send that is the TRIBE cool zone was all i needed to keep me happy lol. Until the storming started...I dunno if security was only hired to work until sunset but after it got dark had rel unsavory band-less types all up on the truck and smack in the middle of the sections as if they pay they money too. meanwhile security chippin right next to them holding the rope...make sense to u? no right.

O and as for my costume...smh..stuff was falling off before I even tried anything on. Monday Wear moved from an option to a necessity simply because there was no way that costume could have taken two days of jammin. I was chippin on the road and shedding beads all over lol. Thankfully not in obvious places but..yeh...better glue next time por favor!

Now being the unfit lazy person I am I just couldnt make with the after party, but kudos Tribe cuz the security to get in were not playing games, talking about 5 diff ppl checking your bands b4 they let you in and party had bare vibes, next yr when i'm a lil more fit I will take full advantage lol

All in all I had a great time BUT I really hope TRIBE takes note of what their masqueraders are saying and get these issues addressed and fixed in time for next year. And note I said addressed because to me it seems that they have been strangely silent post-carnival in light of all this feedback that they have been getting. I mean can we get a little email self saying that you guys acknowledge there were glitches and are working on them? That being said...I look forward to bigger and better things from TRIBE for Carnival 2012. Even with these little issues they are still my #1 :)

For all those suffering from Post Carnival Depression!

2011-03-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

Private_Ryan_Presents_Post_Carnival_Relief_2011.mp3

DJ Private Ryan is one of my fave DJ's and NEVER disappoints with his mixes! Enjoy!

St Lucia Plannings

2011-03-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

So in accordance with my plans to hit as many carnivals as possible while I am still young and child-less, this year I'm trying to add St Lucia Carnival to my lineup. I started doing my research and I am actually quite impressed with the costumes I've seen so far, especially those by Red Unlimited which coincidentally and thankfully is the band that my host usually plays with. My faves from their 2010 presentation are below: Burning Ecstacy would have been my first choice if I had played last year, I just love all those feathers!! Supposedly Red Unlimited will launch on April 29th and I am really looking forward to seeing their 2011 presentation as I can only imagine their costumes getting bigger and better. Now to see how I can manipulate my budget to fit 2 Carnivals (St. Lucia and Cropover) in one month! not an easy task!!

Cropover plannings

2011-03-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

so here I was dilly-dallying on booking my ticket..waiting with bated breath in the hopes that Bdos would really have a two day Kadooment this year and then yesterday I come across the official schedule and Kadooment day is listed as only August 1st :( . I was really looking forward to another two day festival but...o well. It makes St Lucia Carnival all the more appealing though, as they have a 2 day jump up.I included the official crop over calendar below, as taken from the website http://www.barbadoscropoverfestival.com/.

In other news this is a whole world of planning that I need to get done, tickets, accomodation (there is talk of renting a beachhouse) and who I'm going to drag along with me as I am determined to get at least two of my trini friends to participate this year! Also I need to decide on whether or not I will make the move from PowerX4 to Baje International as honestly while I enjoyed myself last year there was definitely room for improvement. My main concerns were that we started hours later than we should have, resulting in our band being the last on the road. Then we had a lot of stormers and a lot of ppl chippin with the band and half my time was spent outside the rope as I felt seriously clustrophobic when i was actually in the band. Also when I took a good look at Baje's costumes it is obvious that they put more effort into actually following the theme and being creative in their costume design and execution, at least more so that PowerX4. Switching bands is all dependent on getting trinis to play with me as all my bajan friends play with PowerX4 so hopefully I can convince them to jump and keep me company.

Updates

2011-03-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

I havent been very good blogger...never finished my Crop Over review and never reviewed Miami either lol.

I will try my best to finish my review of my last carnival, the biggest and best, Trini Carnival! Actually my FIRST TRINI CARNIVAL IN 5 YEARS!!! It was a really great experience, I just wished it could have been longer, not necessarily more than the two days but just for me to have been here for more of the Carnival season. I missed a Machel concert of epic proportions and didn't get to see my costume until the day of collection (Carnival friday) but all in all it was well worth every dime spent. Its so true when people say you pay for the experience and not so much the costume, I will DEFINITELY do it again next year!

There are definitely some changes i need to make next year, definitely need to start preparing earlier as i hd only a month to get everything together and kinda said screw it and didnt go all out for my monday wear, makeup etc as I had originally planned. I also did not have my carnival body ready :( and my lack of fitness caused me to skip the TRIBE/BLISS Afterparty in Jenny's carpark, I was waaaay too bun to mke it. silly me also put no gel insoles in my cheap boots so you could imagine how the soles of my feet felt by the end of las lap!

The one tad unfortunate thing is that I now have the carnival bug worse than ever and am here googling dc, st lucia and bdos cropover dates so i can have something to look forward too. (my poor bank account!) O and also i think this year I may make the shift from j'ouvert to pretty mas right thru. for some reason I didnt have fun in the D.C. paint band in '09 neither did I have that much fun in the mud band '10..so this year either I just go stush and dun and play in Panisha or one of the other 'pretty mas' bands or...I skip the parade and just do the parties..we'll see......

Umi leaves HD Family

2010-11-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-10-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-09-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

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!

:(

2010-09-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-24T08:44:00.001-07:00

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! :(

2010-08-24T08:03:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

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.....

2010-08-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-09T09:55:00.001-07:00

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!!

2010-08-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

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

The Way of The Warrior!!

2010-07-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

"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

2010-07-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

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!