My Soca Pick of the Week - Week 4

This song just real. I sure plenty people feel like this for Carnival.
I hope they place high in Soca Monarch.

It Pays To Be Sober

Well by now everybody done know the Breathalyser law is in effect, and blogger wuzdescene wrote about her near-breathalyser experience recently.

Being a loyal Coke on the rocks drinker, this didn't faze me one bit, I know I was safe. Plus I wasn't planning to go much fetes anyhoo.

Lo and behold I recently found out that because of my sobriety notoriety I was volunteered for the position of designated driver. My fellow party animals have volunteered to pay half the cost of my ticket to Bacchanal Wednesday and Brian Lara's fete.
Not a bad deal I think.

So you could look out for those two fete reviews to come :)

Flikr photo from Jon Vitale

My Soca Pick of the Week - Week 3

I am not a big fan of Umi Marcano, but I loving this song.

Haiti Relief Fund

Following the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday evening, there have been many organisations collecting money, food items, blankets etc to be sent to Haiti.

Two of these are "Is There Not A Cause" and the Digicel Haiti Relief Fund.

Is There Not A Cause (ITNAC) has been doing work in Haiti since 2002 and are collecting blankets, bed sheets, and tinned/dry foodstuff to send to Haiti. Their office is located in Jardine's Plaza 96 Charlotte Street, Port of Spain. They also have an account set up at Republic Bank "For This Cause Haiti" account # 510 009 446 802.

You can call their offices at 624-4162/394-2042 and check ITNAC's Facebook Page here, for more information.

Mango Media Caribbean is also doing their part with their "1000 sheets For Haiti Project". They are collecting sheets to be sent to Haiti via INTAC and will be seting up boxes at their offices on Dundonald Street and other locations as well.

The Digicel Haiti Relief Fund is set up to take donations by simply texting the word "HELP" to 5151 (in Trinidad). Each text cost only $3.00 and this will go towards the people of Haiti.

You can check out the Digicel Haiti Relief Fund's Facebook Page here for more information, and texting info for the other islands.

How You Can Help Haiti

For those in Trinidad and Tobago interested in helping the victims of the earthquake in Haiti here is a local organization that will give you more information:

http://www.itnactt.com/

My Soca Pick of the Week - Week 2

This song is by far my FAVORITE song of the season, they MASH UP DE PLACE in Moka last Sunday.
I real liking this song for Soca Monarch!

Soca in Moka 11 - The Aftermath

Who: Soca in Moka
What: All-Inclusive
Where: Trinity College
When: Sunday 3rd January 2010
How much: $500 (last year: $475.00)

Well yes...

Allyuh believe dis is Soca in Moka 11?!?

Allyuh believe is a DECADE now I going to this fete?!

Allyuh eh find I should at least get a free ticket or exclusive parking or a free glow stick or something for patronising this fete so long? Lemme see if I could call and organise a lil space in Form 1 for meh chile yes.

Anyhoo...Soca in Moka 2010.

Now it doh even make sense to ask me, "You going Soca in Moka?" Cause all I will do is watch yuh cuteye and steups. Asking me if I going Moka is like asking me if I playing mas, cause my answer will ALWAYS BE "God spare life, yes."

Alright, so de ting start.

After a leisurely day spent getting the boys ready for school the next day, colouring my hair and making one pair of earrings, I was scrambling to get ready and eventually left the house at half 6. There went my plan to reach earlyish.

Passing through Santa Cruz, I got to Moka in no time at all really (by the way whoever is the representative for that area, allyuh need to put some lights up there please eh), and by 7:00pm I was making my into the venue where Dil-E-Nadan was already on stage, and the place was already packed!

Btw, it was on my way to the venue when I realise that I completely forgot to pack my camera. (blame that on my new Blackberry Curve that I got for Christmas, which btw takes awful night photos).

Dil-E-Nadan feat. Raymond Ramnarine, Derrick Seales and Candy Hoyte

Honestly if I had never been to this fete before and saw that the line up included Dil-E-Nadan, I would not have gone. That being said, I thought the band sounded a little too loud and they had too much people on stage like it was a rap concert or something. Too much people jostling for attention.

The fete patrons seemed to be into the performance which included soca, disco (huh?) and some chutney. I thought they spent too much time on stage which later affected the other bands who were scheduled to perform.

By the way, what was going on with that fella in that silver jacket? Jeezan.

Dil-E-Nadan gets 3 palance out of 5

Roy Cape All Stars feat. Blaxx, Olatunji Yearwood and Rita Jones

Yeah, you read it right, Rita Jones is back with Roy Cape All Stars, and boy is she is back with a bang! Now yuh girl (me, that is) was wearing her lil coloured contacts and wasn't seeing too clearly from far nah. When I hear Roy Cape was next I made my way to the front, only to see some stripper on stage with the band, only to realise is not a stripper but is Rita Jones!

Well I nearly dead, cause Rita was looking like she started getting dressed and then clean forget to finish getting dressed and fly out the house! Well is now self I blue vex with myself for not having my camera eh, and I was halfway glad and thanking the Lord above that I was wearing meh coloured contacts and couldn't see too well.

This is an open plea to whoever is Rita stylist/friend/bandmate/fellow Murray Street worker/whatever, put ah hand and help her out please. I not even going to talk bout the ashy looking armpits. *shudder*

Back to the rest of the band now.

Roy Cape sound REAL good.

Even doh Blaxx like to kill us with talk, he sing his tunes, new and old and had the place jumping. When next you see Roy Cape look out for the jazz version of Tusty...it bad!! His new tune Zombie (not Jumbie) was well received by the audience.

Despite the loss of his mom in December, Olatunji was usual energetic self, doing splits, and had the crowd moving. Other than the distraction of their female frontline singer Roy Cape was by far the BEST band of the night.

Roy Cape All Stars gets 4 palance out of 5.

The Iwer and TC Show

Roy Cape was joined by what was said to be the "Iwer and TC Show".

I am not even going to say discuss/describe Iwer performance. Just remember the last time yuh see Iwer perform, whether it was last week, last year, 5 years ago or even 10 years ago and is the same exact ting. Except this time, the crowd wasn't having any of it. Bathrooms were packed and by the time they finished their set the place was empty. They run real people.

The Iwer and TC show get no palance from me

Kes the Band feat. Kees Diffentaller and Nadia Batson

Wait nah, who is dat come out on the stage with Kees? Remember ah tell allyuh bout the contacts eh, so I had to blink couple times to focus. If allyuh see Nadia! My girl went and lost some weight and looking like a different person! All her face looking different! She looking even better than before. Nadia I was real digging them glove thingies yuh was rocking. The style could be a lil better, but yuh looking real good...keep it up.

Kes the Band didn't start off too well I find, like they was tired or didn't practice the set well, cause they was missing a lil something something. Usually their repertoire is clean and well executed, but that didn't happen. They did their back-in-times set which the crowd enjoyed immensely. And Kes didn't even take off his jersey!

Kes the Band gets 3 palance out of 5

Shal Marshall feat. Screws

Shal did Gyal Farm and then the "Police" song he has on the Palance riddim, which I did not like but is starting to grow on me. I think everyone was wondering "who the heck is that dude in the back jumping around?" That's Screws people, he has a couple lines on the track.

Shal gets 2 palance for warming up the crowd

Moving right along, cause when I hear de palance riddim is only one tune I really want to hear and that is by...

JW and Blaze

This was the moment I had been waiting for whole night!

By far far FAR my favorite tune for the Carnival 2010 season, JW and Blaze came out to perform Palance and did exactly what the song said...they palanced and mash up de place.

Watch out for this tune for Soca Monarch 2010. I eh want to say Road March yet because the song REAL fast and my ass out of breath afterwards, den remember too it have the mafia and all dat to study.

JW and Blaze get 4.5 palance out of 5

FOOD

Well after 10 years of going to this fete I could tell yuh what it does have eh, which could be either a good thing or a bad thing depending on how yuh look at it.

Usual fare of Carol's corn soup, outstanding oysters, beautiful bake and shark, heavenly Haagen Das, crab stuffed dumplings, with the main meal of Trinidad creole and Chinese. The only thing I had was the crab stuffed dumplings which were fantastic! I also had a taste of ribs which was just okay.

3 burps out of 5

BAR

The service by B.A.R.S. this year was just aite. Not horrible but not outstanding. I did hear of some instances of Black and White being mixed with Johnny Walker, as well as no coconut water. My staple of Coke on the rocks was decent and always flowing.

2.5 ice cubes out of 5

BATHROOMS

Andy Loos baby!

Running water, flushing toilets, soap and cream, pantyshields, tissue and mirrors!

My only complaint would be the long lines and this could be easily resolved if the Andy Loos which only had one toilet but three urinals (huh?) in the ladies area were switched out for the Andy Loos with the three toilets.

4.5 flushes out of 5

EYE FOOD

Eye food for the men: The usual, is Trinidad yuh know.

Eye food for the women: This fete was like a quarry boy, only stones! I find this year had more men than women. I sure real men steups in dat fete.

Even though it had all dem men though, the gape wasn't all that great.

3 cross eye out of 5

Overall Soca In Moka was a great fete as per usual and yes, God spare life, I will be going again next year.

That's it for this Party Animal...looks like I'll be getting a lot of sleep this season.

This was my only planned fete for the season and in this recession, I only going where I getting comps. So if yuh have any yuh want to share, email meh nah, afro.chic@hotmail.com ;)

EDITED TO ADD:

Here are a few pics from photographer David Wears' Soca in Moka album on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=367933&id=609810286

My Soca Pick of the Week - Week 1

The song is labelled as Wine Low, and it's by 3Suns on the Stush Riddim.
Let me know if yuh feeling this one.

The Bachannal Start From Today!

My first fete of the season is my usual first fete, Soca in Moka. This takes place tonight at the Trinity College Grounds, Moka, Maraval.


I cannot believe that this will be my 10th time attending this fete!

Stay tuned during the week for my review of tonight's party. In the meantime, you can read a few of my previous reviews of this fete here:

Soca In Moka 10

Soca In Moka 9

Soca In Moka 8

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Here's to a great 2010!