On December 3rd, Venezuela will hold a referendum to decide whether to formally claim Essequibo, a region long disputed with Guyana, as a Venezuelan state. Should they decide to move forward with the claim, Guyana would lose over 70% of its territory, much of which has been the source of the nation’s newfound wealth.
Hello and Happy 2023!
I can’t believe how much happened in 2022. We came out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mia Mottley secured a second 5-year term as Prime Minister of Barbados, Russia started a war with Ukraine, and Herschel Walker lost the Georgia election - but so did Stacey Abrams. You know, yin… yan. The same was true for DysChick. Despite personal tragedies, I was able to be outside like garb – nope. I refuse to make that a phrase.
So what’s my plan for 2023? Rest.
If you’ve been following DysChick, you know that I have a fear of flying; however, I have a greater fear of missing out on an epic event. Tipsy in Miami announced that it would feature the King of Soca and the King of Afrobeats and the FOMO was just too real.
Machel Montano has been making the rounds this year promoting his brand, encouraging nations to “Save the Soil,” and making sure that you know he is still the King of Soca after 40 years in the business. Burna Boy is the most popular Afrobeats artiste right now with his hit single “Last Last” reaching over 6 million streams on Spotify.
With these two heavyweights on the bill, you know DysChick had to fly to fete! Yet despite having the top artistes, the event was not E-P-I-C.
So let's recap America’s first six months of 2022:
Over 250 mass shootings including the Buffalo massacre, the elementary school shooting in Texas, a gunman opening fire on a crowded NYC subway, and the attack on a church in California
The number of deaths from COVID-19 surpassed 1 million
Eric Adams becomes Mayor of New York City (smh)
Are we great yet? No? Okay, how about this, we just decided to revoke a woman’s right to chose when and if she wants to become a mother.
We released our second episode of Season 6 of the Rant and Rave podcast. In this episode we talk about Machel Montano and Indian super yogi Sadhguru’s campaign to “Save the Soil.” The campaign has already resulted in six Caribbean nations (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, and Barbados) signing the Memorandum of Understanding and pledging to adopt long-term policy to safeguard soil and promote ecologically-friendly initiatives. We RANT about what this means for Caribbean tourism, the economy, and what we can do to reverse the climate crisis. But who is Sadhguru?
A lot can change in 4 years. That's how long it has been since I've been to Trinidad for Carnival. I had been to Carnivals before, but I remember a palpable excitement in the city. That same excitement was missing this year. I landed one week prior to Carnival, but there was no buzz, no cacophony of music in town, and no visible evidence that it was Carnival season. What could cause this lack of enthusiasm among Trinidadians?
The annual soca competition kicked off with a notable absence. Machel Montano, who has won the crown several times before, decided that last year would be his last time in the competition. This allowed the competition to be anyone's game. During the semi-finals, the artists would have to win over the live crowd with a song and stage show that would propel them to the finals. 20 artists made the cut.
Despite a great lineup and strong performances, there was one clear favorite from the moment the show started.
Fete prices in Trinidad have risen to an average of $100-600 USD (a high of almost $4,000 TTD). Many local patrons have opted to sit out a few fetes this year. However, those who decided not to attend Machel Mondayare probably regretting that decision today. Although the event was broadcasted live for $9.99 USD, nothing could compare to actually being in the Hasley Crawford Stadium on February 1st.
Every year, I embark on a mission to find the wickedest soca events. Whether it's a party, a carnival, or an experience, I am always on the hunt for a "can't-miss" event. Although I was blessed to experience some great events, here are my Top 5 for 2015.
Miami Carnival is usually the last big soca party weekend in the United States. Socaholics are forced to wait until February for Trinidad Carnival. Since I was unable to go to Miami, I was thrilled when Full Stop Entertainment intervened and provided DysChick with one more fete-portunity (sure, that's a word now). The weekend consisted of a kickoff, main event, and cool down party that brought top artists and deejays from around the world to the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia area).
Labor Day weekend in Brooklyn is the culmination of the summer season of partying. The annual celebration includes parties, boat rides, and lastly, the West Indian Labor Day parade on Eastern Parkway. The summer season of partying was restricted due to the loss of large venues like Pulse 48. With fewer venues, promoters ventured into Manhattan and Queens.
Search for the term online, and you may find flash mob defined as "a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place and perform an unusual and seemingly pointless act for a brief time before quickly dispersing." Seemingly pointless does not apply to the soca flash mob that took to the streets in front of the Barclay's Center on Saturday, August 29th. The point was to positively showcase Caribbean culture and to make history.
One way to deal with the noise complaints threatening to shut down parties in Brooklyn this summer is to have everybody HUSH!
On Saturday, August 15th, Caribbean Silent Events produced Brooklyn's first Caribbean silent party called HUSH on the rooftop of the Brooklyn Children's Museum. The concept is simple. Upon arrival, everyone receives a wireless headphone that connects to the frequency of three different stations. At any time during the event, the user is able to adjust the volume and tune in to another deejay. Once a station is selected, the LED light on the headphones switches to that deejays designated color. Find someone with the same color led light on their headphones and take a wine!
