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?
27 years is a long time. I hadn't been back to my parents' home country since I was a child. As I stepped off the plane at Cheddi Jagan International airport and felt the rush of humid air suddenly dampening my skin, I realized this was a foreign land. However, after only seven days, I found 5 reasons I will be making more trips to Guyana.
Not to be confused with Junkanoo in December, the Springtime Carnival has the nightlife and parade of bands standard in a Caribbean celebration. In only its third year, The Bahamas competes with other newbies like Bermuda and Cayman to appeal to outsiders. However, it is the uniqueness of the mas itself that may set Junkanoo Carnival apart.
Post-Carnival Depression, while not yet a medically diagnosed condition, is a severe case of nostalgia for carnival that can affect the lives of many feters. New York promo team Shorblu Events, Live by the Henny, and B2B Ent offered a cure that included live performances by Skinny Fabulous, Sekon Sta, Dawg E. Slaugher, and “Mr. PCD” Lyrikal.
See what they told us at PCD!
The International Soca Monarch competition takes place on the Friday prior to Carnival called Fantastic Friday. Artistes compete to see who will take home the title of Soca Monarch and the cash prize. Notably absent was the Ultimate Rejects whose hit "Full Extreme" has been making mashing up fetes and headlines in the global soca world. The 2017 show was perhaps evidence of the declining relevance of Soca Monarch.
With Trinidad Carnival fast approaching and noted outrage over what seems like discriminatory practices, such as requesting photos and personal information to get into fetes and mas bands, it's good to see a carnival that is taking steps to be inclusive.
I may be bias, but New York City does New Year's Eve partying better than anywhere else. There's something here for everyone. You can turn up in a party with strangers, head to Times Square with drunk tourists, or watch the ball drop on television with family. I usually ring in the new year at a soca fete in Brooklyn with about 500 fellow socaholics. However, sometimes I like to switch things up. To ring in 2017, I decided to attend the masquerade ball at the SoHo Grand Hotel in Manhattan.
This is not a review of a party or Carnival. This is a review of an event that shocked America. On Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 billionaire Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. As the child of immigrants, this not only shocks me, but concerns me.
It's been one week since Labor Day. A day where West Indians celebrate the culture and pageantry of the Caribbean with festivities throughout the long weekend culminating in a parade along Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. However, this day was full of disappointments and tragedy. The predawn j'ouvert street party was once again marred by violence and the annual parade was a lackluster crawl.
