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?
For 34 years Miami Carnival has been the main autumn event for socaholics. However, the increasing popularity of cruises and international events seemed to be attracting the interest and wallets of West Indians stateside. However, if the turnout at this year’s events is any indication, Miami Carnival is not going anywhere.
That being said, there are some improvements that promoters and organizers can make to ensure that this is indeed a can’t-miss event.
The West Indian American Day Carnival Association (say that three times fast) is responsible for producing events throughout the summer that showcase our culture, culminating in the annual Labor Day parade in Brooklyn. However, this year, it was glaringly obvious that many Brooklynites have chosen to avoid the celebration and are, in fact, questioning whether or not WIADCA needs to be dismantled.
Since the Association refuses to engage with anyone, let me anticipate their objections.
In May 2018, Guyana had it's first Carnival. Well, that's not exactly true. Many years ago, a small group called the Jaycees held a 4-day fair in Linden, Guyana, but it soon ceased. Therefore, this is in fact the first Carnival in over 40 years.
This Carnival, however, would be unrecognizable to the originators as it is akin to Trinidad's annual pre-Ash Wednesday celebration. Costumes, mas bands, music, and festivities are elements that were brought over by Trinidad's top promoters (I see you Caesar's Army) and designers. Although the elements may be Trini-influenced, the vibes were distinctly Guyanese.
Folks have been asking why I would face my fear of flying just to go to Miami for one party. Well, when it’s an epic Caribbean style rave by one of my favorite Miami deejays, how could I not?
So, here’s my review of the actual film: IT’S DOPE!
Not only do we get a movie replete with beautiful Black folks, we get to see Caribbean actors in starring roles. But beyond the cast, this film is a must-see for my fellow Caribbeans, especially those living abroad.
The International Soca Monarch finals took place on February 9th at the Hasley Crawford Stadium in Trinidad. As predicted, Aaron "Voice" St. Louis is the Soca Monarch winner for three years in a row Okay, so we were not surprised by that. However, what was surprising was the order of the other winners.
The time is here, folks! The Road March race is on. For those who are not familiar with the term, Road March is the song that is played most when masqueraders cross the stage in front of the judges. True masqueraders live for this moment. Playing mas in a beautiful costume, chipping through the streets, drinking, bouncing up old friends and making new ones. All of this builds up to the moment when they approach the judging point and they are encouraged to "get on" and show off. So whose song will inveigle this response?
2017 was better to me than it was to Cardi B! I went to amazing parties, traveled to new Carnivals, and collaborated with other bloggers who love soca as much as I do. All in all, not a bad year. I decided to compile a list of the five events that made my 2017 epic.
