Whew! It seems that many of us have been on edge for years. With pandemics, genocides, global politics, and economic uncertainties we cannot look at social media without being bombarded with triggering content. We have access to so much information about world events that we are able to see a conflict from varying perspectives, which is a good thing. However, doom scrolling through IG or TikTok cannot be good for our mental health. So how can we stay sane while staying informed?
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.
First, let me say thank you to everyone who attended the final event in our Rant and Rave Summer Chat Series. This was the final installment and covered our most controversial topic to date: Brooklyn’s Caribbean Nightlife. SocaSaySo and I worked hard to find just the right people with whom we can have this discussion… and did we found them!
Brooklyn artistes came out to The Slope Lounge on Jul 24th, 2019 for “Rant and Rave” presented by DysChick & SocaSaySo. The third installment of the 4-part Summer Chat Series focused on Caribbean Arts and Entertainment, which included film, photography, fashion, and music.
On June 19th, The Slope Lounge hosted “Rant and Rave” presented by DysChick & SocaSaySo. This time we sat down with entrepreneurs. Ontrackdisco who owns Bklyn Prime, Palooza Kitchen, and Bklyn Space shared his challenges opening and operating multiple businesses, Barbadian-American attorney and owner of Sterling Real Estate Group, LLC Terry Hinds told us why we need to take an "active interest" in what's going on in our community, and sisters Jo-Laine Duke-Collins and Deidre Duke of Jolie Studios told us how doing business with family has impacted their success.
Didn’t make it to DysChick & SocaSaySo’s “Rant and Rave” event on May 22nd? Well, you missed out on a great discussion with members of Brooklyn’s carnival association WIADCA. Panelists Angela Sealy (Chairperson), Rhea Smith (Cultural Diversity Professional and WIADCA member), and DJ Spice (Teamsoca Founder and WIADCA member) were on hand to answer pressing questions from the community, bloggers and journalists.
Recently, Machel Montano made waves in the Trinidadian soca community by stating that soca no longer belongs to Trinidad, but to the entire Caribbean. The idea that trying to own soca would only limit the growth of the genre resonates with two of the hottest Bahamian artistes who are looking to take their music to the world.
2019 was not supposed to be a particularly significant year. It’s not an even number and it does not mark the beginning of a new decade. However, this turned out to be a historic Trinidad Carnival year. With a shakeup in the Soca Monarch leadership, pan bands taking each other to court, and Trinidadians fearing the loss of their culture, the long season was fraught with controversy. But then again, what’s Carnival without bacchanal?
What is Carnival without rum? The two go so well together that songs have been made touting this symbiotic connection. From Lord Invader’s “Rum and Coca Cola” to Machel Montano’s “Bottle of Rum,” there is no denying that rum is as integral to Trinidad’s history as soca is.
During my recent trip to the land of rum and soca, I toured The House of Angostura® in Laventille.
In our first live-stream show, Garvey Campbell of Carnevale Network and I discuss the effect of the generational information gap on Caribbeans abroad. Stay tuned to my Flicks & Pics for more videos from our chats.
