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?
Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados Labour party (BLP) won all 30 seats in the January 19th election, securing a second 5-year term. The landslide victory comes as no surprise for those who have been following her trajectory since 2018.
We did it! We made it to the end of 2021! That’s right, we are the survivors of a global pandemic, the Trump presidency, and the unnecessary return of “Sex in the City.” I would usually end my year with a “best of” list, but I’m not sure that best would be the right descriptor. Hmmm, how about we focus on the least crappy moments of 2021?
In 2019, Ghana successfully encouraged Africans around the world to come to the country through a campaign entitled “Year of Return.” The premise was that 400 years after Africans were captured and displaced, we would return to the continent to celebrate culture and examine our history pre-slave trade. The campaign was a success and the camaraderie unforgettable. What I didn’t know when I arrived in Accra is that Ghana and Guyana have a political and cultural history that spans over 40 years.
For the first time in a while, mental health is a trending topic on Black Twitter. After tennis champ Naomi Osaka and gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of their sports to focus on their mental health, Black folks cheered these women on.
However, Black male athletes have been saying for years that they, too, need time away from the sport or press junkets to focus on their mental health…and the response was not as positive.
Black American actor and entrepreneur Michael B. Jordan recently faced backlash on Caribbean Twitter for his attempt to trademark the word “J’Ourvert” for the name of his new rum. People were appalled that he would dare to limit the use of the word… for commerce.
This week, the actor posted a mea culpa to appease the masses and vowed to rename the rum. So…is this a win for the Caribbean?
It’s officially summer party season in New York. With venues (or venue, since it seems like Coney Island Art Walls is the only spot being used) open, we are ready to get back to fetes!
Now… about that….
I’m glad to see soca artistes return to the stage, but I’m waiting for that breakout party experience that will give me severe FOMO. Here’s my wish list:
Gold Diggers and Sugar Daddies are reeling at the news that Bill and Melinda Gates are getting divorced. Bill Gates is ranked #4 on Forbes’ list of the wealthiest people. His estimated net worth is $130 Billion and that has people speculating about how the money will be divided.
You know I’m all about the comments section and I’m seeing an interesting trend. While news outlets say things like “The couple did not reveal how they will divide their mega fortune,” many in the public refer to the wealth as his money. In marriages that are true partnerships, this is a flawed phrase.
First, thank you to everyone who attended the Clubhouse Chat “Caribbean Music Marketing: Real Solutions” on January 13th where we provided Caribbean artistes actionable advice from professional Marketers on how to use social media, podcasts, Influencers, and marketing copy to take their music career to the next level.
The panel included DJ Jel, Mikelah, Melly Rose, and Deanna.
What I thought would be a one-hour chat turned into a two hour discussion with gems being dropped left and right. Since Clubhouse does not yet allow seamless recording, I’m giving you the 3 key takeaways from each panelist.
