Kingston's Summer Soca Scene

A couple years ago, I never would have thought that there would be so many soca parties in Jamaica outside of its carnival season. With the many summer parties, I assumed that it would be hard to get enough patrons for a successful fete.  The truth is that there is a die-hard soca group who don't mind partying to soca all year which ensures a successful soca event.

I missed Carnival Rewine and the SOS cooler fete last month, but was able to attend Soca vs Dancehall and the Tailwind Blocko Cooler fete.

Soca vs Dancehall
July 13, 2013
Hope Gardens
JA$2500

This was my second time at a Soca vs Dancehall event.  It could just be my bias, but for me, it was just okay. I kept reminding myself that it was not an exclusive soca event so I shouldn't expect too much.  One of the shortcomings of being a Trini in Jamaica is that we tend to expect soca themed events to be similar those in T&T which is probably why I didn't love this party. I was also told that I got to the event too late (which I did), so I didn't get to appreciate the earlier soca sets.  I really didn't mind the dancehall; it's just that the mix of the dancehall and the soca wasn't my thing...

the best crowd shot I got (still can't master my camera)

But all was not bad.  Hope Gardens was an appropriate venue for these fetes- it's not too big and not too small.  In addition, there was easy access to the drinks at the bar and the Johnnie was flowing. More importantly, patrons didn't have to settle for cheap liquor.  Also, the restrooms were clean which is always important when chasing alcohol with coconut water...

The organizers of Soca vs Dancehall have established loyal followers which include those Jamaicans who are not 100% into soca.  Ultimately, I do see it as a staple even for the summer soca scene...

Tailwind Blocko Cooler Fete
July 20th, 2013
Norbrook Acres Rd and XS club
JA$1500

Now this was a strange event and I'm not sure what happened.  Much of it can be attributed to the current noise abatement laws and its effects on parties held in residential areas in Kingston. 

The cooler fete was advertised as a blocko on Norbrook Acres Rd which looked like a very posh area to me. Not to upset the residents, parking was accommodated at a nearby school and we were shuttled to the venue.  Although I was grateful for the shuttle, it was inconvenient to carry the cooler in the bus...

Once in the venue, it was clear that DJ Richie Ras had set the tone and the soca was pumping.  For about an hour, I was enjoying my drinks and the music until a little after 10pm when it was announced that the police had instructed the organizers to end the fete.  They also said that the fete would continue at XS club in Liguanea Post Mall.  What???? This announcement was confusing because my ticket indicated that the fete time was 4pm-12am....

I really didn't want to go to this new venue because I had lost all interest and vibes, but I left for XS anyway.  Honestly, the hour I spent there wasn't bad, but this event wasn't an indoor one and I felt like I was in a club and not at a fete, and I don't like clubs. Thank goodness the music was still great and people were enjoying themselves...

The lesson here was clear- end your fete at 10:00pm...

What I Spent on Carnival in Jamaica!!!!

It's been a rough economic time for Jamaica and I really thought that Carnival would have felt the backlash.  But boy was I wrong.  Even with the increased costume and t-shirt prices, Bacchanal Jamaica did not suffer any major losses and fetes saw increased patronage yet people complained that "they had no money".  I admit that I was one of those who cursed the government/IMF for my frozen wages, but still went on to party hard.  However, I didn't play mas (believe it or not) and saved some money in that aspect, but at the end of the season, I felt that I had spent too much (which was further exacerbated when 2 persons are involved).

Last year at the end of the Ja Carnival season, I did a post on how much you could have spent if you went to all events.  This year I have decided to specifically look at how much I spent. (Let's work with an exchange rate of JA$99 = US$1):

Mas Camp with Bunji and Faye Ann
VIP ticket: JA$3000

Leh Go Fridays (2)
Food and Drinks: JA$2500

Mas Camp with Kes the Band
VIP Ticket: JA$3000
Food: JA$300

French Lyme
Drinks: JA$1000

Beach J'ouvert
General Ticket: JA$4500
Food: JA$450
Acccommodation: JA$9000
Parking: JA$500

Dusk
Ticket: JA$1500
Food: JA$650

I Love Soca
Ticket: JA$1500
Drinks & Ice for Cooler: JA$1500
Food: JA$400

Sunrise Breakfast Party
Ticket: JA$4500

Outfits and Accessories
JA$10000

Transport
JA$7000

Total= JA$51,300

You may think this is a lot but I significantly reduced the number of events I would usually go to.  For instance, I only went to mas camp twice and I didn't go to any Frenchmen events which would have been another JA$10000 for Blocko and Bazodee. I also bought less outfits choosing to recycle those I wore for Trinidad Carnival.

The figure could also be more if I considered miscellaneous costs like the pan chicken, and the soup or hot dogs we would purchase after an event"to soak up de alcohol". Because we are in Jamaica, don't ignore the cost of gas especially when you have to pick up and drop off friends and then get to the event.

Most importantly I think I saved between JA$45000 and JA$50000 by not playing mas. How did I come up with such a huge figure? In addition to the cost of a Frenchmen costume, consider the upgrades, make up, tights, boots etc.

If you look at my breakdown, I'm sure that it's quite obvious that there are other ways that I can spend less like with the food and drinks, do general instead of vip or play mas in a cheaper section. I do agree that these would be more practical choices but this is how I do Carnival.  Yes, it sounds superficial to complain that I don't have much money and then do VIP at a fete on a general budget...

I Love Soca and Sunrise Breakfast Party

I Love Soca
Wednesday 3 April, 2013
Hope Gardens, Kingston
JA$1500

I Love Soca has become a permanent fixture on the last week of carnival in Jamaica.  This year the organizers opted to do a cooler fete which is becoming more popular in the local fete scene.  With a full cooler, I got there around midnight which was a little late since it was supposed to end at 2am.

Like Dusk, DJ Riche Ras and Dei Musicale from T&T provided the music.  As I said in a previous post, this has definitely been Richie's year.  He's on point with his selections and does not play a standard 7 songs.  Richie is clearly in tune with how to play soca and is far ahead of those who are still stuck in the mas camp vibe. Dei Musicale is always consistent and brings that piece of Trini to the Jamaican fete scene that we Trinbagonians miss. I also like that they know what to play for a Jamaican audience.

Hope Gardens was an adequate venue for this size crowd. There was sufficient parking and and just enough space for the patrons. The fete consisted of the usual Kingston soca crowd. I think at this point I can identify almost everyone who attends these sessions.

Pic taken from Sleek's fb page

I had a great time with my friends and enjoyed the vibe so much that I didn't realize when 2am came upon us. At that point I regretted arriving so late because I needed like  another hour or so. But it was over and sadly I left.

Although I didn't see that many coolers as it seemed that persons opted for bags or to share coolers, the concept is clearly doing well in Jamaica....

Sunrise Breakfast Party
Saturday 6 April, 2013
Constant Spring Golf  Club
Ja$4500

At 5:30am on Saturday, I was on my way to the Sunrise Breakfast fete at Constant Spring Golf Club. I did not attend this fete last year but had heard great reviews so like most people, I knew that the crew had to check it out this year....

I‘m glad I got there early enough to get parking at the tax office near the venue.  We got in quickly and immediately went for the food because at this point I was starving.  On our way to the stations we gladly stopped for photo opps with Double M and JW.  We were then quickly brought off the gladdist train when we saw the long line for the food stations. After an almost 25 minute wait, we were greeted with stewed chicken, potatoes, provisions, corned pork, bacon, vienna sausage and beans, festival, eggs, samosas, and doubles. Nothing about these dishes really stood out for me. There was also a bad dawg hot dog stand which was the easier option. The thing about a breakfast fete is that food is important. You have to remember that because of the early start, patrons would have usually left home without a meal so after a while, we tend to be starving...

Unlike the food station, it was very easy to get drinks from the bar and they kept flowing.  To my dismay there was no Johnnie Walker but Dewars (blasphemy!), so I had to settle for Grey Goose and some shots of Cafe Patron...damn what a morning it was...

The Constant Spring Golf Club was an ideal choice for the venue.  I liked the outdoor atmosphere and the layout. Although it is a huge space, the promoters narrowed it down to accommodate the medium sized crowd...

Another pic taken from Sleek's fb page

For Ja$4500, we were treated to performances from Blaxx, JW and Machel. I love Blaxx's songs but he is not the best performer especially without his band.  I couldn't believe he did the exact thing word for word that he did at all the fetes I saw him at earlier this year.  Oh gosh man Blaxx, change it up a little bit nah...

Sunrise lived up to all the hype that was made about it.  It had all the elements of a good breakfast fete although the food aspect wasn't that impressive.  Kudos must be given to the patrons, especially those who came straight from J'ouvert with their paint and powder. It was evident that everyone had a great time.  Who would have imagined that somewhere in uptown Kingston, mid morning on a Saturday, there would be a group of people, drinking, wining, and just feteing away...

For more pics check out Sleek

Bazodee 2012- Mud and Soca

After it had rained for the entire day on Saturday, I was almost sure that I wouldn't be going to Bazodee. But after spending JA$6500 on my ticket, I had to ensure that I was there- rain or shine.

By 9:30, the crowd was small which made parking and the shuttle ride easy. I was really glad I decided to break in my boots that night because it was mud and more mud in the food and bathroom areas. Luckily the main dance area was covered where most people had congregated.

The food area was set up in the thick of the mud so it was really difficult to maneuvre the booths. Obviously, I went to the Trini booth first to get my doubles fix. My other faves were the barbeque pigtail and beef sirloin. Everything else was bland or just tasted bad. The dessert station was blah with an assortment of donuts. I mean who cares for donuts at an all inclusive fete? I want mini cheesecakes, fruit plates, chocolate covered strawberries, red velvet cupcakes etc. But kudos to the Haagen dazs crew for a real dessert station.

Once the Johnnie was flowing, I was fine and boy did it flow! It was very easy to get drinks which is always a plus at a fete.

The restrooms were always clean despite the mud. They also provided, lotion, mints and gum in the female restroom.

The music was really good with a wide variety of tunes coming from Private Ryan, Alicia the Duchess and Smoke. But even with the drinks and good music, there was something lacking. I'm not sure what it was, but the vibes were not has high as last year, or it could have been the rain, or that the fete was a replica of years past. Probably Frenchmen needs to change up the formula because I've attended this fete too many times and it's become boring for me, but whatever it is, I will be there next year...

French Lyme 2012

It's pretty clear that Mas Camp Fridays is facing some serious competition with alternatives such as Island Village and French Lyme. French Lyme was held on the last 3 Wednesdays at Barbican Beach with no cover charge (yay!). Although I only went to 2 sessions, I really enjoyed myself. It was also obvious that there seems to be no problem among the patrons with feteing on a Wednesday night.

On the first night, I was not impressed with the initial DJ (not sure who he was), who obvioulsy loves Bunji Garlin's Irregular, but the music picked up once Smoke took over with lots of new tunes. Another shortcoming was that the service at the bar needed to be more effecient. I also felt that the one toilet was insufficient. But I can't complain too much since the vibes were plenty and I can't ignore that there was no cover charge.

I hope French lyme makes a return next year, and if it does, I'm sure it will attract a much bigger crowd...

Again, the unofficial tdd photographer fire the wuk so I had to borrow a pic from SKKAN Media's page on fb

Miss Beach Jouvert? Yuh Mad?

I can safely say that Beach Jouvert made a decent recovery this year and I can safely say that this is the best one I've been to since 2009...Why? Because that was the last time Machel Montano had performed...

Since I was late (as usual), I was worried that we would not get a good parking spot and would have to park on the main road. To my surprise, there was a large space that was cleared to accommodate parking. This was a great idea that eased parking woes. In addition, a shuttle was provided to carry us from the parking lot to the venue. Thank you Bacchanal for making such a breakthrough!

I got into the venue about 5:30pm and the paint distribution was in full swing. I then made my way to the bar which was also an easier task than previous years. I've also learnt to bring my own cup to fetes since I can't deal with these itty bitty disposal cups and the constant trips to the bar, so yes, I will walk with my own 16oz cup...

Wow, and was there vibes...vibes that cyar done! People just need soca, alcohol and paint and they let loose, leaving all their Kingston stress behind. And the outfits were on point (well for the most part)...the dress could best be described as skimpy-sexy...

The music was okay, but I'm concerned about Bacchanal's approval of Bambino as a soca DJ. Please, I beg you, do not hire this man again. I am sure that he's pretty good at regular parties and dancehall sessions but for fetes, no. The man just chat, chat, and chat some more. He could not let a song play without opening his trap. I wished that the mic would just stop working, but then again he's so caught up in himself that he would probably just continue chatting...

Now the high point was Machel's performance which lasted a little over 2 hours. It was tune after tune, after tune, and he didn't even start to sing tunes yet. And even the great Machel can sing other artistes' songs. His voice was clear, he had a great selection of songs, the band was consistent, Patrice was blah, the dancers were ok, Nappy was his usual self, and the crowd enjoyed every moment of it. My only complaint was that he stopped too many times to allow the crowd to sing the lyrics to some of the songs...But if you didn't know the songs, I strongly suggest you get a copy of the Double M album.

Beach Jouvert has always been one of my favourite events in Jamaica, but this year, there was a clear improvement in the organization, which should be expected with the increase in price. It is also important for them to note that a big headline act is important so it was a really good idea to keep Messtra, oops, I mean Destra for Jouvert this Friday...

I don't have any of my own pics since the unofficial photographer didn't want to carry his bashy camera so I borrowed from TriniJungleJuice's Teaser pics...

Double M for Beach Jouvert!

I think that it is fitting to have Machel and his band perform at Beach Jouvert as we need to recover from that Mess that was Beach Jouvert last year. In addition, the last time I had a ball at BJ was a couple years ago when Machel performed...it shaat!

So we expect nothing less than perfection from Mr HD,especially coming off his triple win in T&T. I will say it again and again, Machel Montano is soca. There is no other artiste that has taken the genre to the level that he has...so get ready to PYF!

Also, remember your essentials for beach jouvert:
http://dougladiaries.blogspot.com/2011/04/who-say-beach-jouvert-later.html

Sundown Cooler fete

I heard about this fete pretty late but you know a Trini can't hear about a cooler fete and don't get excited. So almost immediately the planning for the contents of the cooler began. Mind you, I don't have a cooler, nor did any of the planners. So we decided to take Swappi's advice and get a bucket (since we can't afford to buy a cooler). But this excitement didn't last for long as we got a cooler borrowed from a good friend.

The fete was advertised from 4pm-11pm, but we got there around 8pm. Let's just say it was quite easy to get a parking spot at that time. By 9:30/10:00, the crowd came in but the fete wasn't ram; just the way I like it. The Constant Spring golf club's poolside was a smart choice as it accommodated the crowd and the coolers well.

Shotmaster J from T&T played for the most of the night and the tunes kept coming. Please note DJs in Jamaica, this is how you play soca, not the same 5 tunes playing over and over....He played lots of 2012 tunes, (which the crowd knew btw) mixed with some older songs which was cool.

I really enjoyed this fete especially the music. The vibe was nice and the drinks were flowing, which is one of the benefits of carrying your own. The cooler concept has definitely found a place in Jamaica and I look forward to doing this fete again next year...

***the pic is from Bad Dawg's fb page