Bunji and Fay Ann in Jamaica 2013

Although I wasn't too keen on Bacchanal Jamaica's events this year, I had to go to see Bunji and Fay Ann.  This was my first time at the new mas camp venue which I really appreciated, especially the parking, so there was no hassle to park on the streets.  On another note, I wonder what happened to the guys who made money off of parking near the old mas camp?

I always opt for VIP if I'm going to a performance night.  The area was big enough with an adequate view of the stage. VIP included drinks and food.  I got enough drinks, but I had to wait too long because the bar service was way too slow. I also didn't get any food which didn't seem like enough in the first place. 

Bunji and Fay Ann's performance was on point as expected.  I really like that the Jamaican audience is in love with Bunji's Differentology.  Fay Ann also got love from the audience.  Her voice was powerful as ever without much help from backing tracks. It seems now that it's hard to get artistes who cannot sing on their own.  Bunji delivered his major tunes and did a little freestyle.  After almost 2 hours of non stop performing, the crowd was not ready for the show to end.  And the funny thing is that they still had songs they hadn't even performed yet. 

After the performance, I limed for about another hour while DJ Richie Ras played. Richie is up to date with his play list and his mixing skills are impressive.  Finally, a Jamaican DJ that gets it!

This was a great show and I really enjoyed it especially with my Trinbagonian posse.  I just hope that Bacchanal can do more about the food and drink in VIP.

**pic is from the Sleek fb page.  Check them out for more pics

Kees (Kay ees)....

You all know how much I LOVE Kees Dieffenthaller; yes I am a Kees groupie. And I am not a recent groupie; I achieved groupie status since he was in Gregory's dream. I bet all the newbie groupies never knew that! I only have 2 celebrity crushes- Kees and Damian Marley (so you are probably concluding that I have a thing for red rasta man- yuh damn right!). So it's no surprise that I am so excited about his performace at mas camp this Friday. I've seen him perform so many times this year but I don't care cuz right now I just wotless...any way back on track. Kes the band along with Nadia Batson will mash up mas camp on Friday so look for me up front and center waiting exactly 12 minutes for him to take off his shirt...

Check out my post from last year on his performance at mas camp. You can also view his video for Wotless or his winning soca monarch performance. Ensure that you legally download the album, Wotless Carnival Album. I'm listening to it right now and my fave tracks are Come Gyal, Where yuh from, Heaven and Melee.

Shurwayne at Mas Camp and Where were the Bajans???

I know that I said I wouldn't go but I was somewhat bored on Friday night and linked up with some friends at mas camp. We got there in time to get drinks at the bar and position ourselves for the show. I must say that Pure Country did a great job as the sponsor that night. They had so many sample drinks that you didn't need to purchase any and if you did, you got a complimentary juice...niceness.

So this is how Simone Morgan from the Jamaica Observer felt about Shurwayne Winchester's performance at mas camp on Friday night: "Camp trembled with excitement on Friday night as the soca prince T&T's Shurwayne Winchester and his band Y.O.U. ignited a bacchanal flame that blazed for the duration of his hour and a half-long performance. Filled with energy, sparks and melodious lyrics the Trinidad and Tobago artiste had the revellers at Mas Camp easily under his command as he delivered a string of hits including Murda, Dont Stop, Tempo, Cant Wait, Party Hard, Wutlis, Wine to the Side, Wine on a Town Ting and Paparazzi...."

Again, I'm not sure about Ms. Morgan's review but this performance was boring at its best. This is the first time that I've seen Shurwayne perform with his band, Y.O.U. after he left Traffik. I always say that not all persons are well equipped to leave their band and Shurwayne is one of them. It was difficult for him to carry some of the songs on his own such as Wine to the side, Town ting, Wotless and Palance....the vibe just wasn't there and his voice didn't hold up to complete the verses. But he did do well with his own compositions- Don't stop, De Band Coming and Dead or Alive which went well with the crowd. He also got the crowd to respond to his water throwing demands which I think is just dumb. I hate to see people waste good water especially since this time last year, we were experiencing a severe shortage of water, and it's just plain inconsiderate to throw a drink on other patrons. But the people love this so give them what they want. And of course the crowd loved the island identification session- "Anybody from..."; let's just say that the Bajans were either pretty quiet that night or just stayed at home....

After the show, Kurt Riley attempted to play some tunes to end the night. What's wrong with Kurt Riley? It was such an amateur session...1 song-stop-talk-play same song-stop-talk some more-play same song- stop- talk louder- talk-same song. So he played 2 songs within half of an hour. And people argue with me that he's the best soca DJ in Jamaica...whatever....

So this Friday, Iwer George will be there so I'm definitely sitting that one out..and preparing for my boy Kees <3

*** the pic came from the Observer since my photographer fire the wuk...so I'm looking for a new photographer :)

Feteing this week and Gully Matters

This weekend things are gearing up for Carnival in Jamaica. It all begins tonight at mas camp with Shurwayne Winchester as their live act...I'm not a big Shurwayne fan especially after that mess at this year's groovy soca finals. Shurwayne has a great voice and I only like a few of his songs- Doh Stop, Carnival Please Stay, Make it Yours (with Maxi Priest) and Murder. Dead or Alive and De Band Coming are my least favourites but these tunes are big here in Jamaica 6 years later. If I get a lime, I'll go but no rush for this performance, I'm saving my excitement for Kees!!!

Tomorrow, Island Mas has moved its weekly fete to Village Blues Bar which is a tiny venue but I'm assuming that they have not been getting the turn out they want at Cuddyz...But they promise all the latest songs from DJ Billy and this week's guest selector, The Firestarter. But kudos to Island Mas for bringing a fresh vibe to Carnival in Jamaica. And finally, you can check out SOS on Sunday afternoon. I've been hearing that it's a more mature crowd but the music is good and the drinks are cheap.

On a costume note, final payments for costumes are due this upcoming week. The Sona section still has costumes and tshirts are also available for Frenchmen and Digicel.

On a Caricom note, just a warning to my Trinis, keep a low profile; you know we could easily be labelled as Bajan in Jamaica; and fake ignorance with any questions about the KMC-Movado feud...KMC who? Gully mi seh!

Imij at Mas Camp

Imij and Company has been a staple at Bacchanal Jamaica's mas camp friday sessions as long as I could remember. 2 Fridays ago, I opted to pay JA$2000 to see one my fave bands, up front and centre in the VIP section. First, let me address this folly called the VIP in mas camp. Just because I have a great view of the stage, does not mean that you have to rob me of the rest of the VIP experience. The drinks were so limited...I asked the bartender what were the chasers available for the Smirnoff green apple vodka...she indicated that I had a choice between ting and tonic water...eewwww. Eventually they located some orange juice so it was vodka and orange juice for me which still wasn't a VIP kind of drink.

Imij gave a great performance as usual but I really enjoyed that they did many of the 2011 songs as well as their own. So yes, Imij has their own songs! Michelle's Feteing for Days (which I Love!) and Ricardo Drue's No Boring Gyal are great compositions with catchy tunes. Ghetto Flex's salute to Buju was the best part of their performance...so yes, Trinis could sing reggae too! But I'm not feeling the band's back up dancers; their choreography is weak and does not flow with the rest of the show. The performance lasted for over an hour and was well received by the audience.

The mas camp crowd was not as large but I was told by many that this has been the case for the past couple weeks. Even a report on the local entertainment show ER, highlighted some of the shortcomings- the selector, the same themes and the early end. Last year, I decided that I would only attend on the band nights because it's just BORING without a band with the same 10 songs in repetition. But a lot more people are not feeling the mas camp vibe so the mas camp authorities need to look into revamping their formula....

Where was Destra?

I have been a Destra fan for a very long time. I remember when I first saw her perform Tremble it at a Spektakula show I attended with my family. Days later my brother could not stop talking about how good she looked in the nude body suit she wore and that he was in love. Since that night, I've looked forward to seeing her perform at my favourite fetes. Even when there were reports of her "diva" attitude throughout the years, I still remained loyal to my Dee. I felt that her songs offered more than the typical jump and wave but they were more about the emotions and passion that we all attach to carnival. I was proud when I came to Jamaica and saw how much they worshipped her.

Last year, I saw her perform twice and was very disappointed to see that there was a lot of lip syncing involved in her set. There was a clear change in her style to incorporate more of the "Beyonce type" dancing and singing which I did not appreciate since I believed she did not need those antics. What happened to days where artistes just focused on delivering their songs? I know that you are doing a show but never forget the primary focus should be your songs.

I know that it's difficult for women in the soca industry especially those who are wives and mothers. Male artistes just like other men in society are not subjected to the double burden of a career and a family. Destra made a huge sacrifice to her income when she took time off to have her daughter. So I understand the need for her to get back into the game as soon as possible.

Last night everyone was excited to see the return of their carnival diva. After a performance by Busy Signal (big steups), Destra came on the stage in one of her usual leotard type outfits which looked pretty good. She also had on some serious heels which I initially felt contributed to her energy lacking performance to the first couple of songs. She then went backstage to change into her Dereon boots (I guess that Beyonce is really one of her role models) and I expected a change in the pace of the performance...there was no change. It's the same performance I've been seeing for the last 3 years minus the energy...dutty wining and all...can you say yawn? If I ever have to see the bit that she does to I dare you ever again..... She calls a groups of guys and girls on the stage and asks them to demonstrate their best wine and then they wine one each other and the crowd decides which pair was the best yada yada yada....Moving on....since Denise Belfon and Alison Hinds weren't there, she wanted some volunteers to help her sing Obsessive winers...guess what? no volunteers after much begging and pleading. And I also need to mention the mini destras whose dancing I guess was supposed to give the set some kind of excitement. After about 3-4 costume changes...it became a distraction...bigger yawn.

But all was not bad because Destra did get support from her loyal fans especially when she gave them their favourites:Tremble it , Rag in de Air, Max it up, It's Carnival and Bacchanal. These last 2 songs were really the highlights of the performance and I did sweat a little at that point. She also performed for over an hour so the patrons got their money's worth.

I am not going to agree with persons who say, "It wasn't that bad, remember she just had a baby". She is in a profession where people are paying money to see her perform (and sing) so you need to ensure that what you put out is top notch. I am not trying to be unsympathetic but if you are not ready for the stage, take some more time off and perfect your craft. If you cannot give the audience the same fast paced performance then change your entire style; give us something new...reinvent yourself. Please don't use pregnancy as an excuse...it's not an illness...it's just a new phase of life..I'm not sure how empowering that statement is :)

Mess Camp Last Night

I have lost a lot of interest in mas camp on Friday nights for a couple of years now hence the reason why I decided to go only on band nights. However, I really wanted to see Shal last night and made my way there with a sponsor ticket so I could not go in the VIP section. I realized why I usually go the VIP section..these people are too wild in the regular section. I did not even get the chance to enjoy the performance because I was pushed, shoved, and three drinks were emptied on me...call me stoosh or whatever but not me again!

Now on to Shal...in the midst of dodging drinks and the mob attack, these were my observations:

1. Why did we hear more of the backing tracks rather than Shal's voice? Probably the microphone didn't work well at the time
2. Why did Shal sing Palance more than his own songs?
3. Is Shal part Jamaican? Because his accent and language was very Jamaican? I guess this may happen when you have been in a country for 24hrs.
4. After calling 5 girls on the stage, why couldn't any of them demonstrate a "wine and bend over"? It was very disappointing that not ONE of these girls could wine.
5. Where was Screws?

After Shal's performance, I decided to stay and enjoy the rest of the night. By this time, I had a lot to drink but not even alcohol could help me to enjoy this mess of a party. I am putting this out there again for the mas camp DJs, if you need a soca 2010 CD, let me know, I will drop one off for you...no charge! These DJs played so much CRAP last night that they should be sent for some kind of training on the basics of playing soca music in a party. There was no focus on the different periods of the songs with a lot of randomness, and there was too much repetition of the songs. There's no shortage of soca songs so you do not need to repeat the songs so often and don't get me started on the 3 new songs that I heard.

My next problem was the same DJ constantly asking patrons to throw their drinks in the air...ice and all. And I also blame the damn STUPID patrons who followed the DJ's request because the drinks were not free. Why would throw away the drink you paid good money for?

So how did this end? I left mas camp disappointed,wet and sticky from all those drinks that fell on me and sober.....

Shal at Mas Camp Tonight

In an attempt to attract more patrons to their non-band nights, Bacchanal Jamaica will be hosting Shal Marshall tonight at Mas Camp. I am hoping that Shal will not have to try too hard to gain the audience's attention. It is difficult to be the sole performer for the night especially with backing tracks. Shal has about four popular songs that I believe he will perform tonight: Love Somebody, Gyal Farm, Bum Bum Ville and Police (note that all of these are collaborations). I know that Shal is one of those DJs who wants to prove that he can successfully get into the soca game, a trend started by Chinese Laundry. Along with Slaughter and Jason Williams, these DJs are giving the veteran soca artises serious competition. Even at the Soca Monarch, JW and Blaze was able to capture the title over Faye Ann Lyons, and Shal and Screws had one of the best stage presentations which gave them fourth place.

The DJs also have the advantage of knowing what type of songs are appealing to their already familar audience. They also control the medium that get those songs to their audiences so they can't complain that the radio stations aren't playing their songs which are the constant cries of new soca artistes.

Btw, where's Screws???? Shal could have brought him too!

This Weekend in Kingston....

The Carnival vibes are picking up here in Kingston from today so I hope you're ready. It all begins with Bajan Soca Queen Alison Hind's performance at mas camp tonight. If it's one person that JA Carnival peeps love is Ms. Hinds so expect an excited and energetic crowd. You also know that she's going to perform one of the unofficial road march songs here, Roll it Gyal. Now the first time I heard this song, many years ago, I loved it because it adequately represented Caribbean women"s response to the liberation that soca music provides. Just look at the faces of women when this song is played. They are empowered, they want to wine and they want to dictate who they want to wine with: by themselves, with a man, with men or with women. Despite all these powers of the song, I've heard it too many times in this country. To me it's another song to lock away in the soca vault....but I still love you Alison!

Later on that night, students at the Mona campus will be chipping in Jóuvert at the Student"s union. There will be paint, drinks and soca music. The Head Bad Crew led by trinis have organized their Jóuvert band with Tshirt and drinks. This will lead into the annual Campus Carnival that goes around the ring road. The tradition of the Ring Road Carnival was pioneered by the Eastern Caribbean and Trinbagonian students in the 1980s. It emerged from a need to expose the campus to their Carnival culture as well as to satisfy the Carnival tabanca that many of them felt since they were not in their homeland for Carnival. The Trinidad and Tobago Students Assocation at the Mona campus is attempting to bring back this feel to the campus carnival with their Palancing on de Road tshirt band. Along with the Trinbagonian and Bajans from the Utech campus, TTSA is seeking to bring all islands together to jump, wave, wine, grind, get on bad, wuk up, push back, roll it and of course Palance. So look for us on the ring road tomorrow enjoying ourselves and leaving all thoughts about school, deadlines, assignments, exams etc. behind....