Palancing on de Road 2010

I think that UWI Mona's Campus Carnival 2010 was one of the best I've experienced so far. The Trinbagonians on campus ensured that they would leave their mark on the ring road this year. They palanced and wined until the music was turned off.

Today, many students are not aware that this was one of the first carnival events in Jamaica and was pioneered by the Eastern Caribbean and Trinbagonian students. The Carnival then became the responsibility if the Student's Guild and was led by the various residential halls. Three years ago, I was fortunate to be a part of the Trinidad and Tobago Students Association who wanted to bring the island feel back to the event; of course this was met with resistance since campus carnival is a "hall thing". We still pursued and we have now made our third presence on the ring road. The TTSA band has been a tshirt band since its inception simply because it's cheaper and easier to coordinate, and we do those tshirts so well!

So big up all the Trinbagonians, Jamaicans, Bajans, Bahamians, Belizeans, Vincys, Caymanians and everyone else who made Saturday a great success for the Palancing on de Road Tshirt band. And we know that half the band was drunk cause the drinks were flowing...too many people were drinking "anything"! For one day, we didn't care about the Air Jamaica deal, flying fish, who preventing patties from coming in; who selling too much Trini products in their grocery etc...it was just pure Palance....so look out for us next year for sure!

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....