Digicel Spreading Love

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On the eve of Valentine's Day corporate giant Digicel teamed up with Radio Caribbean International to share some love.
What a lovely lime (no pun intended) it was. In less than two days, according to RCI's Programme Director, MacNaughton McLean, they were able to pull together a massive after work lime.
Billed as an afterwork concert, the event didn't disappoint. They used DJ HP, Digicel Pantime, and several popular soca acts to launch their new promotion where you pay $20 and talk for 1200 minutes over the next 5 days.
They begun with some 'fastest finger texting' where the MC called out some numbers and the persons who was able to put them onto his on her phone the fastest won the corresponding credit.
After that there was entertainment by soca acts led by Platinum George, followed by the reigning Groovy Soca Monarch, the immensely popular Herb Black. He was followed by Teddyson John and Ila Man. Reigning Soca Monarch Ricky T performed to an appreciative and frenzied crowd, boosting the confidence he needs to compete against Bunji Garlin in Trinidad for the International Soca Monarch in a week's time. We wish him well. The evening was brought to a close by Nicole David who is currently employed in a public relations capacity for Digicel.

We are happy when corporate sponsors utilize the culture to get their message across. We look forward to more events of this nature especially outside of the carnival season.

Alison headlines Caribbean Youth Fest

The 2008 edition of Caribbean Youth Fest was staged in the north of the island this time. Traditionally held in the south, between Mon Repos and Vieux Fort, the event moved to Samaans Park.
Keen to stick to the time constraints that they were asked to work within, the show started shortly after 4pm with the St Lucia School of Music Jazz Band. They were good but played to almost no one. The crowd built up as time went on but not to the numbers that the show had grown accustomed to in the south.
There was an interesting component of the show where new artistes were showcased in a mini competition. There were singers and one dance group. Most of them originated from Vieux Fort. The Twirl Girls, a duo dressed in pink and black and who are students of music, emerged the most popular. They are from the Hotness stable under the direction of Andrew ‘Yardie’ Haynes. Kayeh, a new dancehall artiste is certainly one to watch, he has great stage presence.
This year, the female presence was hot! The ladies looked the part and sounded even better. Marie-Anne is never one to disappoint and had her fans singing along with her as she delivered ‘Cheating’ and ‘Visa Expire’. Seasoned performer Trish had some help from Kayo as she delivered her ‘One Kiss’ track. Shanyah, a dancehall artiste also from Hotness is also one to watch. She has great voice range and is comfortable on stage. Yanica and Nicky also performed.
The audience was able to savour many genres of music, they were thrilled by VertX with lead singer Derek Yarde ensuring that they got involved and were ready to party with QShan Deya, Emrand Henry and Kakal who were just some of the artistes accompanied by the band.
There was a noticeable presence of dancehall on the show, performers like Zionomi, Mad Ele and Kyatt were instant hits with the audience who apparently knew their music by heart!! The presence of the dance groups - Heartbreak Dancers, Lockdown Squad and Hype Squad, was well appreciated and the audience could be seen moving along with them. Busy Signal with the immensely popular Belly Belly and Aidonia with Hundred Stab were the favourite dancing tracks. Apparently daggering is in, especially with the youth!
After the dancehall hype, Soca Queen Alison Hinds took to the stage after a top class introduction from MC Scady.
She started her set with ‘Togetherness’ and went through all the favourites like ‘Sugar’, ‘Raggamuffin’, ‘Faluma’ and even performed ‘Aye Aye Aye’ with Derek Yarde, she went into the 2008 tracks like ‘Soca In Meh Veins’ and ‘Drop It’. The Alison Hinds show has seen the addition of dancers to Alison’s set. They were on and off in bursts but appeared to dance for most of the 75-minute set. They certainly added colour to the performance.
There is boundless talent within the youth. It needs to be channeled and harnessed properly. Events like Caribbean Youth Fest allow the youth an avenue to share the stage with established performers and is a stepping stone to putting St Lucian artistes on the map.

Go Rachel, Go Rachel!!

It is always a joy to go to events at Samaan’s Park, simply because of the certainty that the venue will be transformed to suit the event. Tonight was no different and the Comedy Cabaret has certainly kept up with the entertainment I’ve seen in November to date.
The first (hopefully of many) Comedy Cabaret had four acts. It opened with the winner of the local Courts comedy show. Barbados’ Trevor ‘Dynamite’ Eastmond was next and was keen to point out that a cell phone is a dangerous thing. He cited several examples to make his case.
Blacka Ellis from Jamaica, dressed all in white took the stage after Trevor. He started his routine by complaining that he had been accommodated at Rendezvous and it was couples only and there was no TV in the room. He felt that it was a lousy excuse to say that men watch sports and the TV was a distraction. They need to find more creative ways to watch TV. He certainly hammered home the point that women have it easier than men in this world.
The night belonged to Rachel Price. I am sure she’s considered a national treasure in Trinidad & Tobago, or at the risk of being controversial, she definitely should be. She is hilarious, naturally. She has the ability to talk about herself and laugh and she makes you do it too. She almost seemed like a counsellor or sister and not a comedienne. She spoke candidly about sex, race, family life, religion and politics. Towards the end of her performance she used music to remember the old days and highlight how children now are influenced by music. It was quite entertaining.
While we laughed a lot at what was said, there will no doubt be internalisation and introspection. Humour brings us together but when the jokes on you, it may not be as funny. Tonight, all the acts demeaned and discredited Guyanese. As a proud born and bred Guyanese, it makes me wonder how being industrious and open to change makes for such dislike. Not all Guyanese, not even the majority have to run when you say immigration! I realise that it certainly goes beyond the fact that we can laugh about it. However, because I love to laugh and have risen above the indiscretions, I would actually go back to see any of these acts, they are good at what they do and Landmark Events is to be commended for putting them on the same cast.

World Creole Music Festival 2008

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2008 saw the staging of the twelfth edition of the World Creole Music Festival. This was the second consecutive year that the festival was held in the Windsor Park Sports Stadium. The opening night set the tone for the festival and patrons knew that there would be no stopping until the sun was firmly planted in the sky after sunrise each day! Each night saw the festival open with a segment called Festival Wive (festival has arrived) where a Dominican band would get things started as only they know how. Friday it was First Serenade’s turn. Ophelia Marie with Grammacks was next. Ophelia is always a joy to watch and she sang some classics as well as tracks from her new CD Celebration. Jeff Joe took the stage after her and gave the crowd a superb performance. When Oliver Ngoma took the stage, the soukous music filled the venue with a richness that confirmed that the creole music festival was underway. Dominica’s reggae superstar Nasio Fontaine added his voice to the night’s lineup. While he was mellow at times, persons from neighbouring islands who may never have seen him, got their opportunity. Nasio lacks the vigour that we have grown accustomed to in reggae music but his voice is solid and his songs are memorable. Carimi did not disappoint with their energetic performance that appeared a bit short because of their dynamism. The pioneers of bouyon music WCK closed the show at 7 on Saturday morning, their repertoire is quite extensive and they gladly delivered several tracks to the delight of the audience.

The second night of pulsating rhythms began with a local group MFR that absolutely blew the crowd away. Swinging Stars with Soca Monarch Daddy Chess took the stage and rendered a few numbers prior to the likes of Dice, Hunter, Wizard and other calypsonians. Djakout Muzik was up next and started off the zouk music for the night. it was interrupted for a while when Jamaica’s Sean Paul took the stage and absolutely turned the beat around! Having arrived on the island mere hours prior to the show, he delivered a stirring performance complete with his brother as his hype man, Farenheit as a sidekick and dancers as a welcome addition. Tabou Combo brought back the creole flavour and Triple Kay, one of Dominica’s hottest bands closed the show after sunrise.

The final night got off to a late start with Cornell Phillip followed by Belles Combo. Julie Mourillon former member of Exile One was next. When Kassav took the stage, the temperature rose a few degrees. Every track they delivered was a hit and they perform just as well today as they did in 1979! From Siwo to Kaye Manman to Zouk la se sel Medikamen they kept the crowd frenzied and even singled out the St Lucians for special mention. By the time Machel Montano HD hit the stage, it was absolute abandon and he gave one of his signature performances. He started with a high energy track and sustained. Farmer Nappy, Zan and Patrice Roberts also delivered within the ninety minute set. The dancers were a show in themselves and certainly looked sharp. Midnight Groovers brought the curtains down on the festival and what a great one it was. There was great food, ample drinks and of course the fun element.
Worthy of note, is that this year St Lucia’s host with the most, Mr Pringles graced the stage at the festival. He was a welcome addition and thrilled the crowd with his ease of movement between patois and english and of course his inimitable style. The other emcees were Dominicans Alex Bruno and Franklyn Moses.
Dominica celebrates their 30th anniversary of independence this year and the festival formed a part of the year long celebrations that ended with a reunion. As the island continues to develop, albeit at a slower pace than the sister islands, it continues to hold a natural charm that keeps visitors coming back.

Caesars Palace has nothing on us!!

For a tiny island to be showcased on Showtime in a non-traditional way is phenomenal. When that way is with boxing, it speaks volumes about vision. Sports tourism in St Lucia is certainly on the rise. On Friday November 16th, 2007 we saw five bouts in total, in differing weight classes. The boxers hailed from England, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo and the USA.
Michael Buffer was the ring announcer and our anthem for the main event was sung by Groovy Soca Monarch Teddyson John. The bout saw American Joey Abell emerge victorious over Teke Oruh of Nigeria. That bout, unlike others, went for the allotted number of rounds.
By now, non-St Lucians must be wondering what "hee salop" means as it resounded throughout the stadium with every punch that impacted. In fact, some persons were going there just to ensure it was said!
The Beausejour stadium has now had another sport staged on its grounds and with great success. The ringside seats were all taken up and patrons were too happy to stand on the side to enjoy the event. The stand immediately above the stage was over-subscribed and an adjacent one had to be opened.
Once again, the St Lucia Tourist Board is to be commended for hosting another simply fabulous event! I think they should do it again next weekend! Friday or Saturday? Hey that's their call!

Vino chiunque?

Whether you say vin, vino, wein or wine, it did not matter! The St Lucia Golf & Country Club’s new club house was the place and the occasion was the Bryden’s Wine Tasting for 2007.

The wines were sorted by regions, elegantly displayed and available for sampling. The target market was vast and included wholesalers, retailers, chefs, hoteliers and even doctors!

In keeping with the moment, I had particular interest in the table from Italy/Spain. I left knowing that the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is now on my wine list, as is the Villa Maria Pinot Noir from The Australian/New Zealand table! Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc and Monkey would also get a pick. Strangely enough there were two sweet wines that got my attention - Cadillac from France and Late Harvest from Chile.

Champagnes are always festive and the Moet & Chandon family did the trick for me!

Vino chiunque? (Wine anyone??)

I am Supergirl!

Your results:
You are Supergirl

Supergirl 93% Wonder Woman 88% Iron Man 85% Hulk 70% Green Lantern 70% Superman 60% Spider-Man 50% Catwoman 50% The Flash 40% Robin 38% Batman 35%

Lean, muscular and feminine. Honest and a defender of the innocent.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz


I have taken the time to do a superhero quiz (because I had to!) I am about to go to a Management Retreat and one of things I need to say about myself in my introduction is if I were a superhero, which one I'd be!
With my (very) limited knowledge of superheros I called my sister Aquila, simply because she has a toddler who loves Hulk. I told her I thought I'd be Superwoman, she reliably informed me that there is no Superwoman!!!! People just say that because there is a Superman...makes sense!
I did learn that she would like to be Flash because he disappears at will, it appealed to me for a bit but then we started discussing the fact that it can be misconstrued for wanting to shirk responsibility! That's not us! :)
It's surprising the things you'd admit to when you want to see what superhero you'd be! The quiz is quite interesting and I had to admit that I am a flirt who drinks and likes bad boys!!! Doesn't everyone do that??? How do they get by??
So now I am Supergirl!!! That makes me a super daughter, super sister, super aunt, super boss, super friend (I got that extension thing from Mr Pringles...him being Superman and all)

When I grow up what will I be? You got it!!