|
Dizzy, dizzy comes Carnival
Posted: Friday, January 24, 2003
by Peter Blood
Former Queen of Hockey Mary Sui Butt evokes memories of
Scrunter's "Chinee iron woman" as she leads her hockey posse
with rhythm at Sunday's Trinity College's Soka in Moka 4.
This high-spirited female patron at Sunday's
Soka in Moka 4 all-inclusive fete at Trinity College
finds herself at the centre of a soca sandwich.
Photos: David Wears
Exclusive inclusive fete action
IT seems as though last weekend has not ended, so hectic has been this Carnival's daily schedule of events. Last week, I actually spent five consecutive evenings at William Munro's Club Caribbean on Wrightson Road attending Carnival launchings of one kind or another. As recently as last night, there was the wrap to Calypso Rose Day in Port-of-Spain, and the opening of the Customs & Excise Sports Club & Lounge in St James.
Last Friday's after-work agenda sped past like a blur and its dizzying itinerary included the Comme Ce, Comme Ca lime at Barbarossa's Woodbrook mas camp; Anthony Alexis' triple-CD launch at The Mas Camp Pub; the launch of Nikki on the Promenade '03 at Club Caribbean; and after-work limes as well by the producers of Piche mas band and Trini Revellers' The Gathering of the Tribes.
The Barbarossa lime was huge and featured performances by Ghetto Flex & Rocky, Shurwayne Winchester, Sean Caruth, Stacey Sobers, Burton Toney, Knycky Cordner and Curtis "Luv Sponge" Oliver.
At the launch, I learned that Barbarossa has secured sponsorship from Atlanta mega company iKobo Money Transfers. Under the deal, foreigners can pay for costumes via iKobo and collect their costumes upon arrival in Trinidad.
Alexis' Mas Camp CD launch unveiled the music of Len "Boogsie" Sharpe, via a performance by Anslem Douglas of "Music in We Blood"; Chris Garcia doing a provocative performance of "Ah Feelin' to Rock," and being encored thunderously; and, Marvellous Marva rendering the more sombre "Holding On."
Saturday night brought out the maturity of some of our younger performers with Onika Bostik and Naya George competently addressing a large Club Caribbean gathering at the launch of the NLCB International Soca Monarch competition. Naya's elder brother, Iwer, also addressed guests.
But, the weekend's icing on the cake was undoubtedly Sunday's Soca in Moka 4, the all-inclusive fete produced by Trinity College. This one confirmed just how awesome a force Atlantik will be this Carnival.
Visually a stimulating experience, the trio of Atlantik frontline vocalists, Destra, Ronnie McIntosh and Marvinn, kept the large turnout on a high throughout their breathtaking performance. Atlantik was the most exquisite fine-tuned and well precisioned soca bomb on the night, although Roy Cape All Stars held its own later to round off proceedings just after 11 pm.
This weekend, the action turns to St Clair for one of the season's most talked about all-inclusive fetes, Outta de Blue IV, at QRC Grounds tomorrow evening.
The high profile inclusion of the national instrument makes this one a most unique outing, fielding both the reigning World Steelband Music Festival champion (Exodus) and National Panorama champion (Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars). At midnight, there will be a J'Ouvert jump-up around the college, with music by World Wide steelband.
Outta de Blue IV is also served by Roy Cape All Stars, Blue Ventures and DJ Hurricane George, plus a guest performance by Shadow. Party time is 4 pm.
On Sunday, "the mother of all-inclusive fetes" takes place. From 12 noon, everybody who is somebody is expected to touch down on the St Augustine campus of UWI where the UWI Development & Endowment Fund Committee will host its annual fund-raiser.
This year, patrons can look forward to first-class entertainment from Blue Ventures, Roy Cape All Stars, and DJs Crosby and Hurricane George. Not only will guests be treated to non-stop music, food and drinks but they will be eligible for giveaways and the door prize of tickets to Washington and Miami courtesy BWIA.
The event is one of several annual fund raising initiatives undertaken by the Fund Committee. Over the past 12 years, the UWI Fete has provided funding for some 500 Bursaries to deserving students. The overall value of the bursaries has also jumped from $75,000 in 1992, to $465,000 in 2002. As a direct result of successful Carnival fetes in the past, the Fund has been able to increase the number of bursaries to deserving students.
Sunday's other major event is the preliminary of the 2003 NLCB International Soca Monarch Competition, at Club Caribbean. Over 100 hopeful artistes are expected to make a bid for placings in the semi-final, scheduled for February 14.
Believe it or not, the Carnival mas band launching still continue, including the eagerly unveiling of Peter Minshall's Ship of Fools. However, Witco Desperadoes will launch its own nautical mas, Sailors From D'Hill, tonight. The launch takes place at D'Pan Theatre on Laventille Road and music will come from Despers, Laventille Serenaders, North West Laventille Performers and a host of top soca artistes.
 Send page by E-Mail
|
|
