Omar's Blog (189)

This summer, theGrio went #travelnoire when Deputy Editor Natasha S. Alford flew to Bridgetown, Barbados for Crop Over 2017.  She jumped with Crop Over band Aura Experience, interviewed rapper and entrepreneur Rorrey “Gallest” Fenty about the moves he’s making on the island, and chronicled the beauty of Grand Kadooment.

Even in the midst of thousands of revelers in Barbados, it’s hard to miss Rorrey…

New Pics Of Rihanna Injured From The Chris Brown Beating Surface

Fans were infuriated when Chris Brown posted a comment on his former girlfriend Rihanna's Instagram page on Monday.

The Look At Me Now singer, who assaulted Rihanna back in 2009, posted a an icon of a pair of eyes after she shared an image of the skimpy costume she wore to the Crop Over Festival in her native Barbados that same…

“Yuh can’t keep a good woman down.”

Those were the fighting words of soca artiste, Destra Garcia, who is back home in Trinidad and Tobago recovering from an ankle injury she recently sustained during her performance in Bermuda last week.

Garcia underwent surgery at the St Clair Medical Hospital over the weekend.

In a message to fans on…

Bachannal Saturday winners Tian Winter and Ricardo Drue have swapped crowns in this year’s FLOW Party Monarch competition with the Tian taking the Groovy title and Ricardo the Jumpy when compared to last year’s show.

ID Nation frontman Ricardo Drue told OBSERVER media that what set his performance apart from the other contenders was that his rendition of “Another level”, was just simply on another…

On Monday, Rihanna made her annual appearance at Crop Over in Barbados and absolutely slayed in an outfit designed by local designer Lauren Austin.

Austin, who has worked with Rihanna since 2013, said of this year’s design, “I’ve been designing Crop Over costumes for around seven years. I met Rihanna through Matthew Ashby and her brother Rorrey Fenty. I love how daring Rihanna is — her style is edgy and…

DESTRA GARCIA AND FERNANDO OLIVA DURING THE INCIDENT THAT THE BELIZEAN SAID RESULTED IN HIS BLADDER BEING RUPTURED.

Destra Garcia’s energy on stage makes her one of the Caribbean’s most popular soca artistes, but it has landed her in trouble with the Belize Supreme Court.

The court has ordered the Trinidadian to pay just over US$8,000 after it found that she injured Belizean Fernando Oliva while…

Spice Mas, Grenada If you haven't been to Grenada, you need to add it to your list… and soon. Affectionately known as the "Spice Island," it's only right that their annual carnival would be known as "Spice Mas." The most anticipated event of the year for locals and tourists alike, Spice Mas transforms the island of Grenada into a celebration like none other. Jab Jabs, which are unique to…

The Carnival Road March is the musical composition played most often at the "judging points" along the parade route during Carnival. Originating as part of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, the term has been applied to other Caribbean carnivals.

In…

In terms of historical standing in the Caribbean region, few can match the overall impact of Trinidad & Tobago. This twin republic has given the world: limbo (the dance form), calypso (the music style) and steelpan (the musical instrument), in addition to just enough cultural oddities to make those islands stand out. The landscape, the language, the food and especially the people all are a part of the potpourri that makes the islands a…

The Caribbean melting pot is a forge that year in and year out cranks out truly epic parties. Blend Afro-Caribbean music and a cupful of rum and you've got yourself a bashment that knows no boundaries.

The region hosts hundreds of celebrations annually, from casual local "jump-ups" to world-class cultural festivals to knee-walking, all-night blowouts. Here's a forecast of the early spring and summer frolics…

BAHAMAS PRIME MINISTER PERRY CHRISTIE SAYS HE WILL ANNOUNCE THE ELECTION DATE SOON.

The popular Junkanoo Carnival has been delayed but general elections are definitely on in the Bahamas.

Twenty-four hours after Prime Minister Perry Christie announced that Parliament would be dissolved next  Tuesday, April 11, officials revealed that the annual festival will now be held from May 18-20, two weeks behind the…

Portela, one of Rio de Janeiro’s best-known samba schools, has been crowned the champion of this year’s Carnival parades. This is the school’s first winning title in 33 years, earning a score this year of 269.9 points with an allegorical story about the importance of water and its relationship to human life.

This is Portela’s 22nd title in its 93-year history, making it Rio’s most…