Icom's Blog – March 2020 Archive (17)

The calendar for March, April and May was jam-packed with band launches for this year’s Notting Hill Carnival, scheduled to be held on the August bank holiday Sunday 30 and Monday 31 August.

However, coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused all these band launches to be either postponed or cancelled.

It is uncertain whether any of these band launches will go ahead, or…

You’ve probably seen the photos from Trinidad’s Carnival by now and regret not making your way over to the Caribbean island to bust a little wine. And if you’re a carnival veteran, you’re already experiencing “ah tabanca” (the longing to return). Lucky for you, even though Jamaica cancelled it’s Carnival celebration slated for next month due to Coronavirus, there are plenty of carnivals left in 2020 to get on bad. From Miami to Jamaica, and yes, even…

In case you got too busy and didn’t catch up on all the fun at the 2017 Cape Town Carnival, don’t worry because we got you covered. The 8th Annual Cape Town Carnival took place this past weekend. The theme of the carnival was Amaza Ocean Odyssey.

The parade kicked off after the Mayor of Cape Town declared it open by cutting a ribbon. Speaking on the…

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. March 20, 2020: No sector is being spared the wrath of the global pandemic that is the coronavirus, especially the entertainment and events sector.

With 15 cases and one death reported in Jamaica, three in the U.S. Virgin Islands, one case in Sint Maarten and three in The Bahamas, the carnivals for Jamaica, St. Thomas and the Bahamas are all now postponed as is the carnival…

The confirmation of a second imported case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, as well as the global pandemic, has begun to have an effect on the staging of two major entertainment events.

The University of the West Indies, Mona has announced the postponement of its annual carnival which was set to take place on the campus this weekend, while popular party…

The Cultural Division has made a decision to cancel all Domfesta events for 2020.

“Because of concerns over the Coronavirus and based on recommendations from our ministry, the Cultural Division has decided to cancel all our Domfesta events scheduled to be held in May this year, including our Domfesta song contest,” Chief Cultural Officer Raymond Lawrence said during an interview on State-Owned Radio…

As more cases of coronavirus are confirmed across the Caribbean, the United States, Canada and Europe, some soca artistes and DJs are rethinking their travel plans for the next few months.

In a Facebook message, Olatunji Yearwood said his team, Chinese Laundry Music & Management, has decided to suspend all travel arrangements until further notice.

“Team…

Revellers have been urged to take precautions as they wine to the rhythm of soca and calypso at carnival events because of heightened concern over the spread of the novel coronavirus here.

Carmen Brissett, the vice-president of the Nurses’ Association of Jamaica, has also warned that carnival-goers might have to consider skipping the festivities completely.…

Despite not having any reported cases of COVID-19, Jamaica is amongst the latest country to issue precautionary measures against large public gatherings. And that includes the beloved Jamaica Carnival celebration, which was scheduled to take place next month.

As it steadily becomes one of the Caribbean’s most anticipated events, Jamaica Carnival infuses soca and dancehall in the best way possible. Set in…

ANTON "Amptone" Wilcox thinks while most people support the idea of soca breaking into foreign mainstream markets, those very people are the biggest problem to this being achieved as they most enjoy the seasonal aspect of the music.

Wilcox asks the question, where does soca fit in globally if people only relate to a narrative of jump, wave and wine during the Carnival season? For Wilcox, changing the…

“We ready, de bacchanal now start, because we reach in de Savannah, we reach in de Savannah!”

Somewhere around the twelfth time you hear this intoxicatingly catchy refrain in the Iwer George soca jam “Savannah,” you and your crew of early morning Carnival revelers may well find yourselves in that very position, rum drinks in hand, dancing your way up to the Savannah — the Queen’s Park Savannah — a large…

The men of soca have been stepping up their fashion game in recent years and one man is at the centre of that trend, ensuring the stars look their best when they step into the spotlight.

Ecliff Elie, a bespoke menswear designer from Trinidad, has been the go-to man for many soca stars in recent years.

Elie, who started his career in fashion designing for…

When you think of Carnival, soca music naturally springs to mind. And when you think of Jamaica, dancehall inevitably pops up.

But what do you get when you mix the two? Well, you'll find out on the road next month with Xaymaca International as the Carnival titans have flipped the script to make it a perfect soca and dancehall fusion!

Having started the blend last…

Less than a week after Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival had ended, one US based artiste began thinking and working on the prospects for 2021. One Voice, an entertainer with a heart of gold, says no matter the challenges faced in the business, his love for Soca music keeps him focused on the prize and he knows he will conquer what many may see as far-fetched.…

Mountainous Montserrat created one of soca/calypso's

most identifiable songs

- Alphonsus “Arrow” Cassell’s 1984 Hot, Hot, Hot.

Following Arrow, it might be hard for those outside the country to pinpoint another calypsonian or soca artiste with that kind of impact but Trevon “Ttrevvle” Pollard is seeking to change…

Are you looking for a unique festival in Florida to go to this spring? Well, you're in luck, because a giant celebration full of color, cultural diversity, live music, and delicious food is about to take over Orlando in March. This festival all about the Caribbean is going to be wild and we seriously can't wait to be apart of it. 

Orlando Caribbean Festival 2020 is taking over the grounds of the Camping…

Dancehall artiste Ding Dong has described the soca world as territorial, arguing that this is the reason dancehall songs on soca rhythms have never become hits.

Ding Dong, who released Run Up and Down, a soca collaboration with Mr Killa last month, said that he hopes the collab will be accepted by fans of the genre, adding that he is not doing soca to try and take over.…