Icom's Blog – October 2019 Archive (34)

The Royal St. Lucia Turf Club (RSLTC) took the next step towards its Dec. 13 grand opening earlier this week with the arrival of 40 Thoroughbreds from America. The delivery of the horses via an IRT plane was unlike anything the Caribbean nation had ever seen and brought chills to many witnesses.

“What most people didn’t think would happen is happening,” St. Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet said. “The…

When?

Sunday November 10 and Saturday November 16.

Where?

The festival takes place at the glorious Seaworks in Williamstown. Parking is limited and public transport is a much better bet. For something different, you can even hop on a ferry from Southbank. This year will also see JMFF hit Sydney for the first time…

Uriel J Winfree III does not believe in limiting himself in any way. He also refuses to be judged by society’s conventions and it shows in his life and his art.

Based in Brooklyn, New York, Winfree is a singer, songwriter, tattoo artist and actor.

He was in TT for the 2019 Trinidad International Tattoo Fest on September 14 and 15, as well as to visit family. His…

Prince Swanny is getting the help of Trinidad James to make it big in the music industry.

James, a Trinidadian who is a rapper and actor in the US, introduced the young dancehall singer to the US market via Sway in the morning on Sirius XM.

The show is hosted by Sway Calloway, a journalist, rapper, businessman, television and radio host. …

Glowsticks, costumes and hypnotic beats are the recipe for the greatest night raving. With clubs like Iris, Ravine and District continuously hosting the hottest raves in Atlanta, there's one rave coming to the city in December that has its own unique factor. This rave coming to Atlanta for one night is inspired by Afro-Caribbean beats. This is the perfect thing to do in Atlanta if you're looking to dance all night long.…

Over the Columbus Day Holiday weekend, excitement was stoked throughout the South Florida Caribbean community courtesy of the 2019 installment of Miami Carnival, as well as all the festivities and celebrations that sprouted therefrom. This year’s Miami Carnival marked its 35^th anniversary, with North Miami serving as the situs of the first Carnival back in 1984.   Naturally, the purpose of this marvelous event is to celebrate and showcase…

Where does the name Sergie come from?

My Christian name is Sergia. My family and friends would always call me Sergie, and I felt it was a good stage name for me as an artiste.

So who is Sergie? Are you a soca artist or a Lucian first?

I was born and raised on this beautiful 238 square…

St Lucian artist and producer Lashley ‘Motto’ Winter is apologising to the people of Dominica for a statement he made while performing at the World Creole Music Festival on Sunday night.

While performing on the last night of the Dominica World Creole Music Festival, Motto said Bouyon music started in St Lucia.

The claim had many Dominicans taking to social media…

The culture ministry has said that it still stands by the goal to have a single adult carnival in Cayman next May and the government-approved weekend for the combination of the Batabano and CayMAS parades on Grand Cayman remains 9 May. But organisers behind the CayMAS carnival have said that they will not be joining forces with Batabano and will instead hold their event on Discovery Day weekend (May 14-18) because government’s choice falls on Mother’s…

SOUTH FLORIDA – With the Miami Carnival a historical success, South Florida residents have over two weeks to get rest and be ready for the Food, Wine and Fete produced by Vanessa James Media! The first of its kind culinary event celebrating the brightest chefs, mixologists and delights of the Caribbean in an all-inclusive Soca Fete experience!

This tasteful and entertaining event will be held on Saturday,…

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas is getting ready for a festive weekend as the 2019 Las Vegas Sin City Bacchanal Carnival Day Parade will be held on Oct. 26 in the downtown Arts District.

The event, is a celebration of the valley’s ties to the Latin American and Caribbean region as the community’s population is growing.

The parade will feature floats, masqueraders in…

Jodie Williams was made for the stage. Writing skills? That’s a check! The ability to sing and act? Big check! Good looks? That’s a plus as well!

From the age of 14 he was putting in the effort penning his own poetic works and songs.

He told Bajan Vibes that he has no favourite genre to perform or write as he does both and has a…

Trinidad and Tobago may still lay claim to the heart of Caribbean Carnivals, but don’t sleep on the amazing celebrations the East Coast of the United States has to offer. Every year the East Coast plays host to a bevy of vibrant events, from Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa, Tallahassee, Atlanta to Boston. These cultural cornerstones show just have much Caribbean cultural influence has grown…

Atlanta is a massive hub for culture and diversity; we love to celebrate with huge events throughout the city every year. From Afropunk to one of the most successful pride parades in the country, there’s something to celebrate for everyone. The Atlanta Caribbean festival in 2020 will be here and will be the brightest and most colorful cultural celebration you’ll see all year.

The 32nd Annual Atlanta…

He is described as one of the best soca disc jockeys locally, but it is not because he is better at selecting or scratch-mixing than the next person to touch the console. The compliment is owed to his unique style of introducing new music into a playlist that other disc jockeys are convinced will only pull the attention of the people if it features the hit songs of the season.

Self-taught at the art…

Dawnn Jaffier, 26, was shot and killed while at the Caribbean Festival in Boston.

Violence has taken place at and around Caribbean festivals in both Boston and Cambridge repeatedly in recent years. Incidents include:

• On Aug. 24, 2019, two men exchanged gunfire in plain view of officers at Boston’s J’ouvert Parade.…

Vaughan Ward 4 Coun. Sandra Yeung-Racco allegedly pushed for the Caribbean festival to be shut down, according to the lawsuit.

A company that staged a Caribbean cultural festival in Vaughan in 2018 has sued the city for $25.5 million after officials shut the event down two days early, citing noise complaints.

Mayor Maurizio…

The story of Jean and Dinah, also known as Yankee Gone, the first hit calypso by Mighty Sparrow, is a social commentary on life in Trinidad in the post-World War II era in more ways than one.

The narrative reflects the large-scale prostitution that was supported by the US marines who were stationed at American military bases in Chaguaramas, the impact of US naval withdrawal on local sex workers, and the…

Bashment soca artiste Mole, whose song Breathe is still riding a wave of popularity following Crop Over, was in demand at Miami Carnival last weekend.

The young artiste (real name Reco Cumberbatch) and his team, which included producer Dutty Tallics, manager Sharon Carew-White and singer Brucelee Almightee, went to give carnival goers a…

It started with “Perfect Body”. A snippet of the 2018 release from Saveion was uploaded to his Instagram page. It was there that a member of Jamaica’s musical royalty heard it and sent the young Saint Lucian artiste a private message.

Fast forward a few months later, and now Saveion is working on his first EP with a legendary Jamaican songwriter and producer.

But…