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SOCANEWSFreei115/june 2016ISSN 1464-7087socanews.com

SUN GODDESSNOTTING HILL CARNIVAL 2016

SOCANEWS

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regular07 NEWS

15 MUSIC DJ Spice Top Soca Tracks Music reviews Videos Soca on the Web New soca releases

25 EVENTS When and where to fete

JUNE/115 contents

features31 Enterprising Carnival

36 St Lucia Carnival

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get listedIf you are a carnival organiser, promoter, mas band, steelband, soca sound, community group or other participant who’s feeling left out because we didn’t mention your event, or if you’d like to advertise in the magazine or online, the remedy is in your hands. Get in touch! Give us a call on 0333 012 4643

features31 Enterprising Carnival

36 St Lucia Carnival

soca people18 mikey

reviews10 Luton Carnival Mas’ive 40!

20 China Enjoys a taste of rich caribbean rhythms

carnival28 carnival calendar

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The views expressed in Soca News are not necessarily the views of the editor or the publisher. All material contained within this publication is the copyright of Soca News. No material, written or photographic may be reproduced in any way without the written

permission of the publisher. No liability will be accepted for any errors which may occur within the magazine.

Published By Joseph Charles Publishing, 86 - 90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE. Telephone + 44 (0) 333 012 4643 Twitter | twitter.com/socanews Email | info@socanews.com

Instagram | instagram.com/socanews Facebook | facebook.com/socanews Website socanews.com

This issue of Soca News was brought to you by: Publisher & Editor Joseph Charles. Sub-Editor Katie Segal Consulting-Editor Stephen Spark. Layout & Design Joseph Charles & Lawson Lovell. Contributors Nicole-Rachelle Moore, Natasha Ofosu, Stephen Spark, Martin Jay & DJ Spice & Angela Chapell.

Photographers Stephen Spark, Victor Morris, Albert St Clair & Shutter In MotionThanks to Feminine Touch

news

Editor’sLetterThanks for tuning into another edition of Soca News, which this month puts us roughly 90 days before the big celebrations in the streets of Notting Hill.

Most mas bands have launched and presented their themes for carnival, and are now frantically bending, cutting, stitching and gluing to fulfill their masqueraders’ dreams. Throughout the UK, living rooms, garden sheds, back rooms and bedrooms are filled with the smells of melting glue sticks and burning plastic, with the sounds of soca - making time and fingers (and waists, sometimes) move faster.

We must say RIP to Muhammad Ali, who sadly passed away on Saturday 6 June, 2016. The world has lost a great man, aptly described by his own words: “I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want.”

Until the next issue, where we will focus on soca in the UK and the 2016 UK Soca Monarch competition.

Until the next time.

YOURS IN SOCA THE EDITOR

COVER PHOTOSUN GODDESS

Tears

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St Lucia Election Results: Riding the Crest of the Opposi-tion Victory WaveWORDS • NICOLE-RACHELLE MOORE

Monday 6 June saw St Lucia in the political limelight, as the United Workers’ Party won the country’s election, supplanting the St Lucia Labour Party which had been in office since 2011. The UWP’s triumph, winning 11 out of the 17 seats, was another example of what has been described as the “Caribbean tide of opposition election victories”. Allen Chastanet, the country’s new prime minister, was sworn in on Tuesday 7 June. Former Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony, who led the SLP, announced that he was step-ping down as leader, but would continue to serve the Vieux Fort constituency which he won in Monday’s polls. Until 2011, when the SLP won the elections (with seats to the UWP’s 6), now Prime Minister Allen Chastenet had been the country’s tourism minister. It is hoped that this experience places St Lucia in a better position to meaningfully

maximise its primary economic stream. Prime Minister Chastanet has urged his fellow citizens to abolish class, ethnic or political barriers in favour of working together to, “Make St Lucia the best place to live, the best place to work, the best place to visit and the best place to invest.” He said, “From today we shall begin to plough the land and plant seeds together. When har-vest time comes, we shall all share the produce equitably.” Chastanet showed he meant business by not declaring Tuesday a public holiday as has his-torically been the case after elections. Instead, less than 24 hours after his party’s unequivocal win, he was sworn in and spoke of the UWP being, “Serious about building a new St Lucia for all.”

news

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news

Cy Grant, Guyanese ‘Everyman’, To Be Celebrated WORDS • NICOLE-RACHELLE MOORE

The Cy Grant Trust was very recently awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant and, together with its partners The London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) and the Windrush Foundation, Grant is being celebrated and honoured through a project span-ning several months. The project will use material from the Cy Grant Archive, which the family of the Guyanese national donated to the LMA in 2014. A primary objective of the work is to encourage a connection with Grant through availability of relevant documents, films, manuscripts and pho-tographs that will inspire young people and raise an informed awareness of his achievements and experiences. By the time of his passing in 2010, at the age of 90, it was as if Cy Grant had packed many lives into one rather extraordinary one. Cy Grant was a Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant Navigator during World War II. After the war, he was as an activist in London’s African-Caribbean community, an actor, broadcaster, multi-ethnic arts community organiser, singer/song writer and writer. Grant’s appearances on the BBC’s nightly current affairs programme Tonight, made him the first black

person to feature so regularly on British television. Samantha Moxon, one of Grant’s four children, recently expressed her family’s enthusiasm for the upcoming project, saying, “This means a great deal to our family. My dad’s dream was that the importance of his work should be recognised and never forgotten.” The LMA’s director Geoff Pick said that they were, “delighted that we have been entrusted with the Cy Grant Archive and have become a key partner in preserving and making accessible this outstanding collection that traces the life and work of a very special Londoner and hero of the Black Caribbean community.” Included in the project, which runs until Spring 2017, will be an exhibition hosted by the Marcus Garvey Library in Tottenham, online resources, a school education pack, screenings at both the British Film Institute and the LMA as well as youth / inter-generational workshops. There will be a final celebration event to launch the archive catalogue, which will be available in 2017 via the LMA’s own online catalogue. The Cy Grant Archive adds to a growing number of archive collections donated to the LMA by the African-Caribbean community (including that of Eric and the late Jessica Huntley, also Guyanese).

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Arts Council supportIt was great to see Arts Council England support-ing Luton International Carnival’s 40th anniversary, with four national clients presenting work there: Paraiso and Mahogany from London, City Arts and EMCCAN from the Midlands, the latter with their new strategic touring work, ‘Flights of Fancy’. Luton’s carnival and its organising body, UKCCA, are also supported by ACE to develop carnival arts with local community groups, and many bands had Grants for the Arts lottery funding logo’s on display. See photos in ACE’s twitter and Flickr galleries.

Carnival, cancelled words • Katie Segal

Sadly, 2016 is a very much depleted year for UK car-nivals. Huddersfield Carnival has been cancelled. St Paul’s Afrikan Carnival has been cancelled. Preston Carnival has been cancelled. Reading Carnival has been cancelled for a second year. Of course, cuts are to blame. It is often the case that, although Arts Council England funding may cover some of the more creative aspects of an event, money for infrastructure requirements, which include the vital health and safety elements, came from the local council. Sadly, of course, the more popular an event, the more people to whom it brings joy, the greater those requirements. Huddersfield African Caribbean Cultural Trust have said that, with much less financial backing than usual, they need nine months to work on pur-suing the rest. Their ‘Make me Smile’ campaign is ongoing at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/huddersfield-carnival-2016 - or you can text your donation to 70070: HCCT01 £(donation amount). Plagued by difficulties, Reading Carnival has been cancelled before, in 2013. In 2014 it was cut down to four trucks and no costumes. It did not take place in 2015 due to failure to apply for a license, but this year it’s lack of funding. Hopes of hosting a smaller event have now also been dashed. Preston Carnival was cancelled this year after more than 40 years. Organisers have admitted that

they can no longer afford to stage the procession, which needs approximately £30,000 to meet costs. They hosted a static event on June 11, a ‘mini, pop-up carnival’ with costumes, food and music. St Pauls Afrikan Caribbean Carnival is also hosting a small, static replacement for the carnival this year: ‘Grass Roots Celebration 2016’ on 2 July. The event will be free, but they will be taking donations at the entrance. They are hoping to gain total ownership and control over their event, which is solely to promote Afrikan Caribbean Culture in Bristol.

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review

Luton car-nival Mas’Ive 40!Words + Photo • Angela Chapell

The 2016 UK carnival season began in style, with Luton International Carnival celebrating its 40th anniversary on May 29 - the bank holiday weekend. Commissioned by Luton Borough Council in partner-ship with UK Centre for Carnival Arts and Luton Cul-ture, it’s a huge event in the town’s cultural calendar, with crowds of 150 - 200,000 expected. 37 groups with a total of 947 masqueraders took to the streets, and the event lived up to its international reputation with communities representing the Caribbean, Latin America, Bolivia, Ireland, Poland and Ghana giving an eclectic mix of sounds, style and rhythms. Luton has always had great involvement from local schools, and seven took part this year alongside Luton Town Football Club, St Alban’s Cathedral and Bedfordshire Police. Local charities The Samaritans and Sickle Cell Anaemia have been producing fantas-tic Queen Costumes in recent years; with the support of UKCCA their confidence has rocketed, and they produced their ‘Fireworks’ rendition. The home grown talents of Rampage Mas never disappoint; they have a reputation as the most successful UK touring mas band, and their sumptuous Arabian theme and

horse embellished truck demonstrates the carnival arts talent in the town. Caribbean carnival costumes dominate the parade, alongside soca sound systems. It was a pleasure to hear pan on the road with Revel-lers Steel Band, in between the Samba Batteria, Polish marching bands and Irish pipes. The parade took a new circular route this year around the Wigmore Park area, bypassing the city centre but keeping the park busy for traders, funfair and stalls. Visiting carnival bands from Nottingham, Preston, Leeds, Leicester and London supported the parade, with huge Indian Chiefs, Kings and Queens, tiger fish, flowers and Power Rangers. UKCCA Artistic Director Clary Salandy has been working in Luton since 2014, and her exciting designs are interspersed throughout the parade - from billowing flowers and galloping horses to crazy spin-ning teapots. Great efforts were made this year to adorn trucks with dazzling flamingos, with galloping horses – even creating Luton’s own ‘Windrush’ ship. Stealing the show for me just had to be Hillsborough Junior School and Bedfordshire Police, with the best use of Her Majesty’s officers in a UK carnival: seeing four highly polished boots under a giant constable helmet playing mas and trying to keep their young troupe of revellers in line was truly a sight to behold.

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music

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music

dj spicetop 10 tracksDJ Spice is seven times International Soca DJ of the Year. You can catch him alongside DJ Norie on Power 105.1 FM, on Sunday’s from 8 to10pm, or at www.teamsoca.com

TURN ON DE SPEAKERGRYNNER

I'LL BE OKRUPEE

SO GOOD(WAHJANG RIDDIM)PROBLEM CHILD

JAB FOREVERSKINNY BANTON

BAM BAM BACKHYPA SOUNDS

TEK OFF SOMETHING (ONE O’CLOCK RIDDIM)STIFFY

COMFORTPATRICE ROBERTS

GOOD MORNINGPETER RAM

MONEY WELL SPENTBIGGIE IRIE

CALLING IN SICK(WAHJANG RIDDIM)KING BUBBA

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music

music reviews

serenade and friends first serenade

review by natasha ofosu

After a gap of almost a decade, one of Dominica’s foremost music groups, First Serenade Band, has released a new album. The 11 track collection, entitled Serenade and Friends, is the group’s fourteenth studio album. It comes nine years after their last album, Body Work, in 2007, and was unveiled during Mas Domnik 2016 - the island’s pre-Lenten carnival celebration. The new album showcases the band’s versatility and their desire to appeal to a diverse audience; it contains four genres of music, calypso, cadence, bouyon and country. Also included on the work are interpreta-tions of three American hits, Nah Break Us, based on Matthew Wilder’s Break My Stride from 1983, Jim Reeves’ country ballad He’ll Have to Go, and Halo by Beyonce. Serenade thanked their fans and sponsors for being “the driving force” behind their producing the album, and expressed the hope that it “brings musical contentment to its listening audience.” Formed in 1984 in the village of Pointe Michel, on Dominica’s south-west coast, Serenade quickly established themselves as one of the top bands on the island. They were capable of performing a variety of musi-cal styles, including zouk, calypso and the island’s new music bouyon (an electronic sound developed in the late 1980s, which fused traditional Dominican beats such as jing ping, cadence and quadrille with soca and calypso). They were prolific in their recordings, producing albums annu-ally from 1994 to 2002 and bi- or tri- annually before and after that period. Some of their more popular tunes included Bef La Laje, De Wiper, One Dance, Donkey Tricks, and Calypso Old Mas Medley. The band’s demise came in 2007 when, according to some mem-bers, “Internal pressure and external forces wanting to push their own agenda” forced them to split up. Then, in 2013, band manager Carlton Winston and trombonist Christopher Dangleben indicated that the band were planning a comeback with a mix of new and original members, after fans kept requesting to hear them play live. A revamped ten-member Serenade was launched in May 2014.

Dat BeatArthur Allain

Review by martin jay

St Lucia’s Arthur Allain is a music teacher by day, but outside school he’s a thriving soca artist with two groovy soca monarch titles to his name already. His first release in 2016 is Dat Beat, a title that refers to the magic that overwhelms you, makes you feel that you have to move, when you hear ‘dat beat’. EvaLucian, as Allain is some-times known, has definitely found his niche as a groovy soca artist, and this song will be another piece of his ever-growing armoury of sweet tunes. I don’t know too much about Minor Beats production but I do like what I am hearing in this song. Afro-soca is a term that many an artist in the Caribbean is using nowadays, and Arthur considers this to be his Afro-soca tune of the season. St Lucia’s carnival takes place in mid July, so this song has plenty of time to marinate in the minds of the revellers. It has a catchy hook that people will remember, and will find easy to sing whilst chipping down de road sipping on some Bounty Rum.

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socanews.com/music

new socareleases

videos

bessi downmr. legz HT

planet of the jabsslatta

go down lowmysta lyon

feting holidaymysterio

soca on the web

Sunday

7-9pm Soca on the Beat Smokey Joe & Danny D, The Beat 103.6FM, thebeat1036.com

5-8pm Mega Mix Show DJ Cris, vibesfm.com

6-8pm The Caribbean Affair Martin Jay, bakahnalradio.com

8-10PM BAKAHNAL IN D JUNCTION DJ Toro, bakahnalradio.com

monday

7-9pm Soca City Mz Tiny Winey, bakahnalradio.com

thursday6-8PM D BREAK AWAY SHOW Digga D, bakahnalradio.com

Friday

9-11pm Caribbean Sessions Showcase DJ CJay, caribbeansessions.co.uk

Saturday

12-2pm Caribbean House Party Feminine Touch, Supreme FM 99.8, supremefmlive.ning.com

If you have or know of a radio programme that you would like to see included in this section, please email admin@socanews.com with all the relevant infor-mation.

soca goldvarious artists

rebel panda riddimvarious artists

way up projectvarious artists

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soca people

Mikey to Perform at the Cricket Extravaganzawords • nicole-rachelle moore

Bajan soca sensation Mikey is the eagerly anticipated performing artist at this year’s Annual Cricket Extravaganza, hosted by the Barbados Cultural Organisation (BCO) on Sunday July 3. Once again, the BCO will match its cricket skills against Australia House, and there will be the usual fun and frolics for families. Mikey’s inclusion in this year’s line-up is an added bonus, especially for those who will miss out on the 2016 Crop Over Festival in Barbados. His ever increasing profile in the soca world saw him win the Crop Over competition with his own brand of soca in 2012. Since then, he has performed internationally, and is already wowing audiences this year with his current hits, C.E.O, Live Fuh This and Wuk Up De Party. The Annual Cricket Extravaganza will be held at Blagdons Cricket Club. For more information contact the Barbados Cultural Organisation on 07834 883 370.

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review

A diverse group of Caribbean musicians returned home in May after a series of hugely successful per-formances in China’s capital, Beijing. Over four days (April 30 to May 3), the Latin America and Caribbean Music Festival showcased a protean mix of rhythm and tempo from genres including folk, reggae, rock and soca music. The Caribbean was represented by countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and amongst those wowing new Chinese audiences were billboard-charting Bajan soca artist Rupee, Jamaica’s award-winning reggae singer Everton Blender, Trinidadian soca diva Lil Bitts and Antigua’s Tizzy. Chandradath Singh, Trinidad and Tobago’s Ambas-sador to China, said that the country, “has a big appe-tite for foreign acts.” Meanwhile, one Jamaican Beijing resident expressed her sense of nostalgia and pride. “It reminds me of home,” she said, adding that it was, “great seeing Caribbean culture being showcased in China.” And a Chinese national said that, although she did not understand the lyrics, she enjoyed the performances and liked the feeling the music gave her. Caribbean Entertainment, the booking agency responsible for providing the featured performers, spoke of the opportunity to ‘showcase talent to a virtually untapped market’. Their director, Brad Hem-mings, said, “We expected a clash of cultures, but we

DADDY CHESS

words • nicole-Rachelle Moore

china enjoys a

taste of rich

caribbean rhythms

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were presently surprised. The Chinese truly enjoyed themselves and were willing participants.” Grenada’s Mr Killa remarked on the enthusiasm of the audi-ences, “Especially the young ones”. The four day event was a natural platform for several embassies (including those of the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago) based in China to work cooperatively in their aim of showcasing the region’s musical treasures. It was organised by China’s Ministry of Culture, and presented by China Arts and Entertainment Group, in collaboration with the aforementioned embassies. The festival was part

of the China-Latin America and Caribbean Year of Cultural Exchange, which was initially proposed by President Xi Jinping at a related Leaders’ Meeting in Brasilia in July 2014. Concerts took place in various locations around Beijing, and the performers were treated to visits to historic and iconic sites such as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Feeling like you really missed out on something special? Watch the video of festival highlights at: www.caribent.com/press/china/video. Further media information from Caribbean Entertainment; contact Brad Hemmings on +1 305 654 7705 or at brad@caribbeanentertainment.com.

TIZZY

MR KILLA

EVERTON BLENDER

DAVID L LIL BITTS

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events

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SOCANEWS.COM/EVENTS

You are strongly advised to check with the event promoter, as details sometimes change and cancellations may occur; all information was correct at the time of going to print.

events

Sunday 7 august2016WHERE WILL YOU BE ON

SOCA MONARCH SUNDAY?

18Jun

GRENADA VOLUNTARY HOSPITAL COMMITTEE Annual Charity River Boat Cruise Party@ Festival Pier, South Bank, SE1 8XZ. Time 7.30pm - 1am. Price £30 (includes a meal).

19Jun

SOCA MASSIVE FANCY SAILORS UKFamily Funday @ RnR Wine Bar, 225 Chingford Mount Road, Chingford, E4 8LP. DJs DJ Frisko, Slick Rick, Apache, Zoomer D & Soca Massive. Time 3 - 11pm. Price £5. Free for under 16s.

ELIMU MAScaribbean sunday lunch @ Paddington Arts Centre, 32 Woodfield Road, W9 2BE. Time 4 - 10pm. Price £5 children, £10 adults.

23Jun

MAGNUM OPUS EVENTSSo So Soca@ BOXPARK, 2 - 10 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6GY. Time 6 - 9pm. Price Free (must get a ticket).

25Jun

CARNIVAL VILLAGE TRUST AND ELIMUCarnival Spectacular@ Carnival Village, TabernaclePowis Square, W11 2AY. Time 7pm. Showtime 8pm. Price Free entry, reserve your place at admin@carnivalvillage.org.uk.

CARIBBEAN SESSIONSSummer Jam@ Nomad, 58 Old Street, EC1V 9AJ. Hosted by Cappachino (Big Business). DJs DJ CJay, Danny D, Super Trini & D Tee. Guest DJs Mix Masters, Mr Whyte & DJ Sonic. Time 10pm - 5am. Price £10, £15, motd.

BARBADOS CULTURAL ORGANISATIONAnnual Charity Ball@ Holiday Inn London - Blooms-bury, Coram Street, WC1N 1HT. Time 7.15pm - 2am. Price £65

DAME DU SHOW PRODUCTIONSBoom Boom@ S&L St Mary Axe, 25 St Mary Axe, EC3A 8AA. Hosted by Soulja. DJs DJ Jairo (Paris - Gua-deloupe), DJ Alitwizt (Dame Du Show), DJ Tate, DJ Cinde Rella (Dame Du Show). Time 10pm - 4am. Price £10, motd.

26Jun

Barbados Legends v England Masters@ Wormsley, StokenchurchNr. High Wycombe, HP14 3YG. Time 9.30am. Price Adults £12.50 adv., £15 on the gate, Concession £7.50 adv., £10 on the gate, under 12s £1 advance / on the gate. Parking is free if booked in adv., £5 on the gate.

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KEY: [18] = OVER 18 & ID WILL BE REQUIRED | BF = BOOKING FEE |

events

SOCANEWS.COM/EVENTS

26Jun

Fisherman’s Birth-day - Family Fun Day@ The Old Lyonian Sports & Social Club, 74 Pinner ViewHarrow, HA1 4QF. DJs QT 2Hype & Hyper Spice. Time 12 - 7.30pm. Price £2 children, £5 adults.

01Jul

#SHELLINGZ SQUADWhite Rum & Whine@ Fire Club, 39 Parry Street, London SW8 1RT. DJs QT 2Hype, Triple M, Credable, Supa Nytro & Danny D. Time 10pm - 6am. Price £10.

02Jul

TALK YUH TALK IN ASSOCIATION WITH CARNIVAL VILLAGE TRUSTKaiso Lime!@ Carnival Village, TabernaclePowis Square, W11 2AY. DJs Soca Massive, DJ Fats & Zoomer D. Come and enjoy the lime, drink, eat and hear some new and classic Kaiso, live! Time 7 - 10.30pm. Price Free entry.

FORBES ENTERTAINMENTChutney Mania@ Starlight Suite, 300 Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, E10 7LD. Featur-ing live from Trinidad Rikki Jai & Rakesh Yankaran. Hosted by Coco P. DJs Dynamic Sounds, Mike Forbes, DJ CJay & Move-ments Family. Time 9pm - 2am.Price £20 adv., motd.

RUK-A-TUKLimitless - Drinks Inclusive@ Studio Spaces E2, 1 Kingsland Road, E2 8AA. Hosted by Ko-nata. DJs Shep Beats, DJ J Lava & Danny D. Time 9pm - 2am.

03Jul

BARBADOS CULTURAL ORGANISATIONAnnual Cricket Extravaganza@ Blagdons Cricket Club, Bev-erley Way, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 4PU. Featuring live PA by Mikey. Time 10am. Price £10 adults, £5 children, parking £5.

WESTSIDE ENTERTAINMENTMingle - The Cruise@ O2 Pier, North Greenwich, SE10 0DX. DJs Release D Rid-dim, Big Business & DJ Bones. Time 1pm. Sails 2pm sharp. Price £30.

Caribbean Culture Festival@ Millennium Gloucester Hotel, 4-18 Harrington Gardens, SW7 4LH. Time 1 - 7pm. Price £1 kids under 13, £5 adults.

09Jul

LEICESTER CARNIVAL LTDRegional Queen Show@ Peepul Enterprise Centre, Or-chardson Avenue, Leicester, LE4 6DP. Time 7 - 10pm. Price £10.

BUSSPEPPER PROMOTIONS LTDEndless Summer@ The Drift, Heron Tower110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY. DJs DJ Markee, D’Raskal & DJ Tate. Time 10pm - 4am. Price £15 general, £20 last chance.

10Jul

DYNAMIC SOUNDSTrini Park Lime@ Edmonton Cricket Club, Hyde-side Ground, Church Street, N9 9HL. DJs Dynamic Sounds & DJ Sonic. Time 12 - 9pm. Price £3 adults, kids free.

16Jul

FEELING FAB PRODUCTIONSThe Essence of Crop Over@ The Cumberland , Great Cumberland Place, W1H 7DL. Time 6pm - 1.30am. Price £60, cocktail reception, three course dinner, entertainment & dance.

22Jul

FLAGZSoca Mad House@ Fire Club, 39 Parry Street, SW8 1RT. Hosted by Silk Flagz. DJs DJ Bostman, DJ Limzy, DJ Majikal, DJ CJay, QT 2Hype & Twin T. Time 11pm - 6am. Price £10, £15, motd.

23Jul

BAJANRUMSHOPSummer Wear Fete@ Addictive, 28 Park Royal Road, NW10 7JW. DJs Supreme Blessings Sounds & Credable. Time 9pm - 3am. Price £10, adv., motd.

Baewatch UK - Mega Foam Party@ Fire Club, 39 Parry Street, SW8 1RT. DJs Triple M, Supa Nytro, Vinny Ranks (Soca Mafia) & Mr Mention (Soca Mafia). Time 11pm. Price £8, £10, motd.

31 Jul

PREZZY PRODUCTIONSAnnual Beach Lime@ Bournemouth Beach, Bourne-mouth, BH5 1BN. DJs DJ Dale & DJ Frisko. Time 8am. Price £35, all Inclusive.

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Carnival Calendar11JUNE

NORTHAMPTON CARNIVAL NORTHAMPTON, UK

01604 779 024northamptoncarnival@yahoo.co.uk

23-25JUNE

ST KITTS MUSIC FESTIVALST KITTS

www.stkittsmusicfestival.com

24JUNE-05JULY

VINCY MASSAINT VINCENT

www.carnivalsvg.com

25JUNE

HOLLYWOOD CARNIVALHOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, USA

june 2016

02JULY

GREENFORD CARNIVALLONDON,UK

www.ealingsummerfestivals.com/events/greenford-carnival

03JULY

Houston Carib-bean FestivalHOUSTON, TEXAS, USA

houstoncaribbeanfestival.com

09JULY

ACTON CARNIVALLONDON,UK

www.ealingsummerfestivals.com/events/acton-carnival

10JULY

Cowley Road CarnivalOXFORD, UK

www.cowleyroadcarnival.co.uk

16JULY

derby caribbean carnivalDERBY, UK

01332 371529info@dwica.co.uk

18-19JULY

st lucia carnivalSAINT LUCIA

www.stluciancarnival.com

30JULY

Zomer CarnavalROTTERDAM, HOLLAND

www.rotterdamunlimited.com

july 2016

01AUG

crop overBARBADOS

www.funbarbados.com/Crop_Over

aug2016

01 - 02AUG

antigua carnivalANTIGUA

http://antiguacarnival.com

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Tears FERTILITY

+44 (0) 7951 250 803 tearsevents.co.uktearsevent@gmail.com

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL 2016

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feature

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feature

ENTERPRISING CARNIVAL

ENTERPRISING CARNIVALwords • katie segal

It’s a delicate balance. On the one hand, we probably all wish that carnival arts were better appreciated, both culturally and financially. We wish that pannists were thought of alongside harpists, and that calypsonians won journalism awards. We want mas makers to be able to fo-cus on their art, year round, and gain a living wage doing it. Yes, we’re dreamers, but you’ve got to have something to strive for, right? On the other hand, who wants over-commercialism of carnival, for the profit to be prioritised over the culture? Higher prices for tinier costumes aside, everything goes wrong once that focus changes and the sellout has begun. Something I think works that equation perfectly is the small business that supports carnival and its arts, whilst rewarding the individuals who love it. They meet the bal-ance, because they embody it – they’re compensated for their efforts, but fuelled by passion.

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It all started with a passion in footwear and fashion

feature

ENTERPRISING CARNIVAL

“

”

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The GoddessEXPERIENCE

“It all started with a passion in footwear and fashion... I have been customising footwear for several years for close friends and myself. We always felt our carnival look was incomplete without matching shoes and accessories.” Those are the words of Tia Rochester, describing the inception of her business, The Goddess Experience. Using her innate creativity and degree in fashion design, Tia had created fabulous accessories for herself in an organic reac-tion to playing mas. She says that when people asked, “I’ll never forget the look of awe on their faces when I told them, ‘I made them myself’”. Initially, she didn’t realise how much potential there might be in a customisation service for European carnivals but, more than ten years down the line, she is now creating fabulous ac-cessories for others. Tia says, “We provide one-to-one con-sultations where we present drafts / mock up designs and mood boards along with stones and braid suggestions. We can turn any shoe or accessory into a bedazzled masterpiece fit for any carnival goddess!” The service is usually employed by those with large and individual costumes, but as the most accessible of the three options (Siren, Vixen and Goddess) costs just £30,

QUESTION: About what kind of boots did Bajan soca artist Gabby sing?

it doesn’t have to rule anybody out. You provide the boots and details of your costume, and TGE will do the rest. They will also decorate other types of accessory – goblets, for example – so anything could be up for discussion. And a last word from Tia: “Here at The Goddess Experience we strongly believe and promote unity in mas. We work with all bands, sections and clients. Creativity is at the centre of all we do! Happy clients equal happy team TGE!” You can contact The Goddess Experi-ence on Facebook: goddessexperience, Instagram: tgecarnivalboots, Twitter: TGEcarnivalboot or by email at thegodde-sexperience@icloud.com. The Goddess Experience is offering one masquerader a pair of their bespoke Vixen (frontline) decorated boots for this year’s Notting Hill Carnival. T’s&C’s apply; to enter, go to socanews.com/competitions by Thursday, 7 July.

words • katie segal

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her aim is to enhance a woman’s natural beauty

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ENTERPRISING CARNIVAL

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Cindy Mollineau

talks MakeUp

words • katie segal

Cindy Mollineau has provided make up for some of the most established mas bands on the road in the UK and for beauty pageants across London, including Miss Face of Kenya. She also sells natural, mineral-based products by Younique Cosmetics, whose mission statement, to ‘empower, uplift and validate women’, mirrors Cindy’s own; her aim is to enhance a woman’s natural beauty, instead of transforming her into someone unrecognisable. She says, “I be-lieve in helping others, which is probably why I pursued a career in mental health nursing. I like to see people reaching their potential and will always give a hand to upcoming and aspiring make up artists.” Cindy also loves carnival. Her two passions first merged when she had the opportunity to explore make up artistry for Shipwrecked Carnival’s masquerad-ers. She realised how much she enjoyed it, which led to work with TriniposseUK mas band – and Bacchanalia, Isis Mas Band and Genesis Kiddies Carnival soon followed. Cindy believes that you cannot have a perfect carnival without perfect make up, because part of enjoying carnival is embracing the beauty of the costume. With her creative flare and keen eye for detail, she says, “I see beauty in everything,” - that when looking at a blank canvas she lets her creativity take

over, but always relates her overall look to suit a masquerader’s costume. She has also dabbled in design, another interest that inspires her to create the perfect look for the masqueraders. Inspired by Tyra Banks, host of America’s Next Top Model, which is where most of her knowledge has come from in terms of angles, posing and ap-plying make up to create a desired effect, and Wendy Fitzwilliam, since her look is always flawless, Cindy says, “My goals are to start my very own workshops for everyday women wanting to gain more confidence in their make up application, continue being a role model for others and be able to create a brand that is syn-onymous with beauty and confidence.” You can get in touch with Cindy on Facebook: CindyMollineauMUA or Insta-gram: cindy_mollineaumua. Cindy is offering one masquerader a chance to have their make up done by her for Notting Hill Carnival this year. T’s&C’s apply; to enter, go to socanews.com/competitions by Thursday 14th July.

QUESTION: In which year did Nadia Batson release the song, Making Up?

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Until 1998 Lucian Carnival was a pre-Lenten affair, culminating on the two days before Ash Wednes-day. Then in 1999 its organisers moved it to July to avoid competition with Trinidad & Tobago’s bigger festival, and to attract more tourists. The season opens with an official launch in May. From then the island bursts into a kaleidoscope of colour, sound and movement, which everyone can enjoy. Castries is the hub, but it doesn’t stop there; six districts, from Gros Islet in the north to Vieux Fort in the south, each host their own unique version of the festival. Calypso and soca, often sung in Creole (French patois), provide the soundtrack for the festivities. Calypso is the root, an African call and response form that originated in Trinidad and has evolved with a blend of French, Spanish and North Ameri-can rhythms. Laced with humour, satire and double entendre, calypsos chronicle political, social and cultural happenings, both at home and abroad. They are best sampled in the five main calypso ‘tents’ based around the country; the strongest are chosen to compete for the prestigious Calypso Monarch title. Soca is calypso’s carefree off-shoot, in which beat often trump lyrics. Its frenetic pace makes it the pulse of the numerous fetes (parties) that lead up to the street parades. This being St Lucia, expect to hear an injection of zouk from neighbouring Martinique and Guadeloupe, bouyon from Domi-nica and soukous (from Democratic Republic of the Congo, via Dominica), in the music; a liberal dose of Afro-beats from West Africa and electronic dance music is also now being infused into the sound. Nowadays, the top soca songs for the season are

st luciacarnivalMON 18 - TUES 19 JULYwords • natasha ofosu

judged in two categories - Groovy and Power - at the annual Soca Monarch contest, and the most popular song played on the road in the parades (usually a power soca track) wins the Road March accolade. Before the advent of electrified sound systems, steel pans ruled the road, providing the music for costume bands. Today, however, steel orchestras vie to outshine each other with their musical ar-rangements and nimble-handed performances at the Panorama championship. Carnival would be nothing without masquerade (mas), the costumes which deliver the spectacle and pageantry of the event. While it’s great to watch, most would agree it is even better to par-ticipate. Choose between J’Ouvert, the pre-dawn parade on Carnival Monday which starts the street activities, when you will be smeared in paint or mud, and the Parade of the Bands on Monday and Tuesday when prettier, more structured costumes go on display. Or don’t choose; do both. St Lucian mas has succumbed to the trend for feathers, beads and bikinis, which some feel is killing the creativity and culture of the festival. On the plus side, the majority of groups provide an all-inclusive experience on the road, so your fee includes premium food and drink, mobile toilets, tight security and pampering services, along with the costume. St Lucia continues to hold a Carnival Queen competition, celebrating the beauty and talent of its women. And whilst it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it may indirectly recognise the fact that ‘Car-nival is woman’ - since women greatly outnumber men in their participation in the event.

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Mas Bands

events

17July

• INDULGENCE BREAKFAST PARTY

• ESCAPE• J4F JAB JAB FETE• BRAZEN• POWER & GROOVY MONARCH FINALS• RED DAWN BREAKFAST FETE

18July

• J4F JOUVERT JUMP UP • JOUVERT• PARADE OF THE BANDS

19July • PARADE OF THE BANDS

15July

• JUST ONE BOTTLE• OUTRAGEOUS SEXY IN BLACK • NATIONAL PANORAMA COMPETITION

16July • CALYPSO MONARCH FINALS• REMEDY• TRANSCEND• UPRISING J’OUVERT

20July

• J4F LAST LAP FETE

14July

• AURA• KING & QUEEN OF THE BANDS

IMAGE COURTESY, JUS4FUN FROM SAVAGE, THEIR 2016 ST LUCIA CARNIVAL THEME

SECTIONTiponie

Avant GardeCOUTURE BACCHANALcouturebacchanal@gmail.comfacebook.com/CoutureBacchanal

AnthroINSANITI CARNIVAL BANDinfo@insaniticarnival.comwww.insaniticarnival.com

savageJUST4FUNinfo@just4funcarnival.comwww.just4funcarnival.com

the sovereignLEGENDSlegendscarnival@gmail.comwww.legends-carnival.com

island lifeLOOSHAN REVELLERSlooshanrevellers@gmail.comwww.looshanrevellers.com

rise of the empireRED REBELLIONinfo@redunlimited.comwww.redcarnival.com

heroes or villiansROYALITES XTREME CARNIVAL BANDroyalitesxtreme@gmail.cominstagram.com/royalitesxtreme

cosmosTABOOtaboo.carnival@gmail.cominstagram.com/taboocarnival

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Sunday 7 august2016

WHERE WILL YOU BE ON SOCA MONARCH SUNDAY?

#UKSOCAMONARCH #SOCAMONARCHSUNDAY

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