Islandistas at WEEN awards!

Islandistas of all stripes were out in force this weekend Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network's Awards Gala in New York City.

Check out the pics of actress Nia Long, singers Shontelle and Estelle and CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien.

UV Breakfast Party - Islandista Approved!

The crowd was pretty small but a really, really good lime was had by all this morning at the first UV Breakfast Party - it is definitely on our Islandista Approved list for Crop-Over 2010.


The pricey (BD$140!) all-inclusive party was held on the grounds of a big ole house Trevwin II in the suburb of Prior Park in St. James.

There was a cross-section of the usual suspects you will see at any kinda bougie Bajan party - promoters like Richard Haynes of Baje, Jennifer Dear of Allure Entertainment, party girls, UWI kids, Facebook 'celebs' and a few real celebs like Brian Lara.

Considering the crowd, we're willing to guess that a good number came in on the comp list but what the promoters may have lost in gate receipts for this first edition of the event, was made up for in vibes.

It started out a bit tame and social, as people ducked from the sun and munched on the regional breakfast nosh from Ackee Tree and Jago's, including some most tremendous bake and shark from the former that was frankly even better than what we've had in Trinidad. Seriously. The bake and shark pull long - alas, we only got our hands and teeth on one. :(

The quiet start was also because of the big gap between the party-starters, including the Prince, braving the sun at the front and the limers sheltering under the tent in the back. The promoters might want to consider more tents next time.

But eventually things loosened up and to use the hottest catchphrase of Crop-Over 2K10 - folks was out to all! The vibe was sweet and enhanced by the various artistes that passed through and touched the stage including Lorenzo and Bret Linton, Hypa Sounds, Zeek and the man with the best Foreday Morning jam, Bobo who 'Muddy' up the place with his big tune.


Already looking forward to next year's edition!

Crop-Over 2K10 trend - Foreday Morning bands!

The hottest thing for Crop-Over this year (besides Lil Rick's monster, ultra-bashy tune 'Guh Dung') seems to be Foreday Morning (aka Jouvert) bands.

(Photo credit: Island Fusion via Facebook)

Last Crop-Over, there were only five official Foreday Morning bands, plus the heaving mass of humans behind the two trucks from the HIV/AIDS Commission and Roberts Manufacturing.

But this year, official sources have said there are as many as FIFTEEN bands registered - three times as much!

Among the new Foreday Morning bands that have sprung up are Island Fusion, Green Lizards from Island Vibez, Bakshun from Oasys Entertainment and Muddslyde from Power X 4. Check out Bakshun's outfits under the cut.

Islandistas in June Vogue & July Elle!

It's all islandista, all the time in fashion's biggest magazines this summer! The fashion folk can't get enough of island girls from all spheres, be they designers, models or singers.

In the June edition of Vogue is Jamaican designer Carly Cushnie of Cushnie et Ochs - along with her design partner, they are highlighted in a feature on New York fashion's New Guard. To paraphrase Daddy Screws, big t'ings a gwan fi yu Carly!Also in the same June edition is Puerto Rican/Virgin Islander (St. Thomas to be exact) Joan Smalls, who truly ripped the runway in the FW10/11 fashion season just gone- walking 40 catwalks.

Barbados' biggest Crop-Over bands launch!

 

[caption id="attachment_2392" align="aligncenter" width="490" caption="Power x 4's selection of ladies costumes for Crop-Over 2010"][/caption]

Islandistas, I know it has been a minute - my apologies!

How could I abandon you, especially at a time like this when Barbados' Crop-Over festival is now heading into full swing?

The last week has been the unofficial official start to the festival - Baje International launched last Friday, Power x 4 is officially launching this Saturday, Brewster's Road Crew starting their fetes this Friday and Passion Network this Saturday!

Oh, and two of Power x 4's sections are ALREADY sold out, after 'early registration' started on Monday.

Yeah-  is like da this Crop-Over.

Baje seeing real action too - they launched on Friday and by Saturday, the two Trini sections run by Island People and Tribe were sold out - had chicks in Bim scrambling to pull strings in TnT to get into the sections. Mind you, we never hear of Trinis having to pull strings any place else to get costumes in dey own island but dem must know ...

Take a look at our faves in each band after the cut...

New music videos - Rihanna & Vita Chambers

Ok, islandistas, we are giving you three for the price of one here - just for the sake of contrasting Rihanna and Vita Chambers' new and very, very different videos. 

 

Rihanna put out two vids in the last two weeks - one in Europe for her love song Te Amo and one in the US for her song Rock Star 101. 

 

Fellow Bajan songbird Vita Chambers also put out a new vid for her song Like Boom. 

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=o4gYQkUDG6g] 

And ... well. Did I mention they are different? Ri-ri's vids, especially Rock Star 101 are back to being very, very dark after the welcomed peppiness of Rude Boy - the shots with her in the horned headpiece in the middle of the circle certainly won't do anything to help those 'Rihanna is a devil worshipper' rumours. Clearly the intention was to feed that loose talk - even though clever folk will argue it's just the jagged R that has been the symbol of her Rated R album - but the inference is clear. 

 

  

[caption id="attachment_2385" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Screen grab from Rock Star 1010 music video."][/caption]

Vita's video on the other hand, is fun, upbeat and full of sweetness and light - in aura, if not in musical style, much like Rihanna in 2005.  

See for yourself. 

How will Tivoli terror affect JA's entertainment scene?

That is the question entertainment and cultural promoters and performers must be asking themselves after a quiet week in Kingston, Jamaica entertainment-wise.

The 'terror in Tivoli' has inflicted wounds not just on the hundreds injured and scores killed, but on Jamaica's economy and Kingston's vibrant entertainment scene.

The Jamaica Observer reports that a host of entertainment events, from regularly scheduled parties like Uptown Mondays, Weddy Wednesdays and Dudus' own Passa Passa, have been cancelled.

Larger one-off or seasonal events like the scheduled WI v South Africa test cricket, the final staging of May Daze and the Jamaica Observer's Food Awards, have also been moved, cancelled and postponed.

Islandista-wise, Saint International's StyleWeek is a major casualty. StyleWeek was originally set for this weekend but the organisers called it off, issuing a statement:

Island folk at White House Correspondents Dinner

The biggest night on the Washington D.C. social calendar (outside of the inaugurations of course!) came off on Saturday - the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner.

US First Lady Michelle Obama looked gorrrrrgeous in a fire-red Prabal Gurung dress! [picapp align="center" wrap="false" link="term=Michelle+Obama+2010&iid=8677340" src="9/0/e/7/US_President_Obama_303e.JPG?adImageId=12736560&imageId=8677340" width="380" height="251" /]

A few big up island folk were in attendance too, like former Secretary of State Colin Powell and D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty and his lovely Jamaican-Brit wife Michelle. Check out the pics of the political fabulousness below!

[picapp align="center" wrap="false" link="term=white+house+correspondents+dinner&iid=8677361" src="3/7/0/f/US_President_Obama_7df7.JPG?adImageId=12736542&imageId=8677361" width="380" height="405" /]

[picapp align="center" wrap="false" link="term=adrian+fenty&iid=8677761" src="d/6/7/f/2010_White_House_f054.jpg?adImageId=12736568&imageId=8677761" width="380" height="570" /]

New vid: Alexandra Burke's 'All Night Long'

Islandista and X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke unveiled her latest music video this week -  for her dance tune All Night Long.

While the song itself is pretty generic dance pop, the video is something else - a raucous, raunchy house-party with girls kissing girls, club kids in Crayola shades and Alex herself in a dramatic look - a black leather leotard with one puff-ball shoulder and glittery eyeshadow.

Check out the vid and a closer shot of her look below and tell us what you think

Nicki Minaj dishes to Details

[caption id="attachment_2256" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Photo credit: Cameron Krone/Details.com"][/caption]

Trini-American raptress Nicki Minaj is featured in the May edition of Details magazine.

Along with the light-hearted stuff (signing female fans' boobs and her variety of performing personas), she's talking about some  heavy stuff - hip-hop's homophobia and how her father tried to burn their house down.

Nicki's sexuality has been a subject of some fascination in and out of the hip-hop community (is she gay or bi? does she really like girls or is she putting it on for the boys? etc.).

She talks about it to some extent in this interview - or at least, does not challenge the interviewer's statement that she is "openly bisexual".  Check out the quotes under the cut.

Island combination - Gyptian feat. Nicki Minaj on 'Hold Yuh' remix

Seems like islandista Nicki Minaj is all over the place these days (except on tour with fellow islandista Rihanna on the Last Girl tour).

The latest track that she's on is a remix to Gyptian's stripped-down hit Hold Yuh where Nicki spits a little patwa in her verse which opens the track.

People either seem to love or loathe her contribution to the track so take a listen and let us know what you think, islandistas!



... I do wonder though how the more hard-core yardies will take her last line about her having 'nuff gal inna bungle'. Hmmm... alright Nicki!

Islandista on the rise: Natalie Storm hits MTV UK

Jamaican dancehall/R&B artist Natalie Storm is moving up inna life.

Her video for the single 'Look Pon Me' has made it into the rotation of both MTV UK and MTV Base.

Check it out below.



The video was already making moves regionally, airing on Jamaican music channels Hype and ReTV and on regional music network Tempo.

But it's  her British inroads that has Natalie excited:

"People been linking me from all over the UK via Facebook and Twitter saying that they've seen the video and how much they love it. I am very excited cause this is big for me, for dancehall music and a good look for Jamaica as well."

Palancing in Kingston!

[caption id="attachment_2237" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Photo credit: SociaLingua"][/caption]

 

 The 'little carnival that could' - Jamaica Carnival, would have wrapped up today in Kingston. 

In the face of all resistance from many in JA society who decry Carnival as slackness (including, ironically, many supporters of the dancehall community) and lick out against it, Ja carnival keeps pressing on and growing. 

One of the best nights of JA Carnival is Jouvert - and even though Islandista is more partial to Joker's Wild Jouvert than Bacchanal Jamaica, these pics from Socia Lingua of Bacchanal's Jouvert on Friday night, kinda make us wish we were there!  

[caption id="attachment_2238" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Photo credit: Socia Lingua"][/caption]

 

 

Check out even more photos under the cut!

New vid: Nicki Minaj ft Sean Garrett 'Massive Attack'

Islandista Nicki Minaj debuted her new video for her single Massive Attack this week.

And it's ... odd. Not just the video with its double-jointed army men wukking up but the song itself just sounds disjointed and you can't really hear Nicki's flow as well as you can hear Sean Garrett on the chorus. Dunno... but check it out below and tell us your thoughts.

New vid - Shontelle's 'Impossible'

To paraphrase Timbaland...

It's been a long time... we shouldn'ta left you...

But now we're back islandistas! And with something new - Shontelle's video for her single Impossible. Check it below and then our take on it after the cut.

Islandistas on red carpets across the globe

Islandistas (and an islandisto) hit red carpets from London to Los Angeles last week. Fashion, film and music all collided as island folk graced red carpets for the Elle Style Awards in London, the NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles and further down the fame totem pole, BET's Rip the Runway fashion show in New York City.

The Elle Style awards kicked things off with Naomi Campbell, Corinne Bailey Rae and Leona Lewis all attending. Check these and other pics.



[caption id="attachment_2134" align="aligncenter" width="239" caption="Photo credit: elleuk.com"][/caption]



[caption id="attachment_2119" align="aligncenter" width="239" caption="Leona was demure yet hot in Alexander McQueen. (Photo credit: elleuk.com)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2120" align="aligncenter" width="239" caption="Photo credit: elleuk.com"][/caption]

Check out photos from the NAACP Image Awards and Rip The Runway after the cut.

Islandista anthem! Shema McGregor's 'Independent (Ladies Anthem)'

This song has been on REPEAT - on our computer, our iPods and in our heads, from the first time we heard it.

We don't do much in the way of endorsing around here but we haffi endorse Shema McGregor's hot new tune Independent (Ladies Anthem), featuring the one and only 'fluffy diva' Miss Kitty.

It is like Shema sit down and decide to make a song just for islandistas - a education, independence and classiness she a defend in the song and we are feeling it, particularly the lines in the chorus which go:

I will never pose like some gal weh a depend pon man no

A no mi dat

Couldn't mi dat

Dem a eediat

I'm an independent first lady,

That's how my momma raised me

Yes a mi dat

Yu fi pree dat

Cas a mi dat...

Dat we seh! Love. it.

It of course helps that it is produced by her super-producer brother, Stephen 'Di Genius' McGregor so the beat is as tight as the lyrics and vocals.

Big Ship a go hard... they need to move like the Marleys and put out an album of just them. They have the talent to do it.

Islandista music notes - new Livvi Franc vid & Shontelle's princely pay-day

We've got news for you on two of the Barbadian islandista singers who have followed in Rihanna's wake over the last two years - Livvi Franc and Shontelle.

First let's start with Livvi Franc who brought out the video for her new single Automatik, just last week. Check it out below and then our take on it...



For some reason, we were shocked to realise that this is just Livvi's second single of her still upcoming debut album. It just feels like she has been around for a while - she was signed to Jive Records as far back as October 2007, after all.

But it may well be a good thing that Jive is taking their time to cultivate her sound and it shows in the song which is really nice and catchy. The chorus in particular is sticking in our heads and it has a dance-pop beat to it that should do especially well in Europe and maybe even farther afield. The video is nothing to shout about conceptually - it's clubbish - beautiful people dancing in a club. More could probably have been done with it especially since the theme Automatik allows one to play around with all kinds of fun and futuristic concepts like machines and robots. Oh well ...

Now in some serious money-making news, Shontelle is in for a very big pay day as young Prince Azim of Brunei is flying her in to perform at a private party for him this weekend self for US$ 200, 000!

Get. In. DEY Shon! Get yuh money girl!

Even Shontelle herself seemed a little bit bemused by it all, telling Women's Wear Daily at a NYFW show on Monday:

"They’re paying us $200,000 just to be there. It’s a pretty major situation. I think it’s all oil money."

Palancing to de crown!

Well that was easy to predict - JW and Blaze's huuugely popular Palance secured the Power Soca Monarch title last night in Trinidad. Click here for the video of the winning performance.

The smart money is on them to take Road March as well since they not only won, but won convincingly - by a full 17 points over defending monarch Fay-Ann Lyons'  True Lies - 81 to her 64.

It was much, much tighter in the Groovy Soca Monarch contest, with Shurwayne Winchester's Murdah prevailing over defending monarch Fay-Ann's Start Wining by just one point - 58 to 57. In fact, the whole top four was tight as Rikki Jai's Barman placed third with 56 points and Patrice Roberts Wuk It (she like de wukking ting yes?)  placed fourth with 55 points.

Rihanna's new video - Rude Boy

Rihanna's new video for her song Rude Boy dropped this week and it's a hot one!

The video is full of Caribbean flavour - nuff wukking up and some Jamaican dancehall moves too - including some classic, back in the day stuff like bogling and go-go wining.


So what are your thoughts islandistas? You like?