Caribbean quartet performs at NFL half-time show

Feeling so proud to be from the Caribbean today.

The Caribbean quartet of Hal Linton, Melanie Fiona, Shontelle and Vita Chambers performed as part of the half-time show today at the NFL game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers at the Ford Field in Detroit. The four were part of a six-artiste set from Universal/Motown performing a tribute to Motown on its 50th anniversary.

Just to put it in perspective, previous performers at the half-time shows at NFL Thanksgiving Day games in Detroit (which has the oldest Thanksgiving Day Classic tradition - going all the way back to 1934) have included Mariah Carey and Toni Braxton. And now that list includes our Caribbean quartet.

And they rocked it out - every one of them. Check out the vid below.

Caribbean artistes on BET's Rising Icons

You don't have to tell us in the Caribbean that our stars are on the rise.

It's like the world is finally waking up to a Caribbean moment in sports and culture. Between our dominating sports stars like Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser and even Lewis Hamilton and our up and coming artistes like Rihanna, Hal Linton, Shontelle and Melanie Fiona, the world is getting a dose of Caribbean flavour in recent years.

And as it so happens, two Caribbean artistes - Barbados' Hal Linton and Guyana-descended Melanie Fiona are featured in BET's upcoming feature collaboration with Grey Goose- the Rising Icons series.

Check out some pics from Hal's performance below.

 



 

A pelau post for my islandistas!

I got a pelau kind of post for y'all here - a bit of this and a bit of that. Let it simmer and it gine be real good! :)

The day after completing her Carnival sweep, Queen of the Road, Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez was resting up at home and laughing off rumours that she had delivered a 'Carnival Baby'.

 

Speaking to the Trinidad Express, she said:

This is marvellous. The rumour went out by who, we don't know, and people instantly believed it. We told people that called it was not true, and they still believed the rumour. The rumour took precedence over what we were saying. This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Even though we are saying the baby has not come as yet, people insist it has. It just goes to show that you can't believe everything you hear. Ian and I had a good laugh over it.

In an interview with Newsday, Bunji added:

It looks like everyone is so excited with Fay’s baby that they feel that it is the nation’s baby. Since Saturday we have been hearing the rumours. We were sitting looking at the television when the announcer came across and announced that Fay had her baby, we just looked at each other and burst out laughing.

They both licked out against the bad-minded people who have been saying ... get this one... that she got pregnant just to get people on her side during Carnival, with Bunji saying:

This is a life not a toy, we wouldn’t do something to jeopardise the child.

Wow. People really taking this thing too far though - how they could really think that her getting pregnant during Carnival could be purpose-work? It doesn't even make any sense, for it certainly made her job more difficult  for while, as she said, she was not sick, you can't jump and wave much when you're eight months along - besides it not being a good idea, gravity is kind of working against you.

Saucy text caused Chrihanna bust-up?

And the news just keeps on coming and coming in this Rihanna-Chris Brown assault mess.

Word from tmz.com is that law enforcement sources have said that the fight (well, really beating because I don't know how many licks Ri-ri got in but Chris seems to have gotten in more) between the couple was caused by a text message that Chris received from a woman while he and Rihanna were driving home from Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party.

From tmz:

Law enforcement sources confirm to TMZ Chris Brown received a text message from a woman while he was driving with Rihanna and that's what started the confrontation that left Rihanna battered and bruised.

We're told the text message was from a woman who wrote about hooking up with Brown later.

Tsk. I guess that was almost inevitable, wasn't it? Not the beating obviously, but the signs of straying. Two such hot young people only just getting the opportunity to explore their youth and hotness is a combustible enough combination for regular folk. When you add the factor of their being basically on their own with no parental supervision that is an even more volatile situation, leading to premature domesticity and kids trying to act like old married couples when they're really young and hormonal - trust me we've seen it - UWI anyone?

Worse, when they are besieged by sexual offers all the time because of their fame and their teen idol/sex symbol status - it could only end in tears.

Ending in blows, however is something else altogether...

In other Chrihanna bust up related news, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office has sent back the evidence which the LAPD sent to them today. Apparently, they want the LAPD to work on it more as they feel there is not enough evidence to charge Chris with at this point in time. Eh? you may say. Apparently they are trying to get him on a whole set of charges including domestic violence, battery etc so they need the evidence to be strong. I thought a buss face was strong evidence but I ent no legal eagle...

In other islandista news (yes, there is actually other news), we have some pics of islandistas and islandistos on the red carpet at various Grammy weekend events. Had them for a while but this Chrihanna bust up has been taking up a lot of time - every time you turn your head, there's a new 'development'.

Soooooooo...

Up and coming Bajan singers Shontelle and Hal Linton both hit the New Era party with Akon.



Love Shon's hot pink skirt, not fond of the black camisole. And you're still too thin hon - please put on a leeeetle more weight.

Actually like Hal's look, even the extra-pointy faux-hawk which is shocking since I DESPISE the trend of faux-hawks - it has generally gotten out of control but Hal rocks it well here - looks funky and like he's doing 'him'. Good church boy that he actually is, he's probably  really doing what the label advises him to do but at least it has the appearance of being individualistic.

Estelle hit up the gifting suite before the Grammys. Again in an outfit that you will either love or hate. I've decided to just embrace Estelle's choices - she's a London chick after all so she's always going to be a bit edgy and off.



And before the madness ensued, Rihanna rocked a very cute blue dress on the red carpet at the Verizon/Blackberry pre-party.