Something old, something new - Crop-Over costumes 2011

Crop-Over is coming islandistas and despite being in hibernation for the last few months (between my wedding late last year and now my first pregnancy happening back-to-back, I've been ex-hausted!), that is enough to bring the Islandista out of her cyber-cave!

So Power x Four is both the old and new of this post - pics of their 2011 costumes have popped up on Trinidad Carnival Diary but... it's a rehash of last year - Bajan Reef Pt II no less! Booo, hisss!

I guess you can say they prepped us by calling last year's presentation Bajan Reef Pt I but come onnn. It's not as if this is some great, conceptual costume story that needs to be told over the course of two years - it is pretty-colour FISH dammit!

It feels lazy from Power X Four and though they have been my preferred band for jumping for the vast majority of years I've jumped Crop-Over, I gotta call it as I see it. It smacks of what they did in their 10th anniversary year in 2004 when they recreated costumes from their previous years.

That said, the costumes are pretty  - Px4 is always consistent in its quality and beauty. We especially like Night Octopus and Queen Conch.

Now for the NEW new! A certain Crop-Over band is recreating its image and is coming out fresh in 2011 as Fantasy and the costumes we've seen thus far are gorgeous! They are really going to make a stir on the scene for this Crop-Over and give Baje, Px4 and Contact a run for their money. Check out some of our faves from Fantasy below.

So what do you think, islandistas? Getting excited yet?

Renee Ratcliffe takes the big one!

Photo credit: Nationnews.com

A huge, huge congratulations to a truly inspiring islandista Renee Ratcliffe on taking the biggest prizes for mas in this year's Crop-Over festival.

After years of knocking at the door, Renee bested the veterans queens of the mas - Gwyneth Squires and Betty West, coming out on top to win the prestigious Festival Designer of the Year and Large Band of the Year for her Jump Promotions' presentation Spirit of the Gap.

Truly, Renee deserved to win and as a still young designer, her victory augurs well for the future of the festival. I got a look at Jump before they moved off from Warrens and the presentation had just that right balance of artistry and sexy we have debated times before here on Islandista.

Not to mention that Renee is someone with a fantastic spirit. As a cub reporter I interviewed her some years back after she had suffered two debilitating heart attacks and a stroke when she was just 28 years old and contrary to the expression "serious as a heart attack" she was bussing big jokes about it all!

Congrats again - it's your time Renee!

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.

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...

First look at Berger Boyz for Crop-Over 2010 & more...

[caption id="attachment_2311" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Berger Boyz for 2010 - Togetherness. (Photo credit: Berger Boyz on Facebook)"][/caption]

So Berger Boyz is the first mas band out of the blocks for Barbados' Crop-Over festival this year (unless Lights has had another 'exclusive' launch like last year).

And um... their presentation is called Togetherness... and... well there's nothing much more we can give you in terms of analysis because it's pretty but it doesn't mean a damn thing as you will see in the pics of our faves below.

Summer Carnival season 2010 is here!

Ye, ye, last year we announced this in May but we are just busting this year! We even more hype than usual!

And the bands aren't holding back either - two bands from traditional August carnivals - Antigua's Myst and Barbados' Berger Boyz, have already launched, all in April... so why should we hold back!

In the words of Queen Fay-Ann ... let's go!

The Vincies and Lucians already have things well underway for their July carnivals which are July 5th & 6th and July 19th & 20th this year.

In SVG, Ahdrenalin is going hard with their presentation 'Western Mayhem- the Decline of Western Civilisation'. Check some of our faves.

[caption id="attachment_2273" align="aligncenter" width="270" caption="Material Girl (Photo credit: Ahdrenalin.com)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2274" align="aligncenter" width="270" caption="Wings of Hope"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2275" align="aligncenter" width="270" caption="Exotic Delusion"][/caption]

Interestingly enough, even though the eagle-eyed Saucy over at Trinidad Carnival Diary has picked up at least one remix from Trini band D'Krewe, with Ahdrenalin's Nights of Debauchery being a dead ringer for D'Krewe's Sorceror, that costume was not even near our favourite so I guess it just goes to show...

Check out some more of our faves from St. Lucia Carnival's Just for Fun and their reimagining  of the Great Loves of the Past under the cut.

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!

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.

Trini Carnival - a look forward and a look back

Even though we're in the midst of the summer Carnival season, things are already heating up for Trinidad Carnival 2010.

Talk is already flying about what plans the various mas bands in TnT have in store for 2010 and two top Trinidadian mas bands - Spice and Carnival Tribe, are set to hold their band launches this month on July 19th and 25th respectively.

In fact, Spice has already given us all a sneak peek of their 2010 presentation, The Spice Route, when they held their media launch two weeks ago.

They displayed the front line costumes of two sections - the Caspian Sea and Rubies of Mumbai and they are bee-yoo-tee-ful!

I especially like the Rubies of Mumbai (below). The tear-drop shaped red gems dripping off the waist piece and the sari like material for the shoulders - fantastic!



[caption id="attachment_1201" align="aligncenter" width="292" caption="photo credit: Joel Angelo/Triniscene.com"][/caption]



 

[caption id="attachment_1202" align="aligncenter" width="292" caption="photo credit: Joel Angelo/Triniscene.com"][/caption]

Spice's Eastern theme is one that seems to be quite popular for Trini Carnival '10. Tribe is going with 'The Secret of Silk' - a slight change up from what was rumoured to be the original name - The Silk Road.

Baje & Power X 4 unveil their costumes

They're baaaaack!

Barbados' two biggest bands, Baje International and Power X Four both unveiled their costumes on Friday in different ways.

Power X Four sent an e-newsletter to their mailing list with a 'sneak peek' of their costumes while Baje International had their official media launch at Red Rock at the end of the Gap.

Here is a look at some of our favourite sections from each band. Px4's presentation this year is entitled '15 years of Love & Revelery' while Baje is 'Fire & Ice'.

 



[caption id="attachment_1105" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Power X 4 - Blue Skies"][/caption]

 



Love, love the sky blue colour for this  and the bra piece is just gorgeous and lavishly decorated! Check out more costumes when you read on.

More costume bands from NYC to Bim

Week by week, Barbados' Crop-Over festival is heating up with more bands launching.

Small and mid-size bands such as Wednesday 2000, Jump and Ooutraje have all launched recently.

Our initial reaction to Wednesday 2000 was ... mehhhh. A lot of the costumes just were not cutting it, like these two selections below.

What's going on here? Did they spend all the money on the (admittedly nice) headpiece and just decide to forget about getting a waistpiece or decent leg bands or some appliques or someting to take de shame off the gold lame sports bra?

Kadooment band launches- Contact is here!

The music has been out for a while and now Crop-Over is finally getting into full swing with launches of some more bands, including some of Barbados' largest and most popular bands.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="206" caption="Amber - photo credit: contact.bb"][/caption]

Contact launched on Friday with a wicked, wicked launch party and the pics of their 2009 presentation 'Firestones' are already up. Check out some more of our faves from the band when you read on...

Getting Crop-Over-ish in this crank...

Slowly but surely, the Crop-Over season is starting to heat up.

Brewster's Road held its first pre-Crop-Over warm up lime on Friday night and it was goooo-ood! I had friends who show up at the lime from all half hour before the 6 p.m. start and all when Saturday morning come, they were still there. Obsessive limers, I tell you...

Another Kadooment band has launched bringing the tally to three. DJ Andre 'Rebel' Elias is riding the wave of his Taboo Saturdays popularity and launching a band for the first time under his RebelVibes Entertainment banner.

The name of the band is 'Psychomania' and I must say, for a first time band, most of the costumes are looking quite nice. You know so often first time bands can look amateurish and a bit...ehhh.

 

Plenty lavishly feathered headpieces up in there and you know how we feel about feathers!

I think Superbia and Ira are probably two of the best sections.

[caption id="attachment_977" align="aligncenter" width="284" caption="Superbia (pride)/ Photo Credit: RebelVibes Entertainment"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_978" align="aligncenter" width="284" caption="Ira (anger) Photo credit: RebelVibes Entertainment"][/caption]

 In other Crop-Over related news, Baje International has launched their 'Baje Girl 2009' search - deadline is May 29th. Below a quick screenshot of their ad.

 

Baje kills me. One of the blackest countries in the Caribbean and this is their representation of a 'Baje' girl? I guess a typical Baje girl isn't quite the same as a  typical Bajan girl. Anyhoo, it could be worse... they could be Lights.

In other Crop-Over warm up news - Renee Ratcliffe's 'Jump' band is launching this Friday, May 22nd so we will soon have another band in the tally.

Wait boh... Lights like it launch

We have to thank our readers for giving us a heads up when necessary. Jane Doe and Socamommy set us right in our last post with some useful tips.

Apparently, Ravurz is not the first Kadooment band to have launched. Harbour Lights (aka Blue Box Cart) launched their band on May 3rd with a showing at the club.

Funnily enough, there has been nothing about Lights' launch on the regular Crop-Over sites such as kadooment.com or cropovercarnival.com. There has been nothing in the paper nor even mentioned on radio - not even on Mix 96.

There is not even anything official on Harbour Lights' website.

It's almost... as if they did not want the general public to know that their band had launched.

Funny, funny, funny... why would that be? I can't imagine... (racking brain)

So let me rephrase... Ravurz is the first band to let the general public know that they have launched.

There is not even anything official about the Lights launch on their Facebook page, Harbour Lights Crew. However, the enterprising Anja managed to snag some grainy pics from a friend who went to the launch so you can take a look at some of the costumes below.

Summer Carnival season is here!

Islandistas, can you feel it?

The summer carnival season is ready to get going!

In fact, in St. Vincent and St. Lucia, whose carnivals fall on July 6-7 and July 20-21 respectively, the Carnival season is already starting to buzz.









Just For Fun, Toxik, Red Unlimited and Royalites are among the bands that have launched.

In fact, even in Antigua, where Carnival is not until August 3rd - the same day as Kadooment Day in Barbados, the band Myst launched since the end of April. 

 

 I like it - early launch, dat we seh! The artistes have been bringing out their music earlier and earlier every year - it is about time for the band leaders to start doing the same!

At least one band in Barbados has taken the hint and has already launched - Ravurz launched their band, seen below, this week.

 Errmmm... not too sure about all of the fake flowers - flowers just never do it for me on a costume  but the costume at the far right looks nice.

Anyhow, bands up up north have also been launching -Bacchanal Mas for London's Notting Hill Carnival is one and several bands for Toronto's Caribana have also launched.

This costume, 'Birds of a Feather' is from Tribal Nights and I lurrrrrrrrvvvvvvvvv it! Look at all of those pretty feathers... I have a thing for lots of feathers in a costume... I may have mentioned this weakness before. So this costume was a winner from me from the time I laid eyes on it... who cares if the side feathers mean that you have no peripheral vision? That's so overrated anyhow.

In other summer Carnival news - a bit of news and a bit of suss.

Starting with the confirmed news, Triple Queen Fay-Ann Lyons is set to make her first appearance since giving birth just after Carnival. She will be performing this weekend self in Toronto along with husband Bunji Garlin at Kool Haus. The comeback fete is being put on by Toronto's top soca dj, Dr. Jay.

I guess this answers the question of how long was Fay-Ann's 'maternity leave' going to be. On the one hand, no-one wants to leave a child that is just two months old.

UPDATED: Fay-Ann delivered the carnival baby?

Update: False alarm! Turns out that this was just a rumour - but apparently, even a television station in TnT reported it and from there it went flying. However, we have received reports, both from bandi, in the comments section and also someone who has just returned from Trinidad this evening, that it is false. Fay-Ann is still very much pregnant and she and Bunji actually had a good laugh about it today when they were being interviewed as they made the rounds following her Road March win.

That would have been too perfect timing, wouldn't it?

Ok, so I'm still checking up on this one, but rumours are flying around that Fay-Ann Lyons actually gave birth yesterday - as in Carnival Tuesday.

Both bandi from Trini blog bandwagonist and commenters on regional site islandmix have been reporting this. Reportedly she gave birth to a baby girl.

I'm still checking around to get a solid confirmation of this because... wow! That would be almost eerie timing. It almost seems too crazy to be true - the daughter of Fay-Ann Lyons and Bunji Garlin and granddaughter of Super Blue being born on Carnival Tuesday, even as her mother was storming to her third Road March win?

It should also be kept in mind that Fay-Ann was eight months along and was not due til next month so she still had a few more weeks to go.

If she has delivered, we wish her and Bunji all the best - girl, you is a real super woman if this is true! 

Queen Fay-Ann!

Tell them that ah tough like iron

When ah done wid dem,

Dey bound to know know why mih name is Fay-Ann Lyons.

What did we say, nuh? Who could beat de lady wid de carnival baby? Not a man - or woman!

As expected, Super-preggy Fay-Ann Lyons won the Road March, sweeping all three soca titles and making her the 'winning-est' woman ever in Trinidad Carnival.

 The news just came through a short while ago.

She now has five titles, including an unprecedented three Road March titles - surpassing the great Calypso Rose's two Road March titles and equalling her for back-to-back wins and a Carnival sweep.

Despite all the talk about Destra Garcia being close, in the end it was a proper cut-ass by Mummy Lyons-Alvarez, with Fay-Ann's 'Meet Super Blue' getting 410 plays to Destra's 'Bacchanal' a distant second with 76 plays.

Congrats Queen Fay-Ann!

Bits & pieces - Machel's rant, Rihanna's statement and more...

So much has been going on these past few days - the Rihanna situation, Trinidad Carnival, New York Fashion Week, that it's hard to get it all in but we're trying!

First off, we have some behind the scenes pics (compliments E-Zone Entertainment - big ups to Lisa Wickham - that woman is everywhere) of Destra's upcoming Bacchanal music video.

 In other Destra-related news, islandistas would have noticed that she has teamed up this season with her former nemesis, Denise 'Saucy Wow' Belfon. Alison Hinds is also in the mix, as the three of them are on a song called Obsessive Winers. They are calling themselves the Three Ss - Saucy, Sassy (for Destra's song Sassiness) and Sexy.

However, in light of Destra and Denise's well-recorded cat fight a few years back, eyebrows might have been raised to see them performing together. However, both Destra and Denise have said that is all water under the bridge and that they are like sisters.

In an interview with Bajanfuhlife, Destra said:

SuperPreggy sweeeeeeep!

Who can stop the woman wid de Carnival baby this year? Not a man - not even hers!

As I predicted, Fay-Ann won the International Power Soca Monarch contest early this morning at the Hasely Crawford Stadium after she mash up the people place with Meet Super Blue annnnd... she win de Groovy Soca Monarch too with Heavy T.

Shurwayne Winchester placed second to her in the Groovy Soca Monarch contest and hubby Bunji Garlin placed second to her in the Power Soca Monarch contest - the Alvarez-Lyons household getting that money for sure this Carnival season!

And now... it's on to the Road, as Trinidad Carnival reaches its climax this weekend with 96 hours of pure frenzy - no sleeping, only partying!

As for our Road March bet... well to quote commenter Molasses "who say CLEAN SWEEP!"  We do, fuh damn sure! The smart money is on Fay-Ann to keep her crown again this year and do a clean sweep of the party crowns - Power Soca Monarch, Groovy Soca Monarch and Road March Queen.

Take a look at her winning performances below.



In other Carnival news, Fay-Ann said she and Bunji still don't know if they are having a boy or a girl. In an interview with the Trinidad Express, she said that despite two ultrasounds, they can't tell the sex of the child.

"Yes, we want to find out, but it's on the baby's timing. Because of the position of the baby we can't really tell if it's a boy or a girl. I went the first time I heard it's a boy, and then I heard it's a girl, so I know it can't be two of them at the same time (laughs) and it's not a twin."

Hmmm... yet last night I coulda swear I heard Bunji mention that he gine cut 'her' ass when referring to 'Baby Lyons-Alvarez' cheeky verse during Fay-Ann's winining performance of 'Meet Super Blue'. Will check back and let you know...

Fay-Annnnnnnnn!!!

So I'm just going to go ahead and call this for Fay-Ann Lyons.

They have not yet announced the results of the Bmobile International Power Soca Monarch contest and the Playwey (?) Groovy Soca Monarch contest but if Fay-Ann ent win de big one (power soca) then the judges did not see what the whole Caribbean did.

Eight months pregnant, Fay-Ann mash up the place with her hit 'Meet Super Blue'. Half way through her performance, she brought on the man himself, her father Austin Lyons, aka Super Blue, eight time road march king. He didn't have to do a thing except be there - he didn't have to sing a note because the crowd was hers already.

Then... Fay-Ann bring de dunner. She hold over and say 'ah feel a pain'. Call me foolish, I fell for it, especially when Super Blue put his arm around her shoulder. Hear me:

"Oh shite, she gine have a Carnival baby fuh trute?"