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.

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

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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.

Shena Moulton in Teen Vogue

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="434" caption="Photo credit: Jason Kibbler/Teen Vogue"][/caption]

Saint's sweet sixteen supermodel (say that ten times fast!) Shena Moulton is continuing her winning form with a spread in this month's Teen Vogue magazine, entitled Sugar Rush.

The spread, shot by Jason Kibbler is featuring the bright and sweet colours that will run spring and summer 2010.

[caption id="attachment_2266" align="aligncenter" width="282" caption="Photo credit: Jason Kibbler"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="282" caption="Photo credit: Jason Kibbler/Teen Vogue"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="282" caption="Photo credit: Jason Kibbler/Teen Vogue"][/caption]

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!

New Melanie Fiona video - Ay Yo

One of our favourite islandistas on the musical scene, the talented Melanie Fiona, has a new video out for her single Ay Yo - and we are loving it.

It's an inspirational, get up and do what you have to do kind of track and the video has a cool concept and an actual storyline. And they threw in a lil sassy West Indian flavour in the scene right at the beginning too ... lol!

Check it.

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!

Islandistas part of Marie Claire's 'Inspire & Mentor' campaign

[caption id="attachment_2229" align="aligncenter" width="405" caption="Photo credit: Metro.co.uk"][/caption]

 British Marie Claire launched its Inspire & Mentor campaign last week and three Caribbean women are among the ranks of the "most influential women in Britain" that the mag has chosen to serve as mentors.

 

Singer Leona Lewis (Guyanese by way of her father), actress Naomie Harris (Jamaican mother) and double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes (half-Jamaican by way of her estranged father) are among the 17 women that will mentor chosen Marie Claire readers.

[caption id="attachment_2230" align="aligncenter" width="322" caption="Pirates of the Caribbean star, actress Naomie Harris. (Photo credit: marieclaire.co.uk)"][/caption]

They are all featured on a pull-out cover of Marie Claire's upcoming May issue and on the inside as well with profiles highlighting each woman.

  The campaign which is in association with the esteemed Prince's Trust was launched with a big do at London's Ivy club, with speeches by Harris and British PM's wife Sarah Brown and a performance by Dionne Bromfield, the half-Jamaican, half-Jewish god-daughter of Amy Winehouse and general teenage singing phenom.

[caption id="attachment_2223" align="aligncenter" width="322" caption="Dione Bromfield, who performed at the launch. (Photo credit:marieclaire.co.uk)"][/caption]

More pics from Sanya Richards' wedding

Just because we lurrrrvvv islandista weddings - especially when they do it big like Jamaican-born sprinter Mrs. Sanya Richards-Ross!

Here for your viewing and drooling pleasure (the decor, the dress ... gorgeous!) are some more pics from her wedding last month to her college sweetheart and Super Bowl-winning honey, Aaron Ross.

[caption id="attachment_2204" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="With mummy/manager Sharon Richards, before heading down the aisle."][/caption]

 

 

Awwww.... lots more photos under the cut!

Cydonie Mothersill finally gets her due

It was nine years in coming but Caymanian sprinter Cydonie Mothersill finally got her just rewards yesterday at the CARIFTA Games.

[caption id="attachment_2215" align="alignright" width="244" caption="Photo credit: Dennie Warren/Cayman News Service"][/caption]

Cydonie was just one of the athletes who was cheated out of her moment and medal by now-disgraced American sprinter Marion Jone during Jones' drug-fuelled heyday in the early 00s. Cydonie placed 4th to Jones in the 100 metres at the 2001 World Championships but since Jones was stripped of many of her medals in 2007 after confessing to doping, Cydonie moved up to bronze.

Indeed, she is one of many islandista athletes were deprived of glory due to Jones' cheating. From the 20001 World Champs, the list includes Bahamian track queens Debbie Fergusson (gold in the 100m) and Chandra Sturrup (bronze in the 200m).

From the 2000 Summer Olympics, the list is even longer - Pauline Davis-Thompson (gold in the 200m), Jamaicans Tayna Lawrence (silver in the 100m but widely held to be the real gold medal winner since Greek Ekaterina Thanou's wins are under a cloud of suspicion for years now), Beverley McDonald (bronze in the 200m) and former Jamaican rep and ... sprint queen Merlene Ottey (bronze in the 100m). We respect Merlene but that gets a hm from us. However, the IOC took the step of upgrading both Tayna and Merlene while leaving Thanou only as the silver medallist.


But back to Cydonie who finally got her hands on her medal at a special ceremony at the ongoing CARIFTA Games yesterday.

And while it's not the same as stepping on the medla podium in front of the world and seeing your flag go up, we at Islandista think it is especially poignant and fitting that she got her moment of glory in front of her home crowd in Cayman and more importantly, in front of our future generation of Caribbean sprinters.

Show them how to fight the good fight to the end, Cydonie. Congrats.

Happy birthday Shena!

[caption id="attachment_2201" align="alignleft" width="171" caption="Shena shares a laugh with Saint International CEO, Deweight Peters"][/caption]

Jamaica's teenage model phenom, Shena Moulton celebrated her sweet sixteen last week.

I know, I know... all of sixteen! Can you believe it?

She celebrated at a birthday party in her hometown of Kingston, which was thrown for her by her agency, Saint International.

According to the Jamaica Gleaner's fashion blog, the do at Mingles was a surprise party, as she thought Saint CEO Deweight Peters was just taking her out to dinner.

Now that she's 16, Shena's opportunities will be even greater as designers who did not/could not work with her before because of her age.

Oh... and she got to pierce her ears - a birthday treat from mummy Jacqui, who clearly doesn't play.

Bless.

And happy birthday!

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.