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.

Fabulous at the Grammys - island folk

Island folk were fabulous at the Grammy Awards last night.

Bajan islandista Rihanna put the awfulness of last year's Grammy experience behind her, winning her second Grammy for rap-sung collaboration for Run This Town with Jay-Z and Kanye West. She kept it succint on the mic, saying thanks and giving a 'lift-up' to Solange's son/ Beyonce's nephew, the too-cute Juelz.

And of course her dress... was... stunning. Definitely going to be making lots of best dressed lists in her pale pink Elie Saab.

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Too gorgeous. And the simple understated makeup with it is on point.

Melanie Fiona also looked beautiful in a black gown - she went for a very natural makeup look but she was glowing so much with happiness at being there that it just made us smile - like our fave lil cousin had finally got near her dream. Too sweet.

[caption id="attachment_1979" align="aligncenter" width="270" caption="Photo credit: Cohan/Granitz via YBF.com"][/caption]

For more pics of Caribbean folk at the Grammys, read on.

Pre-Grammy fun - swag and parties

It is Grammy weekend people and that means celebs, style and lots of free swag (lucky, lucky them!).

Islandistas Rihanna and Melanie Fiona have been out and about this weekend, scooping up goodies in swag booth, and hitting the pre-parties - both to perform and to party.

Rihanna worked this architectural tulle Viktor & Rolf dress to Clive Davis' famous Grammy pre-party. It's a very hmmm... dress. Like hmmm do I love this bold fashion foray or hmmm is this just absurd? 

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Ri-ri always pushes the fashion envelope, though doesn't she? Our thought was -how do you do anything that involves your left arm or left side in this dress? Can she even see over her shoulder to that person getting scrunched by tulle on her left?

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She was in a much more laid back outfit earlier on the day while grabbing some free stuff from the swag booth set up for the Grammys, getting a home stereo system hook up and fittingly - some Marley Coffee.

Melanie Fiona was also turning her swag on and getting some free goodies.

She also hit the stage for the SRC Pre-Grammy party.

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And of course, check Islandista later for more Grammy suss and style!

All we want for Christmas... is some pepperpot!

Hard-working islandista soul singer Melanie Fiona may be away from home and working on Christmas Day but she's still going to keep her Christmas Caribbean.

[caption id="attachment_1837" align="aligncenter" width="382" caption="A plate of pepperpot would make Christmas right for islandistas Melanie Fiona and Rihanna. (Photo credit: Cynthia Nelson/Tastes Like Home)"][/caption]

 



The Guyanese-Canadian singer, who received her first Grammy nomination earlier this month, told Rap-Up.com about her Christmas plans. Like most West Indians the Toronto-born singer has family all over and is going to spend part of Christmas day with relatives in Miami.

And just like Guyanese-descended Rihanna, who was earlier this month mourning that she may not get pepperpot for Christmas, Melanie Fiona's hoping for some traditional Guyanese Christmas fare too, saying:

"My family is Guyanese, so every Christmas morning we have pepperpot and garlic beef or garlic pork, and my mom makes homemade bread. Anything to do with my heritage is what is my fondest memory… All the crazy stuff that comes with being West Indian, I love it.”

No ... we love it!

Melanie Fiona speaks on her Grammy nom!

Big t'ings a gwan for islandista -not-actually from an island, the talented Guyanese-descended Melanie Fiona, who received her first ever Grammy nod on Friday when the award nominations were announced.

Just a month after her album The Bridge was released, she has been nominated for Best Female R&B Performance ... and of course, she's thrilled.

"I cried the happiest tears of my life when I heard the news. This is something I have dreamed of my entire life. I am a new artist, and to be recognized by the Grammy committee as a nominee in the company of such talented and established artists is my highest honor. I truly feel like the little engine that could," she said, in a press release issued by her label Universal Motown.

Congrats Melanie! We love to see island folk doing well!

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.

Red carpet islandistas - Soul Train, EMAs and Latin Grammys

Islandistas have been spotted on red carpets all over the place in the last week or so - from the Soul Train Awards to the Latin Grammys and the MTV European Music Awards.

Check them out below.

Estelle has been showing up on red carpets galore in recent weeks. We saw her down south in Brazil at the Fashion Rocks event in a Manish Arora dress that thrilled some and turned off others.

We're sure opinions will be less divided on her look at Sir Richard Branson's Rock the Kasbah gala in Los Angeles. It's beautiful and on trend in every way - colour, cut, fabric and shoes. A +!

 She also was in form at the Soul Train Awards earlier this week, in this gold and black number.

 Melanie Fiona also brought some shine to the red carpet - in pewter instead of gold, with this gorgeous one-shouldered dress with a peplum skirt. See even more red carpet looks when you read more.

Trend alert: Guyanese-Canadian singers

[caption id="attachment_1581" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="From left to right - Melanie Fiona, Anjulie and Rhea. (Photo at right from closetdiaries.com)"][/caption]

 

 

 No seriously!

 

 The old saying is 'three is a trend' right?

And in the last few months, we have seen three Guyanese-Canadian singers who are definitely on the rise in the international music scene. Shoot, they all hail from in or around Toronto too. It's a freaky but fabulous coincidence.

First up was Melanie Fiona, whose track Give It To Me Right made some waves. She opened for Kanye West on his European tour in 2008 before she had even released her debut album, The Bridge and she was one of BET's Rising Icons.

Next to get our attention was Anjulie.

Again, she opened for a big name act - Jesse McCartney on his U.S. tour this time. Her debut single Boom reached number one on Billboard's US dance charts and her songs have been featured on several shows - The Hills, The City, the new Melrose Place and the Vampire Diaries, among others.

And now comes news that N.E.R.D. (aka Pharrell Williams and the not as cute guys) has added Guyanese-Canadian Rhea as the only female to their line-up.

And Pharrell and co. clearly have high expectations of Rhea. He told MTV.com:

"Musically, we're just somewhere else [with her].... The music is now very 3-D. It's something you have to hear. But you'll see. We're definitely somewhere else. I want to leave that impact moment for when you purchase your download and you purchase your CD.

... Now you have this little Tinkerbell that's just stepped in and has been amazing. ... It's made it a fun process. We can go in so many more directions, because we have the vocal support."

Whooooiiiiieeeee. No pressure, dread!

Of course, there's something more these (undeniably talented) chicks have in common than being Guyanese-Canadian warblers from T-dot.

Something that probably makes them more... marketable.

Not that we're being racial.  But we do call it as we see it. After all, we've observed something similar as increasing numbers of Barbadian singers have snagged record label contracts. Take a look at our collage below and see if you spot it. 

 

We're just saying...

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 Hums Sesame Street song (one of these things is not like the other...)

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.