DRAMA at Soca Royale!!!

Wow. Facebook and the streets are hot with the fiasco that was the inaugural Soca Royale contest today at Barbados' Bushy Park racing circuit.


What a strange and sorry (non) spectacle it turned out to be. What can we say about it?

Well, after her emphatic at-last win last year, 2010 turned out to be a very different year for TC.

She won at Bushy Park today, succesfully and strongly defending her Sweet Soca crown with a not very popular tune - Down the Road.

But she ended up the the big loser in the public's eyes after she didn't take the stage for the much-hyped Soca Royale clash between herself and the Party Monarch champion Blood (and congrats to him!)

The crowd was already against her from about half an hour earlier when she was announced as the winner of the Sweet Soca contest - booing loudly and harshly. Apparently 98.1 The One even had to cut their live programming for a while, is so people were getting on.

Islandista Top Chef's dream: opening Asian fusion restaurant in Bim

The dream is over for Barbadian Top Chef contestant Tamesha Warren.

At least her first dream of winning the $100 000 grand prize in Bravo's Top Chef.

Last night viewers saw her voted off by the judges and fellow chef-testants as her scallops with pickled rhubarb, cilantro, basil and long pepper in rhubarb jus was just too spicy for the diners - sounds like something Caribbean people would love though - seafood and plenty pepper!

However, Tamesha, who at 24, was the youngest contestant on this season's edition of the top-rated reality show, has another dream - opening her own restaurant in her native island.

Now that the show is over, the real action begins for the Deighton Griffith Secondary alumna as she is now free to make the media rounds and talk freely about the show, which is pre-taped and in one such interview with NBC New York, she revealed what she would have done with the big prize.

"If I had won the money, I would have put it aside to open up my own place in Barbados. I first wanted to travel to Asia because I'm in love with Asian food, but I'd like to do a Barbados fusion restaurant with Asian influences. I grew up there until I was 16. I try to go back every year since my grandmother who raised me still lives there. It would be formal dining. There’s a Japanese restaurant called Zen in one of our finest hotels [the Crane] and I was just surprised how many locals were there actually eating.

They're being exposed to cuisines from all over the world. That’s why I think my idea with fusion and Asian influence would be succesful. I don’t know if I want it to stand alone or be in a resort, either or would work.

Here's hoping that an angel investor takes notice of this islandista star and brings her back home to shine!

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!

Lest we forget ...

It's been six months since the horrific events of January 12th.

 

It has been slow going. Only two per cent of the pledges made in March, when the memories were still fresh, have been fulfilled.

Shamefully (but sadly not unexpectedly) CARICOM is not amongst those donor countries that have fulfilled their pledge promises. Not a penny of the $8,097,166 promised has been paid out as yet, according to www.refondation.ht, the official site tracking the reconstruction efforts.

So, don't forget.

Don't forget that miles of roads are still blocked with rubble.

Don't forget that 1.5 million people are still homeless.

But also, don't forget that Haitians are some of the strongest people on the planet. And if any people can survive such a horrific event, it is the Western world's first black republic.

Ayiti leve. Ayiti kanpe.

Lala ties the knot!

Congrats to boricua Lala Vazquez, the former MTV VJ who finally tied the knot with her long time honey, Denver Nuggets baller Carmelo Anthony!

The ceremony took place yesterday in New York City at the posh Ciprianis Restaurant with a host of sports and entertainment celebs in attendance.

The day was a lonnng time in coming - the two were engaged since 2004 and she gave birth to their son Kiyan in 2007 but finally, Lala was able to put all those eternal fiancee jokes to rest once and for all - and she looked ecstatic!

Afterwards, she tweeted:

Best night of my entire life. Thank u to all my family and friends who shared tonight with me. I love u. I'm on cloud 9 right now...

Awww... bless!