Thank God It Was Fantastic Friday -Burning Flames Reunion

Now that I’ve had the chance to recover from the sheer epicness that was the Burning Flames reunion on Friday 17^th July 2015, I can come tell you all about it. Like so many of my contemporaries from Antigua Barbuda I grew up listening to Burning Flames.I vividly remember being hoisted high above the crowd at Jampond by my godfather, and naively explaining to my perturbed mother why at eight years old I should be allowed to sing “if you get what you want tonight, will you remember me tomorrow”.

As for this recap, firstly- OHMERGERDDD! I can scarcely believe that I actually saw Onyan, Oungku, Krokus and Fox on the same stage. With their instruments. Performing! Yea,it actually happened unlike *cough* the last time dem bluff ahwe.

Fantastic Four reunited on stage

Reddddd Eyeeee

If we take Joseph ‘Jojo’ Apparicio, Red Eye 10 promoter at his word the fete is going to be quite a show this year.  He expressed appreciation for yester year when the crowd was more intimate, had less police restriction and jammed with the Burning Flames until well after sunrise. Jojo credited much of the growth of the event to Chalita Rose and Zack Hazim. It’s a little known that the original intended location for the fete was Valley Church beach; chosen so that patrons could fete till they falling down (see what I did there) and take a dip in the ocean at sunrise. That vision never came to pass, but the team is pleased with the product they’ve produced today.

 In commemoration of the tenth year of Red Eye the Marketing Machine has added several finishing touches. One of the main improvements this year is the Blacklist VIP- complete with a soup station, finger foods, drinks and *insert drumroll here* the chance to rub shoulders with headliners like CP The Diva, The Winter Man, Ricardo Drue, Farmer Nappy, Skinny Fabulous, Imani and Kes The Band.

They aim to start on Antigua people time)ON TIME,  with fireworks and English Harbour ten year old rum at midnight, appearances from all six local artists who first performed on the show, including Onyan, Tizzy, Bankers and Vision Band and most importantly the introduction of the Red Eye Hall of Fame. The first honouree is Claudette ‘CP’ Peters who has performed on all previous Red Eye fetes.

Image credit: The Marketing Machine

Sweet Soca with MnM Music

Carnival is upon us, plenty  rum, music and feteing! Unless you spend your days on Redonda hanging with the goats chances are you know what MnM Music is. If you don't, you're welcome in advance, now's your chance to get to know Menace, Melo and Boasta and find out what's behind the men and their music. Peep this interview that originally appears on Kulcha Matters a culture blog brought to you by the students of University of West Indies Western Jamaica Campus.

Orange is the New Black- Five Life Altering Lessons

#OITNB literally took the entire Netflixdom by storm when it debuted in July 2013. The series offers a fictional peek behind bars in a U.S federal correctional facility. Admittedly, it has more than its fair share of sex and masturbation, but it also has a diverse cast and characters with unconventional stories.  The much awaited season three came out on early release on June 12^th and I have finnnnaaaalllly finished binge watching.

Claudette 'CP' Peters- She's Exceptional

Hey! Come here, come closer. Claudette Peters has something she wants to tell you. She’s a brand new Diva this year. At a media launch held on Thursday June 11th at Heritage Hotel CP unveiled her bold new logo, the #SocaArmy Movement and her band’s new name- Xceptional to an audience of government officials, soca artists, promoters, djs and fans. 

Addressing the need for re-branding efforts Claudette says “We have a new approach, especially seeing that social media is so massive right now. We want to make sure that we are heard, we want to make sure that we are seen. It’s the Diva, now we have to put the name to the face. It’s a name change because we have to put the music in the ears of the people along with the name. We 'wanna’ make sure that we are heard and seen not only in Antigua Barbuda, not only for carnival but carnival is definitely the start.” Fans can expect an increased presence on social media where they can interact with the Diva via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram as well as her soon to be launched website http://www.claudettepeters.com.

About them grades though...

Am I the only one who is getting anxious about their grades? I’m fighting the compulsion to check and re-check to see if grades are posted every 2.5 seconds. The only thing that stops me is the niggling thought that maybe; just maybe I might not actually be happy when I see them.

 It’s not that I doubt my intellectual capabilities, but any undergrad student will tell you, when it’s time to study there is an infinite list of things that suddenly require your urgent attention. 

The White Witch of Rose Hall

There is nothing particularly frightening about a beautiful 4’10” Caucasian woman dressed in red galloping through the Rose Hall Estate in Montego Bay Jamaica. Nothing at all… Unless of course she’s been dead for hundreds of years, and she answers to the name Annie Palmer.