Where is UK Soca Music?

Notting Hill Carnival is amazing in many respects. The pan, the kaiso and the amazing costumes filling the streets in riotous colour. One aspect that many would find grating however, is the fact that the soundtrack to Europe's biggest street festival is undoubtedly the soundtrack of the islands with no interjection whatsoever from the United Kingdon. The UK soca music scene, if not dead is on its very last legs. UK originating songs do not make it on the playlists of UK based DJs- to obtain validation, artists need to do a Kerwin Dubois- go down to Trinidad and make it big- only then will they obtain some semblance of credibility. Songs produced in the UK often sound mediocre, belying that they have been assembled in someone's front room.

This is an absolute shame, because we do we have some class acts in the UK. Scrappy, the Monsterratian sensation, with his megatune "Start to Bounce" totally demolished Poison's Wet Fete last year- his music is rhythmic, his tunes are original and his voice rivals Bunji any day any how. On the female side, Ms Desire and Chardonnay are two big female soca artists with equally as big voices who would purr their hearts into groovy soca. Our own Brown Sugar and Helena B are bona fide soca gurus. However gone are the days when fetes featured local artists such as Kerwin Dubois (at the time), when Tudor Rose featured artists like Grenadian Ronnie and when UK artists had their own niche and their own corner of the market.

It is such a crying shame that I applaud the decision of Soca News to create a UK Soca Monarch competition. I hope that this competition will resuscitate the soca industry in the UK. I have a feeling that the breakthrough will happen here- the UK musical industry is at the intersection between rock, indie and rnb and all of these genres could do with a soca injection.

MASQUERADE 2000 and TEN

After the absolutely wonderful display of costumes we saw for Bachanalmas and Jewels de Carnaval, I must admit that my expectations are now hyper high in terms of what the market should expect for Notting Hill.

On M2K 2000, I probably did not fall in love with any of the costumes but they were vibrant, bold and arty. Masquerade 2000 describes its band as the leading band in Europe- this is probably up for contention given the proliferation of bands in the Notting Hill Parade but what I can say is that they are probably one of the more better organised bands and they are marketed very well. Masquerade 2000 has, for example, been showcased at the V&A museum, they have appeared in various carnivals across the globe and representatives have taken part in the International Kings and Queens Competition in Trinidad.

In 2010 they are bringing us “The Gift”. All the costumes range from 80 pounds to 120 pounds and at the time of writing one section at least, was already sold out. Their mas camp is located at 17 Argyll Avenue in Leyton (Unit 2). The sections are, in order, Carnival Art, Pop Art, Optical Art, Futurism, Cyber Angels, Cultural Angels and Graffitti. Neither the website nor the photos I managed to obtain explains what the sections are but I think the general vibe was to emulate the kitschness of the popular art movement, applying some element of science and technology and a general wanton escapsim to the costumes. I applaud this very much, it is very easy to come across with a Warriors/Tribal/Asian/African theme every year, I love the thinking outside of the box.

As for the costumes- they are definitely unusual in their use of masks but I do find the design a bit retro considering that they are meant to represent futuristic, pyschedelic concepts. Personally I also find them a bit heavy on the extras- there is a LOT of fabric and extra detailing, which would make me wonder how wearable they are on the road.

NHG'S pick? The pink and purple. That skirt adds just that extra bit of flair to bring out some sassy whinery. Wink wink.

Poison FINALLY getting lethal

Well it look like the big bad Poison decide to get off their laurels and to finally host a launch, if I was waiting for food I woulda done dead already!

This is unacceptable given that most of the power players have already launched and I ain't hiding to tell nobody that Poison damn Late. The theme is Amore- variation of love, and as I am all loved up, I am looking forward to seeing the 5 sections that they are going to put on but they better don't come with no Cheryl Cole esque interpretation like putting us in combats and telling us is Fight for This Love. The themes better come strong as they had all the time in the world!

Those of you who attended the disaster of a launch last year where they attempted to woo us with free barbecue chicken wings (hello? chicken wings are a quid for two pounds in Tesco?) by taking us to the vacuous Ministry of Sound on a Sunday, will be glad to know that the launch is going to be held at a more intimate venue of the Cobden Club up West. Us Southerners will find it a trek especially those of us that live close to SE1 but time to shake it up.

They ent losing this degrees ting at all boy! So this one will be zero degrees. Dey shoulda start it at 10, you don't want to start nutting cold!!!

We Tiefing a Little in Amsterdam...

Carnival Tabanca is a serious serious disease. It has been undiagnosed hitherto by Western medicine men, and exists purely within the West Indian cultural vaccuum. It is characterised by an intense longing to be in an enclosed space with as many people as possible, gyrating to the sounds of soca music.

To those of us who went to Trinidad this year, we did not have a bad case of Carnival Tabanca as we had our fill- but instead we had a serious Machel Tabanca. Machel chose to sit the season out and we had to make do with the HD Family. Ah mean, we dig Patrice and Kerwin is we boy but we real miss that "Huhhhh" and de "mad madder mad man" that is characteristic of our Crown Prince! Machel Tabanca is a different stage of the disease altogether, sufferers will be heard reciting the words of "Big Truck" at random intervals, searching for YouTube videos of "Too Young to Soca" and going insane when they hear the opening strains of "Tiefing a Little". They may also sign off as "Jack Horner" in their emails and need Machel songs like they need paracetamol for a headache.

To those of you suffering from late stages of Machel Tabanca, and can't fly to Miami or New York where all the shows seem to be taking place, TAKE NOTE the man himself will be in Amsterdam on Saturday 2 July for the first time in Holland.

Tickets are 22.50 euros (just about 20 quid). All yuh know that one ent missing me. Dah is meh man right there. Somebody say Easyjet!

Cool Jewels!

Well ah wasnt dere- ah had was to take it how ah get it but boy so many choices this year. Yes, I know I going and coming sometimes wid de blog but hold on, de ride is rough but we will reach where we going, hold strain!!!!

Jewels de Carnival looking hot like gas! Notting Hill Carnival will need some firemen to spray these sexy costumes down fuss dey bad! Sexy with a capital S! How do I love this costume? Let me count the ways. Is it the vibrant aquamarine, the perfect colour palette, not too bright, not too dull, complementing most skin tones? Reminiscent of the Loulan? Is it the exquisite cage bra of the first design, set with strategic jewels for the brave and the skinny? Is it the bejeweled monokoni option in a slighter darker shade of aqua that makes for a lovely contrast? Plus shorts and tankini options for the fuller figured (or those who play mas an go to church!) and the standard issue panty and bra. All the backdrop for a humongous show stopping whopper of a headpiece. This is no value Sainsbury's basics affair, this is Taste the Difference in all yuh ass!

Three words- I love it! Kudos to the designer.
Jewels the Carnival is a special section within Burrokeets.


Pics compliments Mac Big Truck Looby.