I am the Caribbean police

On invitation I went to my first outter Caribbean experience last night. A friend asked me if I wanted to come and watch her son play steelpan at a evening event. It was held at the Afro-Caribbean centre and the theme was the abolishion of slavery.

The theme wasn't thrust upon you in such a way that it would make the evening grave which was cool. I have never spent any considerable amt of time listening to pan so this was first. It was kids first, then it went up in age until it got to the adults who basically run the centre. It was much, small stage, Roughly about 10 pans for each performance. There weren't only people of caribbean decent there so to speak. I loved the whole vibe because as I've said before I have to go behind town to really be amongst 'familiar things' ( I am not getting into nitty gritties). And I was behind town.

I know that I'm way too judgemental but I can't help it. But sometimes what concerns me the most about living here is the way that things can be perceived as being a near true representation of what its like to be in the Caribbean. My conclusion is people will never have a clue. I think its fabulous to have things like this around and there is the opportunity for people to take part and be part of things that they miss by trying to re-create and I'm not knocking that aspect of it.
But for the british-born decendants of the Vincy, Jam, Lucian, etc and the english community that are interested in the culture, its an injustice that they aren't aware of, unless they've actually ventured to the Caribbean. Cause they look like they feel like they getting the 'real deal' and that bothers me because it can be easy to disassociate smallness from greatness. So seeing 5/6 people on stage at one time playing VERY OLD standards and Harry Belafonte, Spanish eyes on stage by mostly amateurs prob looks like a true representation.

I sat there last night enjoying my vibe but also thinking, 'man, I wish some people here could see what that man with the pan onstage with Bunji at Ignite could really do'. or let them see what panorama is like or something.

Anyhow, I asked my friend's son what type of pan he was playing because I couldn't remember which is which (i.e tenor pan, bass pan etc). He tells me that he plays the steelpan, he didn't understand the question because to him there is no ans. This prompted me to do some research on google today. And I came across this wikipedia - Origins & Controversy of steelpan which further upset me:

There is controversy concerning the steelpan's origins. Although it is reported that Winston "Spree" Simon took an old biscuit tin, and beat it with a corn cob to form a steelpan, the history of the evolution and development of the steelpan is more complex and nuanced than that. While Simon may have been the first to use biscuit tins, it quickly turned to ash cans and the steel drums made unintentionally available by the United States. Bunches of young African men can be credited with contributing to the steel pan. Only having scraps as their primary resources they used what they had to preserve aspects of their culture in the space of the Caribbean. Clearly being influenced by the mixture of those on the islands along with the desire for African drums, steel pan was formed. The development of the pan took place largely during WWII, the first record of a pan band in the press being in a report of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival in the Trinidad Guardian dated Tuesday, February 6, 1940.

Two Americans, George Whitmyre and Harvey J. Price, have secured a US patent for "the process of formation of a Caribbean steelpan using a hydroforming press". This patent is being challenged by the Trinidad and Tobago Legal Affairs Ministry, since many Trinbagonian drum makers have used similar methods for years.

which prompted me to click on the Soca link:

Soca, or soul calypso, is a dance music that originated in Trinidad from calypso. It combines the melodic lilting sound of calypso (based on the original Steel Pan) with insistent (usually electronic) percussion. Soca music has evolved in the last 20 years primarily by musicians from Trinidad, Barbados, Guyana, and the Lesser Antilles.

The reputed father of soca was Lord Shorty (né Garfield Blackman), whose 1963 recording of "Cloak and Dagger" started the trend. It would be Lord Kitchener who would begin the noticeable and accredited transition and Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, which made soca a West Indian social wave, but the Baha men, Kevin Lyttle,Machel and Walker and others in the 21st century brought it to American recognition.

Like calypso, soca was used for both social commentary and risqué humor, though the initial wave of soca acts eschewed the former. Lord Shorty was disillusioned with the genre by the 1980s because soca was being used to express courtships and sexual interests. Like all things related to sexual freedom, it became embraced because of its ability to reflect what people were thinking and their desires in a society that was sexually repressed. Soca music became an expression of sexuality through metaphors in the West Indies. Soon after, Shorty moved to the Piparo forest, converted to the Rastafari movement and changed his name to Ras Shorty I. There, he created a fusion of Reggae and gospel music called jamoo in the late 1980s.In the 1990's and now the new century Soca has evolved into a blend of musical styles. Machel Montano's collaborations with Jamacian musicians (Ret Rat and Beenie Man),American musician (Walker)and Japanese artists have pushed the boundries of modern Soca.Machel Montano would be the first mainstream Soca artist to sell out venues all over the world including the Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Some of the greatest soca artists of all time are Shadow, Lord Kitchener, Mighty Sparrow, Krosfyah, Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, and more recently artists such as Alison Hinds, Atlantik, Machel Montano, Destra Garcia, Shurwayne Winchester, Denise Belfon, and Maximus Dan.

I have a fewer bones with the Soca one and it looks to be recent as it mentions Machel in MSG. The caribbean police is happy with the worldwide recognition that would receive although much more work needed-it gets the job done.

Race for Life - Southampton July 15th

Tonight at kickboxing I was asked if I wanted to do Race for life. Its a charity event held over summer in the aid of Cancer research UK. Its a 3mile walk/run/jog race that's women only. https://www.raceforlife.org/

I was very impulsive and decided to go with it and I have now registered. Yipee! I do understand the day can get quite emotional as alot of relatives of people who may have suffered from it, take part.

I'm definately up for the challenge and have asked quite a number of people in the last 10 mins or so, not sure how many will actually want/able to. But I think it would be good fun. I'm also looking foward to the training bit.

Anybody who is interested in donating can give me your £££ here.

I have a low target of £50. I also had to pay £10 entry fee and will probab end up with some t-shirt or accessories for the day as well.

Just a thought to share

Why is it still cold?

Last week I thought that 'yes, finally' spring is more or less here. I'd stand by the bus stop or on the school playground and I'd feel the warmth of the sun hitting my skin.

That was last week. This week so far we've had some pelting hail stones off and on, rain, cold, 2 mins of snow WTF????????????????????

I had to a whole go back to layered clothes and wintercoat, and even gloves this afternoon, although I wish I wore them yesterday. steupseee.

Not impressed. How does it go from 15-17 degrees in the afternoon last week to 5-7 degrees this week. Not a happy bunny.

over and out.

Checking in

I think with nothing in the near future to look foward to its not so easy to post. But I don't want to give up on this.

The hardest thing about being back from home in general is being back at work. Any little shit happens I'm straight on a 'I want to go home' scene. The first week back was very much like that. I was going to work on the bus trying to think of what I'd do if I went back home. Came up with a PA/ landlord - I know what I'm talking about. Have some property in Tobago, develop, rent etc while driving around in the baking sun, go to the beach - BIG DAYDREAMS. I even asked my husband about going back home to live when our son has to switch schools - the answer was I don't know about that = NO! He thinks our only shot of going out there now is to do property development or something. Moving along. Besides the possibility of mas 08' my next trip to Trinidad may very well be in Christmas 08 which is a very long time from now. And that makes carnival more of a likelihood.

Generally I'm back into the swing of things here now. Kickboxing is on the go, still waiting for it to be light a little bit later and a partner for running but that should be soon. Clock will be going back anyday now.
Profitshare came in so I've re-wardrobed YEAH! Cinema is back in full swing. So far Number 23, Ghost Rider, Premonition & TMNT - bring on the rest. March has been busy, I like to feel like I have a life. Dinner party next weekend - how very grown up. Just us mommies & husbands no kids. I think I'll be a little out of my league lol should be fun all the same because the 5 of us get on really well and our kids are really close friends. Ditch the kids, husbands all know each other well(playdate), bring on food & alcohol!
(for future reference;Leo's friends mom's I refer to the 5 of us/them as 'the mommies')

The biggest news is that I've cut my hair in an effort to do a 'Kelis'. I loved the style she had in her Bossy video. I've never had my hair this short and relaxed but I love it and so does everybody else which is cool. Not quite Kelis though but I can flip the long bob bit on either side.

Full mommy mode today. Got to get ready for day out and 3 boys.Laters

Beautiful Liar

Has anyone seen the video for Beyonce & Shakira's Beautiful Liar?

It is the sexiest video out right now I must say, I only saw it last night and I'm already addicted.
At first I couldn't tell the difference then I realised it was both of them. Definately worth a look & listen if you haven't already

Triniscene

Triniscene.com has carnival pictures up now. Carnivalscene is still taking its cool time but hey. They obviously need to have more female photographers in this carnival industry.

started back going to kickboxing tonight. Got j'ouvert photos today, its not very many so I don't think I'll be scanning those.

Off your high yet?

I told my work friends that I'll stop talking about Carnival when it gets warm. They're probably sick of me by now. Wait till I get my hands on my Tribe mag to bring it into work a month later after I've been on holiday lol.

I'm taking a break from 24, on series 3 now - too many late nights with this show.

OMG they blocked access to blogspot.com at work as inappropriate material to access while at work lol.

Slobfest is coming to an end. I fell asleep last night thinking I don't want to ruin the weight I'm at. It'll be spring soon enough and that may be a good time to start running again. I'll have a brand new soca list to exercise too :-) Will definately be starting back kickboxing Tues coming. I don't/didn't have a carnival body. I like to maintain this throughout the year. Plus I threw out all my bigger clothes so there's no room for too much slackness, some but not this week long nonsense I've been engaging in.

Big up to Karabana who's got lots of pics up some of which include the Bloggers lime, bloggers on the road mon&tues and her. Some of the people I didn't get to meet in person I saw on her site. I recommend you take a look if you haven't already.

Karabana's Carnival photos

another good site which I told her about which has loads of carnival pics as well is
Izatrini.com. They have it a bit underwraps but they're really clear photos.

Izatrini carnival pics