Machel Montano - Gyal Wuk

This hot new Cropover track will feature at Busspepper’s Ladies Night Sat July 9th @ APT London! Ladies Free before 10

Destra releases house track

Listen to your essential Soca 2011 Updates live!

DE WARM UP SESSION | 19th FEB | BUSSPEPPER 2011 AT A GLANCE

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Save the dates to your Calendar 2011 will be a booming year!

According to her account as expressed on Radio 96.1 FM this morning, as she drove east along Tragarete Rd just as she crossed Dundonald St Intersection, a PTSC bus overtook a parked NP truck and drove right up to her, the driver of the PTSC bus then began to hurl obscene language to Mrs. Price to move her car, however she hurled back obscenities to the driver as a “natural” reaction according to her, a lady with a sick child on the bus pleaded to her to move her car but however she couldn’t have moved due to traffic behind her. Mrs. Price went on to explain that suddenly an unknown elderly gentleman came into the dispute wielding an umbrella and began to hit her car and also attempt to poke the occupants of her car with the umbrella. (…..hmmmm reminds us of a Britney, is that her grandfather? we’re just saying)

Police arrived on the scene a short while later trying to rectify the matter as well as calm both drivers down, however when Mrs. Price was walking back to her car she stated that the elderly gentleman ran up to her (an “old” man ran up to her ?? ….hmm..) and outright hit her with umbrella as well hurling personal remarks to comedian about her sister, which then consequently ended up with Mrs. Price hitting the gentleman a “Slap”. (…PLAAW !!).

Mrs. Price further stated however via her Facebook Fan page “I was not wrong… and I owe NO ONE an apology. In the court of pubic opinion (ummm, did she just say “pubic” opinion? …never mind..) I’ve already been tried and found guilty…”, as well as “I KNOW I’m an arsehole… but thankfully I’m NOT alone…lol….The arsehole fraternity is VAST….:)”.

However, due to Trini Maco-ness we were able to acquire a video, showing exactly how the incident took place, as well as the “priceless slap”.

Thus, on further observation of the video, it can be seen that Mrs. Rachel Price description of the incident seems to be FLAWED, as there was NO indication of the older gentleman running up to her and hitting her, but Mrs. Price was the one seen running towards the older man while he walked away and hitting him across the face, as the Police tried to constrain her behaviour.

So, is Mrs. Price, GUILTY OR INNOCENT ?  Was she wrong for hitting an elderly citizen ? YOU JUDGE.

Source: Trini Maco Zone

Meeting with The Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar

The company had been due to provide the Caribbean nation with patrol vessels and ancillary support in a deal signed by VT Shipbuilding in April 2007. BAE acquired VT in October 2009.

BAE said the patrol ship programme had suffered from delays for some time and that it reduced the amount paid for VT as a consequence.

The defence company warned that the size of any financial penalty could not be “definitively assessed at this time” but estimated a “charge of up to £150m, before tax, may be required in the accounts for 2010.” It said that estimate did not take into account the potential resale value of the vessels.

BAE said it would look to engage the Trinidad government in “commercial discussions… to find an equitable settlement”.

The company said the first patrol ship was in the final stages of being handed over to the Trinidad government, while the second would be ready next month.

VT had originally committed to providing the ships in mid-2009 and the Trinidad media suggested the country’s government had become increasingly frustrated by the delays.

The government is reported to have already spent millions of pounds training would-be sailors to serve on the ships.

BAE’s share price rose 0.6 to 334.4p despite the announcement.

Source http://www.telegraph.co.uk

In keeping with TRIBE’s cutting edge approach…. for Carnival 2011 TRIBE will be launching a second band named BLISS…The INTIMATE Carnival Experience.

TRIBE’s main objective is to continue to play its role in developing Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival both locally and overseas as well as to improve the level of quality and service to our masqueraders.

This is why TRIBE took the decision to launch BLISS – a smaller band – a band that will offer the same high quality product and service that TRIBE has become known for and with the same fun-filled and exciting experience to all its masqueraders.

BLISS which offers the Intimate Carnival Experience to masqueraders, will have eight sections catering for approximately 1500 masqueraders on the road on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

In its first year the band will be portraying ‘The Warrior Within’, our designer’s interpretation of the warrior within each and every one of us.

TRIBE has launched in Trinidad on July 24th and will have the official UK launch at TRIBE IGNITE in London on Aug 21st 2010, hosted at the EGG Club by UK TRIBE & Busspepper Promotions. This fete is an outdoor/indoor day fete with a barbecue lime feel, top DJs, live PA and a costume presentation of both TRIBE & BLISS costumes.

It’s called Between Friends, and there’s even more reason to get excited: it’s ours. Written and directed by Omari Jackson, who was born here, Between Friends is the first feature film to be awarded equity funding from our own Trinidad and Tobago Film Company (TTFC). The 36-year-old, who also has Jamaican roots, and has lived in Namibia, has written a script that, from all accounts, bowls over everyone who reads it.

A snapshot of the interwoven relationships between a group of young people in contemporary Trinidad and Tobago, Between Friends features the ubiquitous “player” who is having unprotected sex; studious youngsters who want to find their wild side; another who wants to forget hers; even a May-December relationship – an older man with an Audi who feels he is entitled to have a ‘young ting’. HIV is not even mentioned but it’s there, lurking in the bedrooms.

“With this kind of content – sexuality and HIV – it affects everyone,” says producer Mandy Ward, a New Yorker whose next project will be with Frida Torresblanco, producer of Pan’s Labyrinth, which won three Oscars.

“There was a bombardment of films and TV shows about the topic, but then it faded. So hopefully Between Friends will revive the issue and it will be fresh.”

Although Between Friends was selected by the TTFC since 2007 to benefit from its equity-based programme, which is offered to nationals, it has taken three years for both TTFC and Jackson to raise the more than TT$2million that it costs to produce the movie. Did Jackson have to sell his soul, and his body, to raise his portion of the funds? “Just about,” he laughed. This includes fees for everyone involved, plus the cost of hiring equipment (including The Red One camera, which is as HD as they come), accommodation, transport, catering, props, sets, wardrobe, make-up, and incidentals.

And although a lot of money is involved, the TTFC believes in the power of film to uplift and inspire us as a people. Seeing ourselves on the big screen has a profound effect on our psyche. And also, making a movie creates employment, and gives local talent an opportunity to shine, as well as to learn.

Louris Lee-Sing, production manager on the Between Friends project remarked: “The day to day grind of a movie production can be very difficult and I’ve really seen the cast and crew for this movie both foreign and local really make an effort to keep their attitudes positive. Even in the midst of hard work we had moments of joy and laughter. Over 20 local crew members worked on this film and the camaraderie was always marvelous.”

For Cassie Foster, a young local boom operator, working on the set has been a marvelous experience. Although he has already worked on a number of short films for the TTFC, and this is his second feature film, the chance to learn from an international crew is invaluable, especially with someone like director of audio Michael Thor Lengies. Lengies’ most recent film, Hermafrodita, is an award-winning drama shot in the Dominican Republic.

“I’m into sound as well and Michael has taught me a number of techniques,” says Foster. “How to do different things, how pieces of equipment work.”

For actress Marissa Baran, who is studying multimedia arts and design, this is also a chance to learn about directing. Jackson has taken her under his wing and shows her tips and techniques used behind the scenes. “My main focus is learning the ropes,” she says.

For the foreign crew, being in Trinidad has been a learning experience too: they’ve learned how to relax and take things a little easier.

“It’s a different pace from Manhattan,” says producer Mandy Ward. “When we first got here everyone was on New York time so we had to learn to slow down a bit. What’s lovely here is the mix of people. I mean, that’s what you’re known for but to actually see it and live it is pretty amazing. Then there’s the beauty, the different terrains – you’ve got the tropics, the jungle, the Atlantic (Ocean), the Caribbean (Sea). There aren’t that many places with all this variety. And everybody has a place here – nobody’s left out of the mix of races. I don’t know how many places in the world can say that but this is one of the top places that is an actual melting pot.”

Michael Lengies thinks TT has a lot of potential as a location as well.

“US crews will feel more at home here because it’s almost got less of an island feel than the other islands. It’s English, first of all,” he laughed. “Transportation seems good. We haven’t been into the interior but everywhere has been fairly easy to get to. And we’ve had lots of choices for locations – both upscale and downscale. And that’s what you want in most movies. If the movie needs to feel the grime, then you’ve got it. And if you need to feel beautiful, you’ve got that too.”

Ward believes Between Friends has the potential to do well at international film festivals.

“I’ll submit it to the festivals – Venice, Cannes, Sundance, Toronto – and from there, you hope to find a home in theatres and distribution. It’s an independent film and it has its place but it should find a home, hopefully. I think it will be a nice festival film and then it might have a limited release, hopefully, worldwide. DVD and on-demand and stuff like that, I think it will have a very good life.

Also people tend to go for Caribbean movies because they want to escape. People want to get out. And whether they know the content or not, they want to see visually what Trinidad has to offer, so it does have that appeal. It will be a festival favourite.”

“With this film I think we have captured a Caribbean reality,” says Jackson. “And I think people – both in the Caribbean and outside – will appreciate that.”

And, no, there will be no need for subtitled in English!

For more information on the National Film industry, log on to www.trinidadandtobagofilm.com or email the TTFC at info@trinidadandtobagofilm.com.

Source – newsday.co.tt

Calypso

The Origin of calypso can be traced back to the arrival of the first enslaved Africans brought to work in the sugar plantations of Trinidad. Forbidden to talk to each other, and robbed of all links to family and home, the enslaved Africans began to sing. They used calypso, which can be traced back to West African Kaiso, as a means of communication and to mock the slave masters. These songs, usually led by one individual called a Griot, helped to unite the slaves. Calypso singing competitions, held annually at Carnival time, grew in popularity after the abolition of slavery by the British in the 1830s. The Griot later became known as the Chantuelle and today as the Calypsonian.

Soca

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 jamooin the late 1980s.In the 1990s and now the new century Soca has evolved into a blend of musical styles.

Steel Pan

Steel Bands: also known as “Pan” will be filling the streets of Notting Hill with their wonderful melodic sounds throughout the Bank Holiday weekend. Steelband came from the “Tambu Bamboo” band from Trinidad in the early 1030s. Trinidadians used to beat the bamboo and sing and by using some creative means, began to create different tones. This led to the use of oil drums and in a short space of time the Steelband was born.

Static Sound Systems

Static Sound Systems: over 40 sound systems positioned around the Carnival area provide the perfect setting for DJ’s to strut their stuff. From Latin jazz, reggae and garage to hip hop and drum “n” bass.

Samba

Samba: Samba is a type of music and dance developed from the musical traditions of the enslaved Africans of Brazil. Samba originated in the north of Brazil and was radically developed in Rio at the turn of the century. Now you can hear the Samba beat in London and throughout the world.