Why I need a Carnival Loan!

                    It's Vincy Mas again and this year it seems as if things will pass me by. This week I received a text message with the offer of a Carnival Loan. I laughed to myself and said this is not Trinidad so I don't need that. However when I started looking at the Carnival calendar, the prospect of taking a Carnival loan was looking better and better. I finally sat down and decided to calculate if I wanted a "real" carnival experience how much it would cost me.

            Vincy Mas officially launches on the first weekend in May and then the slate of shows begins. The first major show on the calendar is Miss SVG. With tickets between $35 to $45, a new outfit and the allowance for drinkings I am spending $200 at a minimum. (I could just stay home an order the Flow package for $35). 

The following show is Soca Swing at Victoria Park. I would have to buy tickets and drinks for this show so that is another $100. The next weekend is White on the Dock which is not all inclusive so between tickets and drinks, I have to cater another $100.

The next weekend has the must see show of the Carnival Season, Neon Rave. If you were lucky to get an early bird ticket that would cost you $0. However I was not that fortunate so I would either pay $50, $60 or $75 for a ticket. With the number of cameras and camera phones around, I would have to look good and cater for drinks so this will cost me at least $200 for this show. 

With promoters trying to ensure that revelers have events to attend there are several non inclusive events such as Soca on the Beach, H2O Soca, Dirty Sexy Soca , Bun Wuk and Ati-Stush. For each of these parties I would have to cover ticket costs and drinks costs. While some are fairly reasonable ($25) some will make you stretch your pockets such as H2O Soca. 

Then there are the must attend all inclusive parties for the Carnival Season. Carnival Xscape, Slippery When Wet, UV Vibes, and AM Jamboree which will all happen over the '10 days of fun in the July sun.' Each of these parties will cost a minimum of $150 with AM Jamboree costing $200 for an early bird ticket. 

And then there are the CDC shows: Fantastic Friday, Miss Carival, Soca Monarch and Dimance Gras. While I may not make Sunday night for calypso (after a drunken Slippery When Wet), Miss Carival and Soca Monarch are don't miss on the calendar with tickets starting at $35 for Miss Carival and $40 for Soca Monarch. And what's Carnival without jumping J'ouvert either with Country Meets Town or RJR? You have to take on the road on Monday morning revelling in paint, mud and the most outrageous costume that I can find. Monday afternoon will see me doing Monday jams with the Network SVG which was an excellent experience last year. 

Tuesday brings down the curtains on Vincy Mas with Mardi Gras. Playing mas is an experience and depends on what you are looking for costumes and the experience can run you anywhere from $375 to $900. You only live once so you might as well spend to be on the road. 

So after all that lets calculate my bill for Vincy Mas 2015

SHOWS                                                                 Cost *

CDC Shows - Ms. SVG                                          $35

                       Fantastic Friday                              $30

                       Ms. Carival                                     $35

                       Soca Monarch                                 $40

 Private Shows  Soca Swing                                   $30

                          White on the Dock                        $40

                          Neon Rave                                  $50

                          H2O Soca                                   $60

                          Soca On the Beach                     $40

                          Dirty Sexy Soca                           $15

                          Bun Wuk Warm Up                       $25

                          Bun Wuk Cool Down                    $25

 All Inclusives   Slippery When Wet                         $150

                           Carnival Xscape                          $175

                          Am Jamboree                              $240

                          UV Vibes                                    $150

J'ouvert                                                                 $40

Network                                                               $40

Costume for Tuesday                                            $400

Outfits for Carnival                                               $600

Drinks Money                                                       $700 ($50 minimum for each show)

Total Cost for My Carnival Experience               $2920

* Costs are based on published prices where available  as well as estimates based on 2014 prices.

            While some persons may say that is a small price to pay I think I can invest that amount in a more rewarding way. While $3000 may represent a small price to pay for fun, one has to remember that there are bills to be paid, groceries to be bought and other expenses that will arise from time to time. 

So I will choose only the shows that I really want to attend and try and make my wardrobe as versatile as possible. I won't be getting a loan because debt today = death tomorrow. Choose wisely for Vincy Mas and your pocket will thank you. 

Disclaimer: This post is not intended to talk about the prices of parties here and what promoters are offering but to look at personal financial responsibility in a season where spending comes as natural as drinking water!

                          

Scandal Brings The Music Back

With the anticipation for Season 4 of the ABC drama 'Scandal', we were all looking at what creator Shonda Rhimes would bring to the table. When interviewed, Rhimes revealed that Olivia was going back to her roots. This 'going back to the roots' was added to by the soundtrack for the first nine episodes of this season. From the well know voice of the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin to Marvin Gaye to the King of Pop Michael Jackson, Shonda touched them all as they added flair to the dramatic life of Olivia Pope and Associates. So which were the best songs for the season so far? Take a listen to the playlist of Season 4 and take your pick!

Click Here to listen: Scandal Season 4 Playlist

Here are my top 3 songs for the season so far"

1. There was no better way to say goodbye to Harrison than by having the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin singing it herself. Her rendition of the Simon and Garfunkel song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters' added to the sadness felt by the team and made us all want to cry as we said good bye to Harrison, our beloved fellow Gladiator.

2. What better way to ask what the hell is happening in Washington than by using Marvin Gaye's hit "What's Going On". With Papa Pope asking for Jake to come to dinner, the Huck & Quinn saga, the mournful Mellie sulking on the couch and David learning of Judge Spark's suicide, what better song could be chosen to ask what's going on in Washington. The words are not only appropriate but we are swooned by the soulful voice of Marvin himself.

3. This season Shonda and her writers seem to be on the path to empowering women. From the opening episode where Olivia helps Senator Vaughn's assistant, it seems that Olivia is out to make sure all women are equal and protected. So when Abby's abusive ex husband returns to run for a Senate seat, Olivia goes to his opponent and makes her over to win and what better song to do this makeover to than the song crooned by iconic diva Chaka Khan which is an anthem for women worldwide.

What are your favourite picks? Let us know.

Scandal returns January 29th, 2015 on ABC!

Power Soca: Can Skinny do it again?

It's that time of the year and on Saturday 5th July , all eyes will be on Victoria Park for the 2014 edition of SVG's  Soca Monarch. In the Power Soca category, Gamal 'Skinny Fabulous ' Doyle will seek to defend his crown against 14 artistes as he seeks to make it 4 in a row. Can Skinny do it again? Take a listen to the competition and hear our predictions.

1. Hance - Wild and Crazy

We love the songs that Hance bring but this song has not garnered the type of popularity to make it to the crown. We however expect nothing but a great performance.

2. Shaunelle - Soca Goddess

With a catchy beat and a good voice, Shaunelle brings her divinity to the stage with the Soca Goddess but will it be enough for the crown. We predict a top 5 place but not the crown this year!

3. Tamisha - Doh Mash It Up

Tamisha has made another great effort for 2014 and with the response from H20 Soca this year, we know she is gonna bring a great performance to the stage. This song we predict will be in the top 5 this year!

4. Fya Empress - Slap Way

Fya Empress will try again this year for the Power Soca crown which has eluded her. While the song is catchy and appeals to the 'Rum Posse' we need an extraordinary performance and half of the park drunk to see this song taking the crown. Our prediction is that this will be a top three hit but not the crown!

5.  Fireman - Unruly

This year Fireman has come out with a vengeance to win the crown. We see flashes of the past Fireman who won the Power Soca crowns in past competitions and we know that the whole of North Leeward will be in Victoria Park. The question is , will he bring such stiff competition that he can give Skinny a run for the crown?

6. Problem Child - No Discipline

A crowd favourite every year, Problem Child always brings great songs to the Soca scene but his performance  always kills the songs. We have seen flickers of change this year with his performance at Black Rave so we expect him to being one of hs best performances in recent memory to the stage in Victoria Park.

7. Syxx Krazii - It's Carnival

The winner of the 2014 New Song contest, Syxx brings a new vibe to the usual jump and wave. This is a great song with appeal but with it's popularity lacking, we don't know if it has enough power to make it into the top 5.

8. Jamesy P - Bang Dem

Another contender for the 2014 crown is veteran Jamesy P. While he is known for hits such as 'Nookie' and 2014 hit 'Wet", we don't see this track having the power to break into the top five. Let's hope it's an entertaining performance.

9. Keith Currency - Trouble

Another one of the popular tracks for 2014, Keith Currency is sure to have a great run in the Power Soca category with this hit. If he can pull off a crowd moving performance we see this song making a top five place and maybe even making the top three!

10. Fresh Kydd - Ride It

A great tune by a young up and coming artiste, we like the beat and the use of brass. We look forward to a good performance but don't see the crown going to this 'kydd'.

11. Shaney Hypez - You feel you bad

This song's popularity would be due to this artiste being a disc jockey on SVG's most popular radio station. With a catch tune and simple lyrics, we see this a crowd moving hit but not in line for the crown. (However we see this one giving Skinny a run for Road March.)

12. Royal - Youngest & Baddest

Another young artiste, this song has been popular at rural carnivals. We however don't see the power behind it to take the crown.

13. Madskull - Family

Another young artiste, this song has been making the rounds on the airwaves. With a catchy rhythm and simple lyrics, we see the crowd moving to this song. We however do not expect an electrifying performance and don't see this one in the top three but maybe a top five place.

14. Maddzart - Hole in the Road

Another veteran in the Soca business, Maddzart bring another 'road' tune but we don't really feel the power behind this one so we don't think the park will either.

Reigning Monarch - Skinny Fabulous
Following on the success of Behaving the Worst, his writing for artistes such as Machel Montano and collaborations with international artistes such as Major Lazer, Skinny is poised to have another fantastic run in the Power Soca Category. We predict a 65% chance of winning the crown with his stiffest competition coming from his bitter rival.

While it is said he will perform 'Red Button'  (which is actually called Made for This), a few persons have been calling for the other big Power Soca hit 'Mental Home'. While we await Skinny's choice, we anticipate Victoria Park will go crazy over this performance.

My predictions for Power Soca Monarch 2014
The top five in no particular order: Skinny Fbulous, Fireman, Keith Currency, Problem Child and Shaunelle.
(We'll see if I can do good predictions.)

Victoria Park is the place to be on Saturday 5th July for the biggest show for Vincy Mas 2014. Can Skinny do it again? We'll just have to see!

Ragga Soca 2014: Battle of the Groovy

Vincy Mas 2K14 is about to climax this weekend and one of the most anticipated shows will be the Soca Monarch competition. Again this year the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) has combined both the Ragga (also known as Groovy Soca) and the Power Soca segments into one show. (I'm not a big fan of this!)

This year nine artistes will come up against reigning Ragga Soca Monarch Lornette 'Fya Empress' Nedd. Here's a look at the competitors and what they will bring (along with a few predictions),

1. Skarpyon - Raw Curry 

The reigning Calypso Monarch bring a chutney flair to this year's Ragga Soca Monarch. On the heels of the success of 'Hammer & Conch' from 2013 and the bitter sting of being relegated to second place, we can expect a performance like no other by Skarpyon as he goes for the crown again this year! 

2. Johnny Rebel - Thunder 

No one can deny Johnny Rebel loves the Soca arena. His presentation this year is actually a great fusion of old school with new beats. This tune is actually quite catchy and takes you back to a time when you were young and innocent to Soca messages. While we know this tune will be a hit with an older crowd, We aren't too sure if the performance at Victoria Park will be able to move the crowd. 

3. Fireman - Rum Meeting 

This year Fireman presents his best chance for taking home the crown in the Soca arena for years. This song has not only a captivating beat but also resonates with the entire cross section of Soca listeners from young to old. While we await the presentation on stage Saturday night, we know the crowd will be moving from beginning to end. We shouldn't be surprised if Saturday night, the rum meeting takes home the crown. 

4. Vincy Marshall - Faith 

This song has been making its lyrics felt for this Carnival season. While still relatively unknown, Vincy Marshall is having waist lines moving for this Carnival season. We anticipate that this song will have an impact in Victoria Park on Saturday night but will that be enough to secure a top three spot? We are not too sure!

5. Demus - No Problem

Another of this year's anthem, we know this song will have Victoria Park moving. This is one of the songs with the best airplay for this season and its catch beat and lyrics have endeared Soca lovers of all ages. We hope Demus can however brig a great performance to help propel him up the ranks this year. One thing we can say however is that we have 'No Problem' with this song! 

6. Wiz Skid - Fettologist 

It is hard to deny that this song has been one of the most popular for Vincy Mas 2014. With the new catch phrase for this year's Carnival, 'Fettologist' resonates with any party animal who can identify with the lyrics. We know that patrons at Victoria Park will be dancing to this tune but will the performance be one to wow the judges? Let's  hope it's not as disappointing and stiff as the music video. 

7. Shaunelle - Champion

A veteran to the Carnival business, Shaunelle enters her 21st year with 2 good songs. While we know that she can perform, her music has not been beating the airwaves as much as we think it should and this may make the crowd not as involved as it would normally would. We expect nothing but a stellar performance from Shaunelle but will it be enough to take her to the top three? We'll just have to see!

8. Hance - Wasted

One of SVG's up and coming Soca artistes, we enjoyed his 2013 presentation. This year Hance brings another great track to the table with 'Wasted'. With a great beat and cool lyrics, this is actually one of the best Raga Soca tracks for 2014 in my opinion. Hance always brings a great performance to the stage but is his son popular enough to get the crowd moving? We're not too sure but still Saturday may just surprise a lot of people!

9. Piece ah This - Keith Currency

This year Keith Currency brings another catchy hit to the stage with 'Piece ah This.' This song has been garnering airplay and is another of the favourites for Vincy Mas 2014. With major improvements in his craft, we look forward to a great performance by Keith on the stage and maybe a break into the top three for this year's competition. 

Fya Empress - Drink Ah Juice

This year, Fya Empress brings another crowd moving hit which we expect to rock Victoria Park. She will bring her 'A' game to the stage to defend the crown and it may be hard to beat her. This song has the beat, the lyrics and essence of Ragga Soca. We look forward to what the Empress brings to the stage on Saturday night. 

So my prediction: My top three in no particular order are Fya Empress, Fireman and Keith Currency. 

We'll see what happens on Saturday 5th July at Victoria Park but one thing we know is that the Ragga Soca segment this year is filled with hits that will have you on your feet from start to finish. It's the Battle of the the Groovy! 

5 Travel Tips if you're coming home for Carnival

Vincy Mas 2014 kicks off in 5 days and suddenly I have had a flood of people asking me what to do since they are travelling in on LIAT.

I love LIAT a lot but that does not mean that I don't know the drama that comes with travelling with the airline in summer. So if you're coming home for Vincy Mas or the summer, here are my five tips to make that travelling a little easier:

1. Don't bring all of 'foreign' home with you. You're only allowed 50 lbs in your check in bag and 15 lbs in your carry on and during this peak time LIAT likes to enforce this. Make life easier by packing what you need. You can bring the best summer wardrobe for the 2 weeks you are here in 50 lbs.

 If your family wants you to bring town and country, consider shipping a barrel because when you pay for overweight or excess bags expect a headache and hassle getting them from Barbados/Trinidad as they automatically become standby bags. Also pack at least two days worth of clothes in your hand luggage just in case the baggage demon selects you to not receive your bag. If you don't get your bag, fill out a Property Irregularity Form (PIR) at the desk and wait at least 12 hours before you call. Your bag will not be in on the next flight (note the agent says the next available flight) so give it some time. Meanwhile help the economy by buying a shirt and jeans in Kingstown. LOL!

2. Reconfirm your flight and leave a local contact number. One of the biggest problems is that persons do not reconfirm their flights or they do not leave a local contact number so that they can be informed of changes. Sometimes LIAT knows a flight will be 4 hours late but there is one before that you as a passenger can be accommodated on but they have no way of contacting you. Leave your mother's cell number or the land-line just in case because it may save you having to stay in the airport in Barbados or Trinidad for an extra day.

(Photo credit: I Witness News SVG Kenton Chance/Nigel Browne)

3. Delays are inevitable. Summer is a peak period and with breakdowns, extra sectors, weather delays and overbookings you will find that flights will be late. There are two simple ways to deal with this: have a good book or fully charged tablet and keep your vex money for food. While the airline has a policy of three hours before they have to feed you after a delay, the easiest thing is to keep that handy US$20 to buy Cheffete's in Barbados or some 'doubles' in Trinidad. Keep a book in your hand luggage or your tablet to keep you entertained and occupied but make sure you listen out for delay announcements and boarding announcements.(If travelling with kids you may have to keep extra money as new security regulations do not allow the carriage of liquids over 3 oz per container. Pack snack boxes for them and make sure you have games/toys to keep them occupied! You'll have to buy them juices to keeps them hydrated as travelling can dry you and them out.)

(Photo credit: I Witness News SVG Kenton Chance)

4. When returning to the new home, people have the idea that they need to pack everything to carry back. From fish to breadfruit to sugarcakes to whole turkeys, we know you miss the taste of home. However with the number of bags going out, there is a possibility yours will be left behind.

The easiest thing to do is pack your perishables in your hand luggage. You do not want the fish spoiling or missing out on savouring those tamarind balls. Non perishable items like the pepper sauce, Sunset Light Rum (it is illegal to travel with Sunset Strong Rum) and Black Wine cannot go in the hand luggage so put them in the check in bag and they will get to you unspoiled (even if it's a few days late.)

5. Be nice to the agent at the desk. The biggest mistake a lot of passengers make is that they think cursing the agent at the desk will make things happen for them. It is the exact opposite and while I know LIAT's customer service leaves a lot to be desired, you will be surprised that being nice will get you a whole lot farther than cursing the agent. A pleasant greeting, a smile and a friendly tone can make things happen faster and the agent more empathetic towards you. Also do not just run to the supervisor or manager to see if they can do it faster; they can't. They always come back to the little guy and his connections so be nice to the agent at the desk!

Remember check in time is two hours before the flight and that you should clear with Immigration and security at least 30 - 45 minutes before your scheduled departure. Have a great trip home to SVG and if you see me, buy me a rum (Sparrow/Mt. Gay or Capt. Bligh)  as a 'Thank You' for the advice!