Kurt Allen "Dey Too Bright"

"Pavement" Kerwin Du Bois & Farmer Nappy

29th Biennial Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival

The finals of the 29th Biennial Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival will be officially launched with a gala celebration at Queen’s Hall from 7.00 pm this Sunday. The show is being hosted under the Patronage of President George Maxwell Richards.

The finals will begin on Monday March 1, 2010 at Queen’s Hall from 9.00 am, with the festival to officially close on March 19, 2010. The musical accompanists for the festival are: Lindy Ann Bodden Ritch, Jerome Din Chong, Kenneth Listhrop, Sheldon Morales, Haywood Michens, Candace Moore and Natasha Sealy Worrell. The three adjudicators from the United States are: Dr. John Paul Johnson, School of Music, Wichita State University, Dr. Jan Harrington and Dr. Carmen Helena Tellez of the School of Music, Indiana University.

http://news.bn.gs/

WACK & Gayelle say 'We Not Taking Dat!'

Victorious duo JW & Blaze "Palancing" their way to victory!

Dynamic radio personalities Jason ’JW’ Williams and Ancil ’Blaze’ Isaac have created double history by being the first disc jockeys to win both the International Soca Monarch and Road March titles.

JW and Blaze’s 2010 hit ’Palance’ was played a total of 417 times on Carnival Monday and Tuesday at the Queen’s Park Savannah’s main judging point, according to a tally conducted by the National Carnival Commission yesterday.

Now that the Palance DJ's have taken care of the Trinidad scene do you think that their palancing would have an impact on Vinci-Mass? 

If you don't know it Carnival in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is celebrated from June 27 to July 7 and is popularly known as Vinci-Mas. Let's see if the dynamic duo will have the same impact in St. Vincent like they did in Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival 2K10. 

"C" TV on the loose threatens Gayelle and WACK

This is a precedent that we cannot allow to be set. No body, no organization, can buy the entire Carnival. A judging point or judging points maybe, but the whole ah town? This is not over. It has only just begun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoKzWyKBdt4&feature=player_embedded

Here is the thing CTNT has failed miserably with this product that they attempted to profit from. We need to know if "C" really paid for this license or was it granted to them by the government because it is a government owned entity. No one knows if the entire process went to tender before one credible entity was awarded this special license over the Carnival celebrations. 

Wack and Gayelle are unaware of any tendering process and we now have to conclude that this was a "gift"granted by the NCC (with Government's permission).  The other very sad thing here is that now we realize that Pan Trinbago, TUCO and the NCBA don't own the rights for their respective bodies. This apparently belongs to the NCC to do what they believe is best.  

Now let's say that "C" Television did in fact pay for the exclusive rights to these shows the logical question would be "how much money did the respective bodies get for the granting of those rights?" 

The only people whom are speaking are the people hurt by the actions of the NCC and "C" TV.  Sprangalang was livid on WACK today and Errol Fabien is really hurt (video above from YouTube). 

"C" does nothing for our culture by promoting only foreign products (shows) and for two days in the year plus a few other shows they want (and were given) exclusive rights to transmit? Indeed we have put the cart in front of the horse. The Culture people were slapped about the place and now to add insult to injury no one from the government is commenting regarding this travesty. 

Supporting "C" television is a vote for foreign dominance and the death of our culture. Now because of those exclusive rights granted to "C" we cannot hear or see those recorded performances. It is bad enough that people paid to see and could not but now we have lost the right to see the recorded product... What a disgrace; it is indeed a crying shame!

2010 Soca Monarch Results

Here are the results for the Soca Monarch shows hosted at the Queen Park Oval last night. Last year's champion Fayanne Lyons-Alvarez placed second in both categories.  That means we have new champions. Congratulations to Shurwayne Winchester for winning the Groovy Soca Monarch crown - the King has taken back his crown! JW & Blaze palanced their way to the Power Soca Monarch crown - congratulations are in order and next up may very well be the Road March title - the song is so popular!

Groovy Monarch
1. Shurwayne Winchester (Winner)
2. Faye Ann Lyons-Alvarez
3. Rikki Jai
4. Patrice Roberts

Soca Power Monarch
1.  JW & Blaze (Winner)
2. Faye Ann Lyons-Alvarez
3. Shal Marshall & Screws
4. Tallpree

Calypso Monarch Finalists 2K10

What yuh say? No! Aloes does cure belly pain and make 'tings right' but too much sugar spoil the ting eh! Many are lamenting the fact that Sugar Aloes did not qualify for the finals with an original composition but Protector with a sampling from Jimmy Cliff made it to the finals. Yuh see, nevah ah dull moment with Trini competitions eh boi...

However one may feel there will always be a problem with the decision of the judges. I am still wondering how some of the 35 semi finalists got in ahead of last year's second place finalist Joanne "Tigress" Rowley. But no one made a fuss about it so whatever happens next will not surprise me.  The decision of the judges is always the final statement.  Maybe it is time that the formula for selecting the people who judge these competitions to be revised. Maybe we need to come up with a new formula to train then select a pool of judges for these competitions. What is your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Here are the Finalists of Calypso Monarch 2010 competition:

Twiggy

All Rounder

Brian London

Skatie

Devon Seales

Kizzy Ruiz

Kurt Allen

Protector

Nicole Greaves

Roderick Gordon ’Chucky’

Singing Sandra

Sean Daniel

Mr Shak

De Fosto"