Masquerade Ball Tonight!!!

Don't forget the Masquerade Ball tonight!!! Look out for the CharlotteTrini camera!!

Guyana`s Jonestown Tragedy on MSNBC

CaribWorldNews, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. Oct. 30, 2008: The 30th anniversary of the Jonestown massacre in Guyana is set to be revisited with a documentary premiering on Sunday, November 9th at 9 p.m. EST.

The documentary, titled `Witness to Jonestown,` will air on MSNBC and will take an insider's look at an unforgettable American tragedy. Co-produced with Peacock Productions, the two-hour documentary will be the first offering from MSNBC Films.

Through exclusive, rarely-seen footage that was shot inside the Peoples Temple on the eve and day of the disaster, the film will provide an intimate first-hand account of this unimaginable catastrophe, a press statement said.

In `Witness to Jonestown,` viewers will be introduced to many members and relatives affected by the massacre and see archival and present-day interviews with surviving and former Peoples Temple members, who will attempt to answer the questions of how and why 900 Americans would follow one man to their deaths.

Among them are: Stephan Jones, the son of the Peoples Temple leader, Reverend Jim Jones; Grace Stoen, whose attempts to reclaim her son from the Temple outraged Jones; Terri Buford, in her first in-depth television interview since she defected from the Temple's inner circle; and Tim Carter, who witnessed the deaths of his wife and child in Jonestown before he escaped through the South American jungle.

NBC News lost two of its own journalists at Jonestown. Their survivors and those of Congressman Leo Ryan will also be included. While NBC's own Fred Francis and The Washington Post's Charles Krause, who was wounded at the airstrip, provide chilling remembrances and insight as the first television and print journalists to arrive on scene and witness the horrific aftermath.

Beres Hammond Readies 25th Album!

By Patricia Meschino

NEW YORK, USA (Reuters): With a voice as soulful as Otis Redding's, as romantic as Luther Vandross and as purely Jamaican as reggae itself, Beres Hammond has been a consistent hitmaker since the '70s. Those qualities are still on display on his 25th album, "A Moment in Time."

Due November 11 on VP Records, the set reconfirms a widely held appraisal of the 53-year-old as Jamaica's greatest living singer-songwriter.

"You would be hard-pressed to find a singer alive that has the catalog that Beres Hammond has," says Ainsworth "Big A" Higgins, an on-air personality at Jamaican radio station IRIE-FM. "Someone would have to look at the works of (the late) Dennis Brown and Bob Marley to find his equal in terms of hit songs, and he continues making hits for a generation young enough to be his grandchildren."

Hammond's most successful effort for VP Records, the 2001 Grammy Award-nominated "Music Is Life," has sold 46,000 U.S. copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. His all-time best seller is the 1994 Elektra album "In Control" (67,000 units).

"Beres is not a follower of trends. He is not going to make Sean Paul records -- he is going to make Beres records, traditional Jamaican records, and those records have a sales ceiling in America," says Dante Ross, who signed Hammond to Elektra in 1993 and is now vice president of SRC Records. "He doesn't need the industry to survive. He tours like a mad man, his voice is timeless, and he will be making great records for another 20 years."

Hammond's lack of crossover success is of greater concern to the reggae industry, which struggles for a consistent presence in the mainstream despite the music's far-reaching influence, than it is to Hammond. His recent tour attracted capacity crowds in Toronto and Montreal and upward of 20,000 fans at a free concert in Brooklyn's Wingate Park.

"Things couldn't be any better for me than they are now. When I first started out, I just wanted to be on the road, performing. I never imagined it to be like this," the bespectacled singer says, gesturing to the luxurious interior of his tour bus after his Brooklyn performance. "At one time there wasn't any bus, and now we have two on the road, and I have had it like this for many years. There are many artists who have been on the Billboard charts and still can't have this kind of fan base."

Hammond has amassed his global fan base with a succession of No. 1 singles in Jamaica and on reggae charts internationally. His songs seamlessly shift between political and spiritual themes and occasionally pay homage to the artists who have most inspired him.

But Hammond is renowned as reggae's most sublime romantic crooner. Whether he's singing about pledging a lifetime of devotion ("Full Attention") or stealing love on the side ("Double Trouble"), his impassioned vocals bring a deeper texture to the love-song prototype, as do his lyrics, which adapt everyday circumstances as handily as references to the Songs of Solomon.

For "A Moment in Time," which he produced at his Harmony House studio in Kingston, Hammond worked with an ensemble of Jamaica's finest musicians. "Still Will Be Heaven" juxtaposes orchestral strings with a one-drop rhythm as Hammond muses on a long-term relationship that hasn't gone stale over time but has grown more profound, much like his music.

"I just get a song in my head and record it in the matter it came to me," he offers as the reason for his enduring allure. "I don't change nothing, and it always seems not to be wrong."

Diwali

CaribWorldNews, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Oct. 28, 2008: Caribbean nationals of the Hindu faith will join Hindus around the world in marking the festival of lights, of Diwali today.

Hindus, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana mark the annual event yearly with a national holiday in their countries.

The day is marked by the distribution of sweets to signify the importance of serving and sharing. It is celebrated to signify the victory of good over the evil within every human being.

Byron Lee Presented with Order Of Jamaica

CaribWorldNews, KINGSTON, Jamaica, Mon. Oct. 27, 2008: Bandleader extraordinaire, Byron Aloysius St. Elmo Lee, has been conferred with the National Honor of Order of Jamaica for his contribution to the island`s music industry as he battles with cancer.

The pioneer musician was presented with the order by Governor General, Professor Sir Kenneth Hall at the Tony Thwaites Wing at the University Hospital of the West Indies where Lee is currently a patient.

Addressing the ceremony, Bruce Golding Prime Minister of Jamaica, said the O.J. was most richly deserved by Lee, leader of the world-famous band, Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires.

`Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires was an institution that made such an impact on the lives of so many people that Byron’s contribution must be boldly recorded when the history of Jamaican music is being written,` Golding said.

In playing his part to popularize Jamaican music, the prime minister said Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires had taken the music to `our living rooms and then to the rest of the world.` He said that even where people did not understand what was being played they were still drawn to the music.

Noting that the band only last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, Golding said Byron Lee and the Dragaonnaires had entertained, inspired and mesmerized three generations of Jamaicans. He said that in the process, the band had brought Carnival to Jamaica, ` expanding and enriching our music and our culture.`

The prime minister said Jamaica was proud `to pay tribute to Mr. Lee for all that he has done for our music and for his powerful fight against cancer.`

Lee, 73, was diagnosed with stage three cancer in November 2006.

Rihanna Tops Ocean Style Magazine's Most Beautiful List!!!

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Oct. 24, 2008: Caribbean high fashion and luxury lifestyle magazine Ocean Style proudly unveils its 51 Most Beautiful People in the current issue.

This highly anticipated list reflects a wide range of accomplished and talented individuals scattered throughout the globe. It promises to surprise readers who didn't know the heritage of these highly recognized individuals who hail from the Caribbean, otherwise known as 'a tropical mecca of good living.'

The selected individuals were chosen through a combination of physical attractiveness and beauty, personal character and substantive achievement, with the final cut reflecting the ethnic diversity, culture, values and ambition inherit in the phrase 'Caribbean Roots'.

Barbados is the proud home of the R&B Pop Sensation, Rihanna, who tops this inaugural list ahead of such notables as Lenny Kravitz, Nia Long, Gabrielle Reece, cricket superstar Brian Lara and former beauty queens Penny Commissiong, Lisa Hanna, Wendy Fitzwilliam and Giselle LaRonde-West. The music world is well represented with Sean Paul and Machel Montano topping the list, two of the region's best known and most popular, along with Wyclef Jean, Bryce Wilson, Tammi Chynn, Shaggy, Faye-Ann Lyons and Cezar among the notables.

The Top 10 is below and the full list can be viewed in the new issue of Ocean Style (Now Available on Newsstands!). To get an early look visit the website at www.oceanstylemagazine.com.

Cocoa Tea Realeses Album "Yes We Can"!!

(October 22, 2008 - Miami, Florida) Zojak World Wide, the leader in digital distribution, in cooperation with Coco Tea's Roaring Lion Records, is pleased to announce the release of Coco Tea's eagerly anticipated album, YES WE CAN. The album will be available worldwide on I-Tunes and www.cocoateabarackobama.com the same day as the US elections, November 4, 2008. YES WE CAN burnishes Coco Tea's credentials as a foundation reggae storyteller, mixing smart social commentary, life experience and musical talent in a way that both soothes and empowers. Featuring renowned music-makers, saxophonist Dean Fraser, the Firehouse band and famed producer Bobby Digital as well as Coco Tea's own productions, YES WE CAN is meticulously assembled, track for track. Led by his hit single, "Barack Obama", Coco Tea is joined on the album by an-all star cast of reggae pioneers - Marcia Griffiths, Shabba Ranks, Cutty Ranks, El General and Prezident Brown. Combining modern melodies, live instrumentals and timeless roots bass lines with crucial vocals over 14 tracks, YES WE CAN is essential Coco Tea.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO COCOA TEA MEDIA PAGE

CLICK HERE TO GO TO www.cocoateabarackobama.com

Deeply affected by local and international issues, Coco Tea has sought to craft an album focused on meaningful day-to-day concerns, from politics, to love to personal and community well-being. The lead single, "Barack Obama", did just that, winning Coco Tea television appearances on CNN and FOX News as well as interviews with the BBC, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and New York Post for its participatory message, catchy music and unique Jamaican perspective. The follow up single and title track, "Yes We Can" is a non-partisan call for unity between people of all political affiliations, races and classes. And "Time Is Red" (featuring Shabba Ranks), is a cool and deadly combination with the original Grammy winner in which the singer gracefully weaves his lyrical magic between the edgy speech of the deejay on top of a wicked one-drop riddim from Bobby Digital.

YES WE CAN is not all seriousness and dread however. "I Swear" and "Love Is Not To Play" prove Coco Tea is still a player in the lovers game. The duet with Marcia Griffiths, "Real Men", is just one of the standout tracks which captures the charisma and passion of these veteran artists. Coco Tea's musical creativity is also on display with refreshing covers of two timeless reggae classics, "Smiling Faces" by John Holt and Horace Andy's "I May Never". Here, Coco Tea brings new word play and saxophonist Dean Frazer's superb saxophone solos to make them his own on these updated versions.

A one time racehorse jockey, Coco Tea has been riding a wave of success with foundation dancehall tracks for Henry 'Junjo' Lawes in the 80s ("Rocking Dolly", "I Lost My Sonia") and roots anthems in the 90s ("Riker's Island", "Holy Mount Zion"). With over twenty years in the business and more than 50 albums to his credit, Cocoa Tea maintains his position as a leading voice for culture and consciousness in dancehall reggae.

The Bahamas

"Forward, Upward, Onward Together"

"Just a hop off the coast of Florida lies our country. The Bahamas. Nassau, Paradise Island and Cable Beach, with soft, white beaches, Goombay punch, hundreds of years of democracy and the friendliest people you'll ever meet. Freeport/Lucaya with hot days and even hotter nights. And then there's the Family Islands, like the Abacos and Eleuthera, which teem with elegance and are so quiet, you can hear your heart jump for joy."


You can get more information on the Bahamas at www.bahamas.com

Roti in Charlotte!!

ROTI IN CHARLOTTE

(not the actual picture of her roti)

The Roti gods have answered my prayers. I have been living in Charlotte for 5yrs and I have yet to find a decent tasting Roti, until now. There is a "Rotiologist" in Charlotte that everyone in search of Roti in Charlotte should know about. Her name is Amelia and she also makes Doubles, Aloo Pie and a host of other things. Miss Amelia works out of her home so she is taking orders. If anyone is interested you can call her at 704-535-6776.

What's good in Aruba!

"90,000 Friends You haven't met yet!"

A country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Aruba has no administrative subdivisions. Unlike much of the Caribbean region, Aruba has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. This climate has helped tourism as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm sunny weather.


You can learn more about Aruba HERE.

Jacksonville Carnival!!

As Miami Carnival approaches this weekend the next carnival on the calendar is Jacksonville FL.

"Join us this year on October 24-26, 2008 for our 9th Annual Street Parade and Festival. When COOJI brings the Caribbean to beautiful downtown Jacksonville."

Here are some of the events that will be taking place.











































You can visit www.jacksonvillecarnival.org for more info.

Antigua & Barbuda

The beach is just the beginning

Antigua and Barbuda is an nation located on the eastern boundary pf the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. As its name suggests, it consists of two major islands - Antigua and Barbuda- as well as a number of smaller islets.

You can read more about Antigua and Barbuda at www.antigua-barbuda.org.

Miami Carnival 2008!!!

For those of you lucky people that's going to miami carnival this is what you have to look forward to. For those of you losers (like me) who will not be going, this is what you will be missing. *sigh*








Video Source:www.trinijunglejuice.com

Let's know Anguilla!!

Anguilla is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. It consists of the main island of Anguilla itsilf, approximately 16 miles long by 3 miles wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. The islamd's capital is The Valley. The total land area of the territory is 39.4 square miles, with a population of approximately 13,500 (2006 estimate).

For more information on Anguilla you can visit, www.anguilla-vacation.com and www.anguillaguide.com

For the Trinis!!!

A Friendly Guide to Identify a Trini

What's A Trini? How would you know one if you saw one? A User Friendly Guide to navigating among the world's most cordial people.

Read the rest HERE


Yes I'm biased!

Who tops the soca charts this week??

KMC has always has a passion for music. As a young child he used to sneak about and listen to the bands in his village. "At the age of seven, I used to go under the house by the band and when they weren't around I would play the drum set." As time marched on, the same energy and precociousness that brought the young KMC to the drum set also brought him to teach himself how to play music. "Music is something I was never taught. I was never taught to play the keyboard. I learned to do everything on my own. Love is what made me master it. Everything I do is by ear and not by reading," he proclaims.

KMC started his musical career as a dancehall artist, recording and releasing a total if sixteen records. In 1998, he decided to test his skills in the Soca genre, bursting onto the scene with songs like "Kaya", "Bashment to Carnival" and "Soca Bashment". These were well received by his fans and helped to establish KMC as a leading Soca artist.

With over ten independently released Soca albums and compilations to his name, KMC is responsible for the Voodoo, Drunk Man, Concubine, Party Alliance, Thunderbirds, X-Out, Stinging Nettle, and Tear Drop Riddims, amongst others. He has also produced songs for some of the leading Soca artists, including Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, Maximus Dan, Destra Garcia, Denise Belfon, and Jungle. KMC is known for songs like "Doh Want to Know", "Carnival Rags", "Rough Wine", "First Experience", "Flopping Up", "Cyah X Me Out" and "Animal".

In April 2005, KMC was signed to the American music label Sequence Records. His debut album on the label was entitled Soul on Fire after the album's first single. The album entered the Billboard Top 200 at number 84 and has sold approximately 285,000 copies worldwide.

"Soul On Fire", the single, was the first track released from the album in June 2005. The song’s remix, featured Jamaican dancehall star Beenie Man and American disc jockey Fat Man Scoop. The video for the Soul on Fire single was filmed in Tobago and featured the Trinidadian model Teri Bovell.

Listen to his latest single "I'm not Drunk" below!!

Who tops the Reggae charts this week??

Konshens has steered away from the conventional and predictable collaborations to secure his establishment into the musical arena and instead set his career further a field by combining his musical prowess with established European artists to include, Black Rose from Norway and Messallie from France, and one Jamaican born artist Martina, to name a few. He has also had the opportunity to work with some top producers in the game, Cash Flow, Ward 21, Natural Bridge, Skatta, Vertex and In the Streetz, which has produced Dancehall hits such as, ‘Monster’, ‘Winner’, ‘Bad Mind’, ‘Ova Here’, ‘Jah Protect I’, ‘Caan Draw We Out’ and ‘Real Love’. At present, Konshens is hard at work in the studio, producing hits which will inevitably make him a household name. He lives and breathes music and hits the stage whenever given the opportunity. He uses the streets as his tool to promote his name, as it is the streets’ recognition which will remain prevalent throughout, safe-guarding his career for years to come; yet merging into commercial accomplishment. His music has successfully taken him on tour to the USA and Japan, both renowned hubs of the Dancehall scene and he is prepared to further propel his popularity and fan base by eventually taking his music to the world. Konshens is aware of the fickle industry music harbours, but is prepared to challenge it head on without a jaded attitude, “All my thoughts and plans surround music in every aspect… I cannot predict the future, however I will take the necessary steps to ensure my future and for now I’m focusing on my career as an artist.” There are few that can and will maintain their careers and set themselves apart from the rest; Konshens stands tall among these talented newcomers. His smooth, unpredictable yet aggressive delivery meshed with feverishly potent riddims will undeniably make him one of the most sort-after artists for 2008; he is refreshingly crucial for this new era of Dancehall currently hitting the scene. Konshens future lies solely in his ability to achieve all he sets out to do and it is clear that he is certain of ultimate stardom and success. When asked what his plaque will read in the Dancehall hall of fame he modestly replies, “Awarded to Konshens for the creation of uncountable musical works of all genres and also for the refusal to record music without soul.” Updated By: Aicha Cara Wilson Jacas "unrivalled Media 2008"

You can listen to his latest single below!!

R.I.P Selman Lewis

Miami, FL-September 30, 2008- Selman Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of the Miami Carnival Inc., died on Monday, September 29, 2008 at Aventura Hospital, Aventura, FL. The following is a statement from his family and the Board of Directors of Miami Carnival, Inc.

Selman Vincent Lewis-August 4, 1948- September 29, 2008

Selman’s life began 60 years ago in Trinidad. He attended Belmont Intermediate School. As a youngster he played mas in Kiddies Carnival. He continued to play mas every year in Trinidad and Tobago. Selman was a loyal member of Peter Minshall’s band for many years and in recent years with Brian McFarlane “mas band”.

Selman migrated to New York in 1969. He attended Pace University and aviation school in New York. Selman was awarded a government scholarship from the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago and after graduating with a Bachelor's Degree; he returned to Trinidad & Tobago to work for the Government in various Ministries, including a posting as a Foreign Service Diplomat with a portfolio, which included tourism and international trade.

In 1980, Selman started working for the Trinidad and Tobago Tourist Board in Miami. He formed Mega Marketing Inc. in 1988. As a tourism and marketing professional, Selman also played a role in building Miami as a destination brand within the Caribbean Diaspora. Selman has had Board responsibilities with numerous front-line organizations nationally and internationally and has received many awards for his management, marketing and leadership abilities.

“Selman Lewis offered his marketing acumen in making Miami a premier destination brand. His contribution to our region's cultural tourism is unquestioned," said Bill Talbert, President, Greater Miami Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Selman’s love and passion for Carnival continued when he became the guiding force behind Miami Carnival in 1990. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Miami Carnival Inc. and as such was responsible for the execution of the annual Miami Carnival, which is the third-largest Caribbean Carnival in North America. He is also the President of China Mas Group, the most outstanding mas band in Miami Carnival, which has won the "Band of the Year" title for seven consecutive years. In addition to Miami Carnival, Selman started the era of the Coconut Grove Convention Center Carnival party, hiring 5 music bands for two nights in Miami. An innovator, possessing an immensely creative mind, Selman truly laid the foundation for the success and growth of the Miami Carnival celebration.

“Always and to the end, Selman was the icon of knowledge behind Miami Carnival. He worked on the 24th Annual Miami Carnival until the day he went into the hospital. He will be profoundly missed by those whose lives he touched, but he leaves us with extraordinary inspiration to draw upon this Miami Carnival season”, states the Miami Carnival Inc., board members.

"We are saddened at the loss of Selman Lewis. He was a community pillar who provided leadership to the important cultural institution of Caribbean Carnival in South Florida”. Miami-Dade County, Commissioner Dennis Moss, District 9

"Within in the last few months, a number of personalities from the Trinidad and Tobago community in South Florida have died. The Trinidad and Tobago Consulate General extends its deepest condolences to Selman's family on this very sad occasion” states Mr. Gerald Greene, Consul General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Selman is survived by his wife Janet, two sons Christopher and Adrian, daughter-in-law Jerry, grandchildren Kai and Terrick and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made payable to the Selman Lewis Memorial Scholarship Fund. Mail to Miami Carnival office at 18425 NW 2nd Ave, Suite 335, Miami, Fl 33169.

Details about his wake and funeral services

Wake
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 from 7pm
at Claudia’s 17730 NW 27th Ave
Miami Gardens. Fl

Closed funeral services for family and close friends
Friday, October 3rd, 2008 from 6pm-9pm
Boyd Funeral Home, 6400 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood

Public Memorial Service
Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 11:30am
St. Bartholomew, 8005 Miramar Parkway, Miramar, FL.
954.431.0612

Repast immediately after Public Memorial Service
Claudia’s-17730 NW 27th Ave, Miami, FL

Selman was a very good friend of the family and he will surely be missed.

Article & photo courtesy Trinijunglejuice.com