Nine of us drove to LA over the July 12th weekend for the Caribbean Seabreeze festival at the Queen Mary Park in Long Beach. We arrived too late for the first day of the festival with Leon Caldero and Grenada's Super P. Hungry and looking for Caribbean food in LA was not that easy, so don't leave the list of restaurants below when you're there next time. Actually, you can even get a $10 gift certificate to Coley's Jamaican restaurant. By 2 pm on Sunday we were already in the park, burning up in the LA heat. Belizean group Caribbean Xchange opened the show with a lively performance filled with demonstrations of the new danchehall moves by two back-up dancers. Performances by Notch formerly of Born Jamericans, Mr. Vegas, Tanto Metro and Devonte and Lady Saw with sessions by local band Detour Posse kept the afternoon hot. The Elegant Flair Dance company performed featuring Goddess, that inspiring rear bumber on our carnival truck. Lady Saw commanded the stage with reserve since there were kids present. Instead she called for women in the crowd to help her out and proceeded to direct the couples on stage, especially when it came to a "backshot". Papa Curly, a dreadlocked Belizean who produced the festival viewed her toned down performance from the stage and was likely grateful that she did not heed the crowd's appeal to get really raw. As we left LA, unfortunately during Glen Washington's performance, we all agreed that the festival was refreshing, lovely and we'd return next year. See our pictures in our photogallery. Our interviews with Lady Saw and Tanto Metro soon come.

In our Red Rat interview we suggested that he work with Rupee and he said, “Who Rupee? Me and him talking bout it. Rupee would be someone cool to work with. He is cool cool cool. I rate him man. We talking bout it, I have to come up with the concept. I came up with the concept for Rubber Waist.” In our Rupee interview whilst telling us that he was always mistaken for Red Rat, we mentioned to Rupee that Red Rat said he’d work with him to which Rupee responded, "He's a good guy man. I would work with him too." Very soon after Rupee was contacted by producer extraordinaire (Fugees) Salaam Remy to record a song with Red Rat that is now on the CD, thisisrupee.com. Whilst this is more than likely a big coincidence, we’d like to believe that there are some genies on this internet who’re reading our wishes. If that’s the case we’d like to see a really good dancehall act like TOK and Elephant Man in the bay, we’d like to have a jouvay.com stage at the San Francisco carnival in 2004 with live bands from the Caribbean, we’d like to see Goapele sing at the Barbados Jazz Festival in 2004 so that some more bay area folks get exposed to the island, etc. etc. etc..

Maya's Report from Barbados (July 2003)

We were planning a big jouvay.com get away to Barbados for cropover, but for reasons beyond our control we had to postpone. It was under rather unfortunate circumstances that I had to go to Guyana the week before cropover and it was quite by accident that I made it over to Barbados for three nights. Now you can imagine what kind of torture it was to board a plane on Sunday August 4th, knowing that Bunji Garlin would perform in Barbados that night and the next day was cropover with a swarm of people gyrating on Spring Garden. Nevertheless, here's a taste of the festivities or rather the fetes.

After spending eight hours with BWIA flying from Guyana to Barbados I made it in time for a fete on Thursday night. The one good thing about this airline is their monthly magazine Caribbean Beat (their February 2003 issue featured San Jose resident Crazy, and bay area website jahworks.org) and their inflight TV program which was hosted by Barbadian saxophonist Arturo Tappin this month..nevermind the coverage of Guyana was limited to a sole rum refinery and more resembled a paid advertisement you’d find on late night TV. Mas band Power x 4 teamed up with Trinidadian promoter Ian Wiltshire of Islandstyle Entertainment to Produce Glow at Bayside which is right on the beach, though access is not allowed. In the front a steel pan and riddim section greeted you whilst in the main area Invasion Band with Faye Ann Lyons had the crowd pumping. The sudden disruption of power on stage did not stop the fete as the riddim section from the front quickly moved to the back and in no time had the Bajans singing their old calypso hits. When it returned announcements were made that Iwer George, Lil Rick, Rupee, Krosfyah, and Machel were still to come and they all put on an excellent show. I was to interview Machel in Berkeley the next evening and was disappointed that I was missing his show, so finding him in Barbados was a surprise. Our interview was short lived as he had a plane to get, so we’ll delay publishing it for now. Lil Rick (Hypa Dog.. Barbados cropover 2002 and 2003 road march champ and 2003 party monarch champ with Mash Up and Buy Back) does not get exposed to North American crowds often, but he sure moved the Bajans the most that night.

Whilst Thursday’s fete was a dressy type affair, Friday night’s event was far from that. Thankfully one of the fellas from Bombas (beach bar by Coach House) advised me to wear j’ouvert clothes because the Baje fete is paint. Pic-o-de-Crop competition was that night and I heard most of it as I drove around the island for about an hour and a half trying to find the Banks building which Bajans will direct you to by pointing and saying “up deh, keep straight in the round about, look for de girls dancing in silver on the road.” Red Plastic Bag won the competition and TC who many of you know for her hit “Who de Hell is Kim”, brought second. But back to the Baje fete which cost around $20 BDS and drinks were included. You’ve got to understand that even the cheapest Mount Gay tastes good. Apart from the rum, paint was also abundant for you to get messy, and Baje folks constantly hosed the crowd down with water. There were no live singers, but DJs like Malcolm X and Peter Coppin rocked. Some of you may have already read the Peter Coppin interview that we did earlier this year and know that he has produced major tunes like Jump, Trinidad, Hypa Dog, and Cock Back and Roll. You need to party with him for the man hypes the mic up like there is no tomorrow, as though he’s in the studio creating a road march tune for the next millenium. Heard he's playing in Miami at the Fly Girls party on Saturday October 11th...don't miss. The real j’ouvert was occurring in town and was marred by a freak accident that resulted in the death of a young reveler so I never made it there. As the sun rose folks moved onto the Wadada fete which finished at 10 am or headed to Wiesers for breakfast (great beach bar on Brandon Beach, probably one of 2 owned by black folks in Bimshire).

Saturday afternoon was an all inclusive fete held by the University of the West Indies that cost $125 BDS. Double Xplojun was one of the bands performing and word on the street was the party was great. I was out exploring the absolutely desolate and gorgeous East Coast of Barbados, the parish of St. Andrew, where guavas hang by the road for easy picking and the Atlantic creates a challenging if not unadvisable place to swim. There were many parties on Saturday night, but Square One and Krosfyah were playing at Soca Island, also on the water by the harbor. The opening act was The Bahn from Antigua who were really good. Up next was Alison Hinds with Square One and though she skipped her usual show of inviting a male reveler to roll up on her on stage the band invited a short, tall, slim and fat girl to wine for the crowd. Krosfyah burst on stage with crazy energy and continued to back up many solo artists including Keann, Original Duck (Wanna Like Dah Na). Whilst Edwin serenaded us with his magnificent voice, Khiomal and Barry ….well, you’ve got to see the video to understand just how these young fellas move their waistlines. Apparently the venue had packed over 10,000 people at Thursday’s Insomnia so it was a bit of a shock that only a few hundred filled the space with such a good line up of artists. Some folks said, "The Bajans don't know to party like the Trinis. Thursday tired them out and now they are resting for Cohobopot." Rupee, Timmi and Lil Rick were performing a block a way in Eddie’s with Invasion band and never made it over to the stage at the back. Minutes away at Bayside, Power x Four’s DJ’d Foam party was dwindling when I got there at 5 am. As I left soon after to get on a flight a whole Trini side from Soca Island arrived and more than likely injected some fresh energy into the wet crowd. I obviously forgot I was flying BWIA for the flight was delayed and I could have jumped for at least one more hour!! I was so drained by the time I got to Miami that I could not go to Tug Boat Annie's that night for the China Mas camp band launch, which a staunch Miami carnival organizer described as, "the best party held in Miami all year."

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Of Interest

Islandmix.com's Caribbean AIDS walk team raises the most money!!

December 2002, DJ Back to Basics had just played for our first party and was surfing the net for pictures of his truck at Labor day when he introduced us to many of the Caribbean internet sites including islandmix. Through the islandmix discussion board we started a virtual relationship with Caribbean persons around the world. Even the soca artists actively partake in discussions or peep the site on a regular basis. The imix board produces results faster and more reliable than google. For example, are you looking for the best Jamaican patty shop in Manhattan, a good barber in Miami, or the best party in Toronto? Everyone has a username and it's pretty funny to tell someone that you're waiting to meet Stryka, the Grenadian webmaster who you've never seen and whose real name you don't know. Or more absurd is to arrive in Miami or Trinidad for carnival and strangers approach you at a party with 10,000 people and call out your username.

With thousands of members who chat shit as much as they discuss serious issues it was not surprising that someone created a forum to promote the 3rd NY Caribbean Aids Walk held on July 13th, 2003. Months ago Strongblackprincess, a Trinidadian mother who resides in NY, posted her story of acquiring and living with HIV. She, along with other members like Calabash volunteer for the New World Creation Resource Center Inc., the non-profit organization that organized the walk. Very soon islandmix had an Aids Walk team, many of whom had never met each other in person before or outside of a party atmosphere. We sent their fundraising info. out to our email list, and socajunkie contacted us:

"I was wondering if there was any way you could help us out . We would like to have imix T-shirts for the event, with something about the event on it and the imix logo. So far we have close to 30 people walking...but there's no money for the shirts.....we've been looking for someone to help us, to sponsor the team and help with the cost of the shirts....by any chance, with all your contacts in the soca world, do you think you would know anyone that would be interested? It's such an important cause, I wish more were open to helping."

Using our contacts in the Caribbean business world we were able to help. Whilst the front of the shirts shows the imix logo, the back reads:

2003 Imix Caribbean Aids Walk Team
sponsored by:
Veggie Castle (2242 Church Ave, Brooklyn NY)
Jouvay.com
Leabanos Printscreening (626) 796-9050

The islandmix team has so far raised $2,500, the largest contribution given to the organization for this walk. You can still contribute to the islandmix team and you can also volunteer with the organization that sponsored the walk.

BECOME a JOUVAY.COM SPONSOR NOW !!!

Contact us if you're interested in sponsoring one of our events.