Live at the Hyatt - Children of the Drum (T&T Carnival 2015)

Kees Dieffenthaller -
high energy and superb as always

Live at the Hyatt - Children of the Drum. 

It's a different Carnival experience. A little bit calypso tent. A little bit Best Village and Party Time (showing my age there). A sit-down affair that with the right vibe could become a stand-up affair. A great option for those who are not inclined to partake in the crush of fetes - all-inclusive or otherwise - but still want to enjoy the music of some of the hottest soca acts in a comfortable and non-threatening type of setting (non-threatening in the sense of no threat of beer being splashed on your kit or your weave, or of your lovely toes being stomped on etc).

This is Live at the Hyatt - Children of the Drum. Touted as a Las Vegas styled production, I would not go as far as that,  as I feel we could tighten up the production a bit more, but I appreciated the effort made to make it a show, and to include a bit of theatre  and drama to the musical performances . The show was well produced and the performances were all spot on.

This is the second year of this show, but my first time as last year I just could not make it. But I was not disappointed. Each night at the show, patrons are treated to six (6) great artistes, and last night we were treated to David Rudder, Bunji Garlin and Fay Ann Lyons, Blaxx, Destra Garcia, K.I. and Kees Dieffenthaller. The show themed "Children of the Drum" highlights the wonderful diversity that is Trinidad through song and dance, from Africa to India to China, with Nigel Rojas acting as the musical storyteller/narrator.

It also provides the right setting for our artistes to show their true talents. Fetes and competitions, in particular, can really boil down to this overwhelming desire to move the crowd by any means necessary, which can often compromise vocal delivery. I know my friends know how much this is a peeve of mine and that Soca Monarch debacle in particular. Every artiste last evening gave the packed out house solid performances with solid vocals. Bravo! Special kudos to Blaxx who hit us with some Luther Vandross which underscored my point that the competition really kills the talent - cause Blaxx can sing!

I think we need more shows like this to keep the level of our music high. I fear that competition and this compulsion to "raise the dust" has contributed (along with other factors) to the lack of creativity in our music. Loved this experience. It was smart, it was well-oiled, it was creative, it was comfortable, it was all-encompassing. I saw young people, old people, blind people, physically disabled people. It was beautiful. If like me, you get bored after one fete, with the "wave" "take it low", "anybody from Sando?" nonsense, but you want to enjoy the season, try this show.

If I had to give one suggestion above all else - maybe less performers in one night so we get a richer offering from each of them. Destra felt rushed for example. I would prefer quality over quantity, but that is just me. They were all so fantastic but all too short.

David Rudder is timeless. No other description necessary.

Destra Garcia - I am not a fan really but there is no denying the woman can SING.

It was a great middle ground for my mum and I to enjoy the season together, and I would say it is a great option for families and friends, minus the noise and everything else that comes with large fetes. There are different packages available whereby one can either take in just the show at TT$500 a ticket or opt for one of the other packages, which can include dinner, a room or both. The Dinner/Show/Room package is pretty good - saved me from facing the stove, from facing the highway after the show and gave us time to just relax together.

Welcome drink in our room before the show. Can never tire of this view at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad

The Dinner Menu last night for those who took the dinner package for the Live at the Hyatt show

I chose the soup as the starter. Very yum.

Creole Chicken with red beans and sauteed plantains.
Thanks to Keisha for sorting out my main. I don't eat fish
and I don't eat coo-coo so I had to mix and match. I could not eat it all, but it was so good.

Choco Shock Brownie with Belgian Chocolate ice cream.
The sweet was too sweet for me. If you love love love sweets, you would love this.

Mummy chose the Rustic Apple Tart, which was delish.
I am always wary of apple anything. I always get a tart apple dessert, but this was nice.
Perfect actually.

Kudos. I hope they don't give up and only aim to make it better next year. It is much needed and was much appreciated.

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2014 - Year of the Golden Booty!

The year of the Golden Booty.

This was my response to a Facebook comment for what was one of the most iconic photos from my year - me, booty boasting in gold hot pants. Clearly I am not going to share this image here but it was a memorable shot in time.

The year 2014 was not quite as golden but it was still precious - precious in the sense that there were more ups than downs, and somehow I made it to the end (knock wood).

It was a year of fun, revelations, trials - like any other year. Life is unpredictable and life is fragile. Today you can be on top of the mountain and tomorrow you are slipping down the slope, caught up in an avalanche. Or you can be gone forever. Not trying to be morbid but this is a reality. Too many persons lost loved ones this year - whether it was expected or unexpected. At the top of my year, I lost the second most important woman in my life after my mother - my grandmother. Even though she was in her 90s, the loss was still a hard one for the entire family as she was the anchor that kept us all grounded - the glue that kept us all together. Our lives are beautiful because she was beautiful. She was the best grandmother in the world.

The year was hectic at work and often I felt overwhelmed. Maintaining a blog is a job in itself and each year I look at my total number of blog posts for the year. Gone are the days of 2011 when I had a total of 171 posts for that year, to just 40 for all of 2014. That is not even a blog post a week!

As demanding as my job is, my mantra is to play as hard (and as well) as I work. So my vacation this year - my annual treat to myself - took me and my pink suitcase to Amsterdam, Netherlands; Bruges, Belgium; Lausanne, Switzerland; London, England; and Cardiff, Wales - complete with a side trip to Stratford-on-Avon and a silly ghost walk.

And what a lot of fun was had over the course of that trip. My very first cheese fondue in Lausanne. Chocolate penises in Bruges (yes...you can make anything with chocolate). Friendly reunions in the UK. And a lovely rendez-vous in Amsterdam. Life is unpredictable and fragile - so enjoy it. That is my motto in life.

There were other memorable moments, like seeing John Legend again for the umpteenth time (still yet to see Alicia Keys and Muse in concert - scribbling it down for 2015), staycations, friends, birthdays, Carnival, the World Cup, time with the munchkins of my life - my niece and nephew and so on. Never any regrets - just pushing forward.

I have decided to write down 5 big goals for 2015 - document them somewhere - either here or offline, and try my best to achieve them.

Cheers to 2014 and hello to 2015. I am so looking forward to it already.

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Popping my Carnival Cherry - Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2014

My chosen section - War Chant -
from the band, Tribe
Photo credit: Tribe Carnival

The greatest show on earth.

That is how we here in Trinidad and Tobago refer to our annual festival of freedom, fun,creativity and bacchanal - our Carnival. For some, it is merely a long weekend to jet off to another country or spend time with the family in a  less chaotic environment. For others, it is the be all and end all of life. A season to express themselves in any which way - to release, to celebrate, to party, to embellish.

I have always been one of the former - the "it's a long weekend" type. The parties I would do. No interest in the Monday and Tuesday masquerade, with the exception of J'ouvert. But it was on the bucket list - do it once, get it over with. After putting it off year after year, and recognising that I had torn up quite a few calendars by now, and with all the stars in some sort of eerie alignment, I forked over my hard earned money to experience the festival as others have done for years.

It was not easy. I hemmed and hawed for months, threatening to sell the costume I had made a deposit on. With a death in the family, work frustrations and personal issues, I just did not feel the vibes. But I rallied. Costume collection day came and I took my beautiful costume box home, opened it, examined the various pieces of what was to be my get-up on Carnival Tuesday, showed it to the folks, closed the box, went to sleep. Life went on.

I guess though there is something about the 2 days - that excitement, the frenzy, the "anything goes" aura - but only then, when I stepped on to the asphalt, stepped out in the roasting sunshine, did I start to feel anything remotely close to what everyone else was feeling. It did not matter that I did not have spaghetti sized thighs, or that my 6-pack was missing. Noone really cared. The mission: have fun, enjoy life. And we did.

And when the big day came, to swathe my chocolate body in the brilliant white and gold costume, accessorised by Carnival hair and makeup, amping up the everyday pretty, well, it did not matter that the sun was blazing. It was Carnival. My section - War Chant - was one of the few which really worked well on the road and looked good. No bias intended. I am too new to be biased. I also thought Sioux looked incredible, as did a couple sections in Bliss, which I managed to see between the throngs of people.

So was it all cookies and cream? The good and the bad:

• Tribe was one of the bands carded to bypass the Savannah in favour of the new Socadrome. My thoughts as a first timer? I hate waiting - whether it is 2 hours or 5 hours. I hate waiting in the sun. I had to wait at the Socadrome as well. Tribe itself was the keep back cause it was so big. No room for freeing up yourself once you got on the stage cause there were so many people. Not fun. I know this is the normal thing, but it does not mean I have to like it.

In the thick of the Tribe10 crowd

Waiting at the Socadrome

• However, Tribers are well cared for. I was never wanting for something to drink, never felt unsafe, was well fed, had access to critical amenities even though I had them on hand in my pouch. Never underestimate the power of wipes and deodorant! One can never have enough!

• The heat. I love the sun. Love the heat. But that Monday and Tuesday heat was different!! I am now an official spokesperson for Blue Waters, Gatorade and Prolyte. And I am a true believer in makeup primer!!

• Trini women. No matter the shape, the size - our women are fearless!! I was somewhat inspired and I renewed my waning commitment to such fearlessness. I mean, you have to be fearless to wear pasties on DD-sized breasts or to wear a spider panty on a rump that is 5 times the size of mine!

• Freedom without limits? While I celebrate everything Carnival and people's right to express themselves, some things were just too much for my senses. The wining on top of the mosque wall, the church wall and the blatant disrespect of children along the road. This one mother in particular had more restraint than I would have had if that was my child. Carnival does not give you the right to be an even bigger asshole than usual. 

• Fun with the friends and family. All my relatives who came in from abroad for the Carnival were in the same band. My friends were in the same band. We don't always get to see each other so this was as good as it got.

So would I do it again? I would not NOT do it again. I am glad I did it - blisters and all. I had a great time up until stomach cramps derailed the enjoyment on Tuesday. I have not been transformed into a Carnival baby. Not suffering from Carnival tabanca like quite a few of my friends. It was great. It was magical. I recommend it. But I am looking forward to the rest of the year now, including seeing John Legend in concert for the hundredth time now (super fan!!) and annual vacation - always the highlight of my life. Will think about the next Carnival when the time comes. Cheers to 2014 though.

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