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Please don't quote this post and type in a different color between the text. Would hate for the text to be a jumbled mess.

1. Why the name Ramajay?
   
2. Were you members of another New York Band and wanted to branch off on their own?
   
3. What is the goal of Ramajay?
   
   
4. Did the organizers of Ramajay band mash somebody toe and that is why there is bacchanal on imix?
   
5. Was this a successful run on the parkway as a new band?
   
6. Are there any regrets for the 2009 New York Carnival season?

More questions to come.
I know a website exists you can copy and paste or speak from the heart.

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President Barack Obama!!!!
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Let us work with others to change our communities.

This is going to open a can of worms but I will be brave and answer

1. Why the name Ramajay?
   
   RAMAJAY means to "like yuhself, show off, have fun". It is a old folk word often used by pan bands when it is time for a solo or such. They will usually say "Leh we RAMAJAY we self" When we decided to bring out a new band we went through ALOT of names and I actually used this name a few years back for a promotion company. When I bought it up to the committee they liked it and what it stood for so we used it. We wanted our masqueraders to like they self, show off and have a good time.
   
2. Were you members of another New York Band and wanted to branch off on their own?
   Yes, many of our committee members came from HAWKS, in 2007 when Hawks didn't come out for Labor Day we was invited by RANGO to bring a section. Then we returned back to our Hawks family in 2008 as band leader, section leader, designers and committee members. So that is why we say Hawks is our extended family. My brother in law (GB God Bless) always wanted to expand into the mas arena and he was impressed with what we did in RANGO and HAWKS (he was sponsors both times) and urged me to do "my own thing" I pulled in my FRIENDS as committee member and RAMAJAY Mas was formed
   
3. What is the goal of Ramajay?
   The goal of RAMAJAY Mas is to just provide an alternative band to the parade. I had MANY friends who played mas in Trinidad, Canada, BIM, etc living in NYC but NEVER playing mas in NYC. That bothered me and we wanted to do something. Cause too me once you love Carnival you should want to play ANYWHERE. So we asked around to the people who STOP playing mas, why and we got numerous reason mainly the costumes. So our main goal is to provide costumes that can rival Carnivals in Trini and Canada (on a NY budget ), outstanding customer service and road experience
   
   
4. Did the organizers of Ramajay band mash somebody toe and that is why there is bacchanal on imix?
   LOL, gyal I doh know. We wasn't even really involved with nothing like this prior to Labor Day. We was TOO busy making costumes. But like I said in another post, RAMAJAY MAS HAS NO FEUD WITH NO OTHER MAS BAND...we respect each and everyone of them for what they are doing. This mas thing is no easy feat and to do it YOU HAVE TO LOVE THE CULTURE so for us to counteract the love by feuding is senseless. Now, we don't mind friendly competition but bachannal/feuding is not us and you will not find us entertaining that. We have promoted UNITY among the mas bands since we have been with Hawks and will continue to do it.
   
5. Was this a successful run on the parkway as a new band? Yes, it was. Of course we did see some hiccups along the way. But everything that happened our debut year is a lesson. We will try to fix all that we can for 2010, we welcome feedback good and bad cause if we don't know we can't improve. But all in all to reach the judges with almost 500 masqueraders was NOT EASY for a new band, we thank EVERYONE who gave us a chance as a new band.
   
6. Are there any regrets for the 2009 New York Carnival season?

HAHAHA yes, next year we know to stall some more so that we don't get chain up to being the first band down the Parkway...then again we notice first band GETS ALOT OF MEDIA

More questions to come.

Ramajay is a cool name and I like your description Princez Diva (Note to all readers: I have no affiliation eh, I am giving an opinion, or hor!)

Nice when you have a good support system.


7) In the quote above you stated just to provide an alternative band. That is nice but do you also hope for your band to win? And if you don't win year after year can you and the other band members handle it and you think Ramajay won't turn sour and lose sight of the culture? Did Ramajay's mas band provide decent prices, outstanding service and road experience definitely?

I heard some things but I will let you speak. I wanted to play mas myself cause every time I am on the parkway I get vex seeing the mas on the road and I am not in it. But then again I feel I will miss out.

8) Are you sure no one caused some beef? Are all of members of Ramajay's comments accounted for?
Sometimes people speak on behalf of others and they truly not in the mix. But I would think people would go to the head to get clarification.

9) Are you and other mas bands planning on finding a solution for people in plain clothes who in the streets with your band members blocking the view of the costumes? You don't have to announce the plan here but is it in the works?

10) Who were the DJs on the truck? Did they play enough 2009 songs? I have a problem with trucks who played more 200x songs than 2009 songs on labor day.

11) What are some challenges a mas band encounters every year?


Thanks for answering. Why are you worrying about some worms gyal as long as it is the truth or in many cases known lol.

__________________
``
``
``
``
President Barack Obama!!!!
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Let us work with others to change our communities.

7) In the quote above you stated just to provide an alternative band. That is nice but do you also hope for your band to win? And if you don't win year after year can you and the other band members handle it and you think Ramajay won't turn sour and lose sight of the culture? Did Ramajay's mas band provide decent prices, outstanding service and road experience definitely?
Of course we want to come high in competition. Any band that says they don't care about the results is lying. BUT that is not RAMAJAY's #1 priority. To us that is icing on the cake. If we don't win, we won't turn sour because the masqueraders is our #1 concern. We just want to be judged fairly. I can say yes we provided decent prices, we got alot of "ole talk" from some for having our prices cheaper than other bands but we priced to what we provided not to what the market dictated. We tried our best to provide outstanding service of course not everyone of our masqueraders would agree but we tried our best.
I heard some things but I will let you speak. I wanted to play mas myself cause every time I am on the parkway I get vex seeing the mas on the road and I am not in it. But then again I feel I will miss out.

8) Are you sure no one caused some beef? Are all of members of Ramajay's comments accounted for?
Sometimes people speak on behalf of others and they truly not in the mix. But I would think people would go to the head to get clarification.
From my understanding, no one in the COMMITTEE have beef with any other band. One thing that I love about Ramajay is that the commitee are FRIENDS...we hang together, lime together, go on trips together, shop together, etc. So as friends we talk and if one have beef we ALL will know lol

9) Are you and other mas bands planning on finding a solution for people in plain clothes who in the streets with your band members blocking the view of the costumes? You don't have to announce the plan here but is it in the works?
I never knew this was a concern. Are you referring to STAFF/SECURITY blocking the view of spectators??

10) Who were the DJs on the truck? Did they play enough 2009 songs? I have a problem with trucks who played more 200x songs than 2009 songs on labor day.
Our Djs was GB God Bless, Spoil Brattz, Notorious, SLI and Red Solo on the first truck and Infamous Sounds on our 2nd truck. Our truck did play 2009 music but we did hear concerns from masqueraders about too much "groovy/chipping" tunes from 1 of the trucks and I think the reason for that was being the 1st band down the road we was moving at a faster pace than the other bands so our djs "miscalculated" Rest assured that WON'T HAPPEN for 2010 LOL. But that was the concern I heard, everyone else wasw jamming hard!

11) What are some challenges a mas band encounters every year?
Well as a new band our challenges was a lil different. Our main challenge was convincing people to come play with us. I think one of our main challenges for 2010 is "coming just as good and/or better" People say the Sophmore year is harder and we welcome that challenge.

Thanks for answering. Why are you worrying about some worms gyal as long as it is the truth or in many cases known lol.[/QUOTE]

Gyal I like some competition mehself. And as they say you can't please all of the people all of the time. Well thanks for trying to give people a good experience and stay with the culture. I like when people try do that. Just learn off of this experience.

Nice nice. Glad to read this. Keep it up.

..... now you get a lil idea how the spectators feel cause I imagine you play mas more than be a specatator when carnival come round.

Year after year after year after year this happens. While the costumed bands passing, people in street clothes stand up in clumps watching the mas, not dancing like they taking a break or something or walking by and people along the parkway trying their best to get their personal pictures or video tape it. Low on behold someone dash across, get on stupid and block the view preventing spectators from getting that good shot or someone spoils it who is not with the band. STAFF/Security is expected since they are not in clumps usually.

While I am at it if you are on one side of the parkway you won't see the mas, why? The truck is blocking the people in costumes or the people who tag along with bands. All my life when I was on the streets of Port of Spain for Carnival this was not a problem!! Yes a different country and one small stretch of road but still! So some people who on the parkway will not see the mas because of these two things. One band had a good idea: They had the people in regular clothes behind the band, behind the truck, behind a rope. So that was some progress!


Oh cool... just tell them to mix more songs from the current year with some from previous years in between for the life of the time on the parkway. Some said by the judging point there were more 2009 songs; other parts of the parkway did not hear much from 2009.

All the best in your endeavours for next year. You are on the right track.

__________________
``
``
``
``
President Barack Obama!!!!
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Let us work with others to change our communities.

Yeah I am usually not on the spectator side of things. But stragglers and non-masqueraders is a major problem on the Parkway. We did use the rope system and it seemed to work. I know for myself I hate that concept of Masqueraders on the right of the truck and non-masqueraders to th left..that is CHUPIDNESS! I pay my money give me the WHOLE ROAD!

You know like I am one of the of the Queen of the Bands or something. Can't think of any more questions right now but thanks again for being a sport. This is a chance for me, and I am sure others, to get first hand information and not hearsay.

__________________
``
``
``
``
President Barack Obama!!!!
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Let us work with others to change our communities.

No problem, if any other questions come to mind I will gladly answer.
Blessings.

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We Come Tuh Ramajay.................Eh Eh...............WE Come Break Away

the only thing I would ask this organization is to explain "Flight of the Jaguar" for me...

It was explained in the previous thread....quit being a pest.

Nice thread TriniTrini and great responses Prinzez Diva

It was intended to be an interpretation of a Jaguar's speed.
One of the beautiful thing about mas is that the designer as the ability to interpret something as realistic or as fantasy-like as they choose.

Thanks Val.

cool......cool........i rell like dis tune.........dis tune wicked

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We Come Tuh Ramajay.................Eh Eh...............WE Come Break Away

It was released in June/July and yes it was inspired by/in support of RAMAJAY Mas. Bless up Machel on this one!!