some like the author call it Freedom

soca music has had the instruction mentality long time besides d jump an wave it intensified with follow d leader and movin to the left movin to the right songs. maybe they had bigger ones before that but w/e. I know i en rollin on d floor but it not so outta place/degrading for it to find a way into a song.

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“A sharp knife never proclaims it’s sharpness to the world…but the first to fall against it becomes it’s advocate.”

You can put any face behind a mask but be careful cos someone else might be pretending. You might not be the only one with a secret -- Cassie/Gretel

Steups

+a million to all that. I completely disagree w/ what Fayanne saying.

The FB things...we've ALWAYS loved pics esp those of us dressed up, in costume, w/friends going party. Back in the days before cells and digital cameras my sisters and i would be in the gallery taking pics in our costumes while my father in the car mad cause he waiting to drop us. Just that now we get instant gratification instead of dropping off and putting in album

The dressing..I've come a long way from the teen that used to roll up in parties w/ my cousins in denim shorts, vests and sneakers w/ my rag in my pocket. I'm a grown ass woman dammit! I don't dress like that to go to the store so why would I go a party like that? Anyone who has ever seen me in any fete environment will tell you that I don't stand up and pose. I leave fetes looking a mess but my wedge heels are my carnival staple along w/ cute dresses and my accessories. Fayann overbole to be telling ppl how to dress.

I was talking to someone about this today and telling them how I feel and they pointed out that our generation does not want to stop partying...our parents had their lil run and then sat their asses down; we partying into our 30's and even 40's. For the teeny boppers maybe but you cant' expect to see women close to or in their 30's coming to fete looking like they just finished cleaning their house. And while I do it on occasion i would prefer NOT to fete in a sweatbox. Give me some aura of sophistication, have the premium drinks at the bar even though I don't drink..hubby does.

There have ALWAYS been stush posers at fetes...long before FB, twitter and cell phone cameras.

There are still tons of jam down fetes to choose from if that's what a person wants. I don't see why anyone should have to choose other than their preference in order to enjoy the music and vibes that they like. What ppl really need to realize is that the old doesn't die just because the new comes about. Its just like ppl that complain about bikini and beads like there are not other options. Everything about carnival from mas to fetes to cultural events is to me personal and somewhat spiritual. Take from it what you want and enjoy it how you want.

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PLEASE EXCUSE ME IF I SLACK SLACK SLACK SLACK, BUT D STAGE IS COME BACK BACK BACK BACK!!!





"god is the deification of a culture."
-Dr Yosef ben-Jochannan

I find this all extremely interesting, cuz I never really knew much about the fete scene during carnival time in T&T.

Here, there are a few parties (e.g.: the I <3 Soca series which is like 30 US - more than twice the price of the avg soca fete here) where people dress up a little bit to go. But at the Bacchanal Friday night series and most of the other fetes leadin up to our jouverts and road march here, nuff ppl go to Mas Camp in shorts, sneakers/flats and a casual-but-cute top/tshirt. I also find more people willing to dance n get on bad than at dancehall parties. And as you guys probably know, carnival and soca parties are for the most part an uptown scene.

That's just my observation though. And I'm sure the point that people are making bout the different kinds of parties for different crowds etc is probably valid. I guess once you pay your money to come in it doesn't matter what you decide to do once you're there.

its just what you want to do in a fete... i aint going nowhere and rolling around on the ground lol.. but i aint going to fete and stand up like lara.. that is way too boring... just pace your self and have a ggood time..

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Rich people have small TVs and big libraries, and poor people have small libraries and big TVs.

I understand about being and adult and dressing as one but you are failing to see the point BD. The point is that people are being excluded from the events(trini in trinidad with middle to low income) and instead the events are more catered to tourist. How de hell u go exclude someone who live in trini. Its like being in Jamaica and telling somebody they cant go to this beach because it's for the tourist or people with money...as well Fayann may have contributed to the current madness that we see but other perpetuate the BS by giving explaining for their attendance at these all inclusive events Only( dont get me wrong, I will go both all inclusive and the jump up fete) but to discriminate or put down an event or the people attending the event kills me. I aint saying go a fete and get your head buss, but u can walk down BK streets and get shot. I just feel that we are getting toooooooo far away from where we came from in an effort to foreignize the events. These promoters needs to stop they shyte. If we keep on pontificating these events/promoter and making up excuses about why excluding your own people from a fete is ok, trini carnival as we know it will seize to exist.

i get what you saying but when people live in tnt, they still choose where they want to go.. its nto that it's the foreigners who doing the discrimination, not at all... People will always choose where they want to hang out and with whom they wish to interact.. why do you think most of these parties have committees? to perform community relations? no, its to keep the party to a level... there have always been this type of thing.. remember the Nuts and Base fiasco in the 90's? the differently themed nights were also distinctions...... back in the day people also used the price of the party to determine who might possibly be there.. 10 dollar party hmm the marish and the parish, ... the same with the bands... Harts, you better be white or have gone to a prestige school in POS... Tribe, Legends etc... it's not cos the costume materials are expensive.. it's cos they want to keep out EveryTrini.. and there are parties that everybody can go to but those are not the "in" events.. same way that the People's band is accessible to all and sundry but who really goes to play in that band? Some people on either end of the spectrum will take it to that other level.. some poeple go these parties and behave like leggo beast, lets be real, they doing that toro toro charge type dance and knocking down people, mashing dem jus behaving wile wit no behaviour.. and coupled with a few drinks in the system and that can be a recipe for disaster depending on the ignorance factor of the patron in question... on the other end there are those people who are basically a corpse in the party.. they moving gingerly.. lips pursed up carefully to eat a doubles cos they want to look cute and classy jus in case somebody watching them... i mean paying 300 US for Lime.. i just dont see the point.. i cant eat and drink my moneys worth there.. lol... again its what you like and what you comfortable with...

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Rich people have small TVs and big libraries, and poor people have small libraries and big TVs.

its not just the foreigners......there are plenty locals with money to piss away who enabling the dotishness also.........

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*Recalibrating*

ah mean if people was so all encompassing then people wouldnt speed past the beetham or be scared to go in laventille

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Rich people have small TVs and big libraries, and poor people have small libraries and big TVs.

My apologies, I tend to forget that not only Trinis participate in these discussions so bear with me.

If you listen to the early soca of the 1970s the thing that stands out is that they increased the rhythm so as to make it more danceable but the songs still remained lyrically strong.

An excellent example can be found in this selection from the pioneer of soca. In this song you can pick out the Indo-Trinidadian influence (he grew up in Siparia which had and still has a very strong Indic population) as well as Soul music which was very popular in the 1970s following the African consciousness of the late 60s, early 70s.
Lord Shorty - Endless Vibrations - YouTube
or even Fay-Ann's own father
Blue Boy - Soca Baptist(e) - YouTube

Was there foreign influence at this time? Of course, as there has always been, but because these artistes had a stronger sense of self and so while they experimented they understood fully the base from which they were building.

Unfortunately that didn't fully diffuse to those of the last 20 years. The fault is not totally theirs and perhaps I'm being unduly harsh towards her and her contemporaries. We the older ones didn't appreciate ourselves and so you can't expect the younger ones to just ups and be different. Additionally, the lack of creativity and the gravitating towards things perceived to be foreign is directly related to a number of things including the sudden exposure through cable and satellite TV to the mainstream, commodified US pop culture starting in the late 1980s. It's no coincidence that around the same time the kaiso/soca speeded up first following the zouk influence and then the US, that we started to see changes in the lexicon (no way anyone who grew up in the 70s and early 80s would be mad enough to call the July/August period "summer")

My point is that the pendulum shifted too much too soon and while doing so a great many people who are afflicted with the cultural self-doubt will, without even pausing to seriously think, incorporate any and everything that does not appear to be Trinbagonian in a misguided attempt to woo foreign tourists. They cannot understand that by doing so they actually push these same tourists away who will eventually just stop coming. In that regard she is right but I just don't think she has much of a moral authority. In all fairness Bunji did an excellent job with his version of the late Maestro's "Fiery" and in so doing open him up to a whole new generation of young people to this soca pioneer. But much more needs to be done.

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Create your own university; develop and encourage a culture of critical thinking and action

Capitane ... Have You Ever Been To Trinidad

What You Have Learned Is Probably What Youve Read In books.

Some People Go To Sit In the Stands While Others Want To Jump Up In D Bands ....... yuh zeeit

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Pleanty Jammin In De Session .. Plenty Rum To Ease De Tension .. 20 Man Ah Hundred Woman Oh Gosh ..... De Vibes Cya Done

LR I agree with you as well the only qualm is the fact that although we had the stoosh events, we accomodated the folks that didnt want to attend. Now the poor trinis aint have no fete they can really afford because the prices are catered to foreign folks. What I wish is for people to see that I am not merely speaking about the types of fetes only but the accessibility to others. I know about the Fatima fetes and St Francoise(sp). I went to Mucurapo Jr Sec and grew up in the 80/90's so I knew about those events you speak about but at least we had other events to go to if we couldnt afford or knew anyone in the "prestige schools". Now folks dont really have an option (2 weeks before carnival) except to attend Insomnia. Give me a break. People trying to making up excuses because they live abroad and can possibly afford these fetes. Ok if folks wanna go to the all inclusives, well thats cool but they need other fetes going on so the regular trinis good attend beside soca monarch and insomnia. Aint nobody can give me a good explanation for whats going on in trini carnival except GREED. Ananci I may not be your age(not being disrepectful) but I totally agree with you and understand what your saying.

While I understand what you're saying..it's really about whay you can afford.... Cos I don't think wasa, fire and flour fetes are 1000 TT... They cater for a greater mass of patrons so those fetes are accessible while the other fetes which may be more expensive are catering for a limited number of folks.. Same as with anything in life... If a mercedes s class were cheaper thn eberybody would have one...but they not, and people who can afford them get them and those who can't afford them either accept that and don't get one or break their bank trying to acquire one!! Flour,wasa, fire fetes like Mi2 phones, any and everybody but like a Mi2, are they desired? No, people want other things and usually the things put out of reach... Promoters put the prices high to keep out the marish and the parish.. Why? Because the patrons don't want to party with the marish and the parish.. Sad but true. If the monied patrons started going to fire etc, they wud switch up the style of the party and the price...I think there are things for the average trini to do, perhaps they simply don't want to do those things? I know some people who brokes to tief and u wudnt know it cos they sure do live it up in good ole tnt...the peope I kno who not partyin for carnival is de people who doh really care bout partying period.

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Rich people have small TVs and big libraries, and poor people have small libraries and big TVs.