Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival, aka Canada’s biggest Carnival is over, and I can just imagine the withdrawals you guys are experiencing, something we Trinis call “Tabanca.” It’s a form of “love sickness.” It can be described as a state of depression accompanied by withdrawal symptoms, such as can’t eat, can’t sleep and a few other feelings that can occur when one has been rejected by a potential love interest, or experiences some sort of loss. So when is the next Soca fix in Montreal before we head to New York for Labour Day weekend? At the Montreal International Reggae Festival, …

The summer weather has finally settled in and, as usual, yet some people are complaining about the heat and humidity. I say deal with it cause we have only three months of summer, along with summer events and activities. I say enjoy them; they are quickly coming to an end. On Saturday, July 18, I had an amazing experience at the annual Vincy Unity Picnic at Brown’s Bay Provincial Park in the 1,000 Islands in eastern Ontario. This gathering continues to grow tremendously, as literally thousands of people descend on this beautiful region annually to enjoy this massive Vincy extravaganza. …

When you see me in the place, Party Done! We heard many Masquerades singing the chorus of Machel Montano & Angela Hunte’s 2015 soca favorite, during Montreal Carifiesta parade. Well now Montreal 2015 Carifiesta is done But of course we are left with all kind of bacchanal going on. This year, members of the Grenadian Association band felt as if the CCFA was treating them unfairly Also the big Soca event with Destra this year was cancelled last minute leaving many party goes agitated. Celebrating its Montreal Carifiesta milestone of 40th anniversary this year, I believed it was imperative for …

Summer is finally here! It’s my favorite season. So let’s  get outside and enjoy the events of  the Montreal June, July and August brings a lot of festivals, parties, carnivals, and other events across Canada.  Here are some of the events that just went by and what’s in store for the big July 4 weekend. On Saturday June 20, thousands gathered for the Carivibes celebrations on Petri Island in Orleans, Ottawa. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Olatunji Yearwood was unable to make it for the big show. Despite that, the fantastic showcase still went on with performances from Chucky Gordon, Karl …

As the summer  approaches, most partygoers and promoters in our community are gearing up for the Montreal carnival season. Carifiesta, the Montreal Black and Caribbean parade will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary on Saturday July 4. Soon it will be time to crank up the a/c and ready the grill for a barbecue. Backyard party! As we Trini’s say “Liming”, bring the music, drinks and lets socialize with friends members and family. Summer gives a boost to our culture, and create an opportunity for us to build new and strengthen old relationships with each other. Here’s a few well known …

It’s been a few years now but I still remember it as if it was yesterday. I went to a calypso tent at Caribbean Paradise and the host of the night let fly a phrase that remains embedded in my mind. She said: “whether you be a radio host, artist, or journalist, our first responsibility is not to ourselves, our first responsibility is to our audience.” Over the many years I have been writing for this newspaper only a few times have I ever addressed serious issues concerning the entertainment scene in our Caribbean community; the few times I did, …

For one reason or the other, almost everyone I meet thinks my love for music is only Soca. Truth is nothing can be further from the truth. When I migrated to Montreal, everyone was into Reggae/Dancehall and I saw a void in the Soca scene, which I have decided to fill. Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago you would think Soca was my first love. Well nope, it’s Reggae for sure. My love for Reggae/Dancehall music started as early as I can remember, but I took it to heart in the year 1995. That’s the year I began walking …

Flight Soca Sessions Vol 2 is free and available This the time of the year when I can use my two favorite four-letter words in one sentence, Free and Soca. I think every right thinking music-lover should have a 2015 Soca mix to jam in their car or on their iPod? As such, this is the right place to be, because my annual Soca mix title “Flight Soca Sessions Vol. 2” is packaged and available to the public for free. Flight Soca Sessions, the CD came about because many of my listeners and supporters of my radio show expressed difficulty …

Is it only me or have you guys notice a big improvement in the Montreal Soca scene this year? Unlike previous years, Montreal soca lovers are up to date with the music, and more and more people are going to parties. For this, they should give thanks to two online stations BoomStation.Net and TeamSoca.Com. We all have heard the stories of Montreal in days gone by, and how this city once had the biggest carnival in Canada. How people from all over put our carnival on their yearly agenda. How we once had a carnival committee that was efficient and …

Confusion on the dancehall circuit I’ve been caught up in the Montreal Soca scene lately, but help but notice the many questions and rumors about what’s going on with reggae/dancehall artists Buju Banton and Vybz Kartel. Well, a couple weeks ago, social media was buzzing about Buju Banton being released from prison in the USA  and deported. The rumor, which went viral, started after several dancehall-oriented websites ran a story, which claimed that Buju was released under the new sentencing changes for convicted drug traffickers. At a recent press conference Buju’s attorneys stated, “These reports are false and the folks …