The feting culture has made a total 360 degree turn. We’ve gone from kicking up dust, sweating and truly palancin’, to dressing up with heels and clutches, wearing Gucci loafers and standing up front with cell phones like reporters, in carnival fetes. Yes. That’s where we’ve reached!
One carnival mainstay- the Queen of Bacchanal isn’t having it though. Much like Fay Ann Lyons has repeatedly called for over the years, Destra is today speaking out on the new-age vibe killer- the cell phone abomination in fetes. The “Soca Family” singer performed at the Eye Slam concert event on Wednesday night in Chaguanas and while she said she had a great time being there, she seemed less than thrilled about the fact that there were so many cell phones projected in the air, recording her.
“Eye Slam Posse, allyuh real get on! Fete was ram but yuh see alluyuh and these cell phones in de fete… (squinted eye emoji)… You can only get the real soca experience if yuh let it all go! Trust me! But still…. great vibes.”
One week prior, soca artist, Voice- the reigning International Soca Monarch King, hosted his birthday event in Chagaramas, Trinidad. A photo emerged of his performance and what else was there to see, but a sea of mobile phones recording his every move. There has been tremendous mumbling about the feting culture shift, over the years. From photographers making it their business to get the right shot of patrons who seemingly go to fetes only for that purpose, to the selfie scourge while big artistes are killing themselves on stage to get patrons to move and leave with a lasting memory, the feting culture shift is real.
Trinidadian superstar Machel Montano has dropped the sizzling video for “Her Mudda”with the Virgin Islands’ Pumpa ahead of Trinidad & Tobago’s annual Carnival. The single appears on Montano’s upcoming studio album,One Degree Hotter, which is set for for release later this month via his record label, Monk Music.
“With its striking visuals directed by D. Padmore and ColorMeStadic, pulsating rhythms produced by Stadic & Jonny Blaze, and vibrant performances throughout, “Her Mudda” is a testament to the infectious spirit of soca music and the power of dance,” a media release issued by the team, highlights.
Pumpa and Machel have collaborated on “Yuh Mudda.”
“Her Mudda” along with Machel’s recently released singles – “Fling It Up” ft. Davido, “Pepper Vine” ft. Lady Lava and Drupatee, “PARDY”, “The Truth”, “Bumpa”, and “Fallen Fetters” with Skinny Fabulous – will all be featured on One Degree Hotter.
The album’s title is a play on words, not only referencing his hot streak of hit records, but also a nod to his recent completion of a Master’s degree in Carnival Studies at the University of Trinidad & Tobago.
“After two years earning my Master’s degree in Carnival Studies, immersing myself in my culture, and studying where we’ve come from, I’m more inspired than ever about where we can go next. I couldn’t wait to get back in the studio and work on my next album, fueled by everything I’ve learned. ‘One Degree Hotter’ is a double entendre—it marks my Master’s degree, but also my mission to turn up the heat on my music and take it to the corners of the globe,” Machel said.
“Songs like ‘Fling It Up’ ft. Davido and ‘Pepper Vine’ with Lady Lava and Drupatee reflect that vision—pushing Soca forward by connecting it with the global sounds of Africa and India. To me, this album represents a step forward in the evolution of my sound and mission,” he adds.
One Degree Hotter follows Machel’s 2021 star-studded album The Wedding Album, which featured Afro B, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Teddy Riley, Vybz Kartel and many more.
The announcement follows Machel’s appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk, a major milestone for the Soca genre as Machel made history becoming the first soca artist to perform on the platform. The video has garnered over 1 million views in the short time since its release. NPR spoke on the significance of Machel’s performance saying, “Montano’s performance is the first to bring soca, the high energy dance music of the Caribbean, to the Tiny Desk. The genre was born in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 1970s when calypso artist Lord Shorty (who later chose the name Ras Shorty I) added traditional Indian percussion instruments and rhythms to calypso music — itself a fusion that incorporates elements of African, Venezuelan, French and American music.”
In preparation for the 2025 Trinidad & Tobago Carnival, Machel Montano will defend his Calypso Monarch crown. Fans have already deemed the musical maestro’s single “PARDY” one of the top contenders for the coveted Road March race, which if he wins, Montano will be tied with the legendary Lord Kitchener for the most all time at 11 titles.
One ‘Drink Champs’ appearance has landed internationally acclaimed dancehall artiste, Beenie Man, in hot water. The ‘Gyal Dem Sugar’ singer appeared on the popular US platform recently, after returning to the US after many years, having been previously barred from entry.
”I love Trinidad. I love Trinidad but dog don’t eat doubles. I don’t eat anything that dog don’t eat,” he told hosts Nore and DJ EFN. The duo had asked the entertainer whether he ate the Trinidad and Tobago delicacy. He went on to say that while the popular street food is nice, and he’s had it a couple times, even outlining the ‘triples’ version, he said he would not eat it because if it’s thrown to the dogs, they refuse to eat it.
Today, in a swift denouncement of an artiste that has been on many stages in T&T for decades, the people of Trinidad and Tobago have demanded an apology. On popular radio station, Vibe CT 105FM, hosts Ken Simmons and George Gonzales debated the matter, George calling for DJs to desist from playing the artiste’s music until a proper apology is received. Many callers echoed his sentiments.
Beenie Man was barred from US entry since 2015, along with artistes like Aidonia, Bounty Killer, Sizzla, and Mavado. His travel limitation continued even after Aidonia and Mavado’s visas were restored. In 2011, Beenie Man’s visa was temporarily restored, but by 2015, he was angain barred entry to the United States. On December 26th, 2024, the artiste publicly announced that his Visa had been reinstated.
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