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Archived: Voice Wins Soca Monarch in T&T, But Why All The Online Protest?

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The International Soca Monarch competition, held on Friday night in Trinidad, has received its fair share of condemnation with many taking to social media to firstly congratulate the chosen winner, Aaron ‘Voice’ St. Louis, who most, if not all soca lovers agree, deserved to cop the top spot. The second and third placements are however being frowned upon by some. The question on the tongues of many, “why wasn’t Ricardo Drue and Teddyson John among the top three in winners row?”

The competition got off to a lacklustre start at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on show night, many openly voicing their disdain over new rules announced by the competition’s organisers at the beginning of the carnival season and even up to the day prior to the show. Social media was the ranting hub for many Trinbagonians and Caribbean people generally, who were taken aback by the ISM’s mandate that no video, audio or photo footage could be posted to social media or any other media, from within the venue, unless it was being done by an ISM accredited person or institution. That led to heated debates online. Nonetheless, the competition got underway in Port-of-Spain and by all reports, by 11:30pm, the gates saw an influx of patrons, some having bought their tickets at a steal of a deal price, others having been afforded the luxury of a freebie. Social media all the while, was kept updated of the happenings at the stadium, after all, as was announced weeks prior, there would be no live broadcast of the 2016 International Soca Monarch competition.

Voice's "Cheers To Life" was the refrain at the stadium on Saturday morning.

Voice’s “Cheers To Life” was the refrain at the stadium on Saturday morning.

On stage, artistes worked their butts off- delivering what they felt were their best performances. One fell down, two brought trap drum sets on stage, one brought trees and endless bush, another brought Veteran calypsonian, King David Rudder to seal his second place position and one gave the ISM crowd some of the  best props seen on the night. In the end however, Aaron ‘Voice’ St. Louis, who made the crowd sing to the top of their lungs, stole the show. He had looked the part of a winner and even as he walked off the stage, many had called it, his crown!

The second place has gone to newbie to the Soca spotlight, Akeem ‘Preedy’ Chance.  His song, ‘Veteran’ has been enjoyed all season long by the young and mature alike, however for some, his first runner up position has come as quite a surprise. The third place is a tied result with veteran soca hit maker, Blaxx and the lone female finalist, Patrice Roberts sharing the rewards. Online, the rant continues among die hard soca and carnival lovers, many of whom took in the delayed broadcast of the competition earlier tonight (Saturday February 6th), via CNC3 television in Trinidad.

Drue says the sky's the limit

Drue says the sky’s the limit

For Ricardo Drue, the remarks uttered by those who believe he deserved a second or third placement in the competition, are humbling. He however told EBUZZTT, this is not his last hoorah! “Anyone who’s taken part in competition knows you win some and you lose some. It doesn’t mean you didn’t do your best. We gave it all we had and we’re happy with our efforts,” said the young entertainer who sang ‘BET’ for the judges. His team has worked arduously at establishing him as a strong  contender on the soca circuit. “This doesn’t change anything. We just have to come better and work harder next time,” he remarked, in the end, wishing his supporters and all of T&T, a safe and enjoyable carnival.

On the social media pages of the third placed contenders, Patrice Roberts and Blaxx, gracious thanks were extended to members of their teams and congratulations to the first and second placed contestants.

 

 

 

RICARDO DRUE AT ISM 2016 

 

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Real Party Lovers, It’s Time. The Resurgence is Here. ‘The Gathering’ Will Start A New Wave.

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A major effort to recant what is now the norm in entertainment, is here.

One team, one mission – to recalibrate the energy and bring the real party vibe back to what it once was. Radio personality and well known DJ in Trinidad and Tobago, Jus Jase is part of the Timeless Entertainment team. His brothers in the music industry, Jon Boi, Beats By Robin, Franco, Ken Simmons and Kevin Baker collectively agree that the time has come to regenerate interest in the the party scene. They’re the team that’s behind an upcoming event that’s guaranteed to leaving a long lasting impression.

Jus Jase is one part of the Timeless Entertainment team of DJs.

On September 23rd – the night before the Republic Day holiday in Trinidad and Tobago, party people are set to enjoy great music coupled with the perfect ambience, at The Gathering. This highly anticipated event that’s marketed to the grown and sexy, is being held at Sideline Sips- a venue adjacent to the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya. “We’re not new to this. In fact, we’ve been down this road before and we know what’s needed,” said Jase in an interview with Ebuzztt. He said from the days of hosting events at Ambassador Hotel and other venues across the country in the 2000’s to hosting more intimate house parties when venues became a challenge, the Timelesss team of DJs have seen it unfold in real time. Now, they’re prepared to use their knowledge of music, business and promotion to give real music lovers a product they’ll have no problem buying into. “We still have the appetite to deliver that vibe people once experienced at those events back then, today and we’ll be doing that at The Gathering,” said Jase.

Partnering with Abslut Vodka for welcome cocktails and Hookah & Chill to ensure Hookah lovers are catered to, the team is going all out to provide the very essence that makes a grown and sexy party what it should look and feel like. “We’re coming as one army of top tier DJs, powered by a quality sound system in QCW Sounds from East, Trinidad, and as tastemakers in the game, we can say with every bit of confidence, that we will leave every patron thoroughly satisfied,” Jase affirmed.

The event is not a Back in Times party. Music from every period will be juggled with the level of refined expertise that only these seasoned selectors, can deliver. “Early bird $200 tickets are now sold out and $250 tickets are still available, but we encourage everyone to secure them soon. We have a special that offers three ladies on one ticket for the price of just $400,” said Jase, highlighting that a cash bar will be available for patrons’ convenience. “This event is everything people have been asking us for, over the years. We’re catering to the thriving cigar culture with a cigar station as one of our features, along with flavored Hookah, and even a Paparazzi area for the selfie lovers. It will be an overall sexy, mature experience and we want our patrons to come out looking their best and feeling their best to truly enjoy the kind of experience they’ve been yearning for.”

Ready to welcome folks from all walks of life and certainly the young and mature alike, the Timeless Entertainment team is promising music that’ll invoke emotion on September 23rd- music that will be played to make everybody move. “Our team isn’t a team of DJs that are in competition with each other. In fact, we hang out a lot together and we’re a family. This is the energy that will show itself in the way this party feels from beginning to end,” he assured. Jus Jase, like the rest of his crew, understands that music holds immense power and how music is played is essential to how the event is enjoyed. “We formed this alliance after meeting at a party that we were all at in Chaguaramas. We were standing there together and we all had the same facial expression in observing the way the DJs were playing the same old school music. They just were not doing justice to the music. We started laughing about it and that’s how the conversation to create a proper option for party lovers, started.”

From a simple desire to do things the right way for patrons who truly want to get out and have a good time, to now preparing for the first of what they guarantee will be many more to come, Timeless Entertainment is bringing back the heat. “We’ve lost the art of people meeting people at events because of the phone culture over time. People are not going to experience the true authenticity of an event through a phone screen. Over time, there has been a divide in what people do when they come out to party nowadays. Even carnival has suffered from that. We don’t want to encourage that,” said Jus Jase. He says The Gathering will show music lovers just what it means to chase all inhibition away.

The team plans on delivering club-style events across the country. Together, they’re embarking on something that many have been calling for, for quite some time. “We won’t be at this particular venue all the time. We may bring back some clubs again and we’ll eventually do a Boat Ride and other types of events. Timeless Entertainment is bent on showing everyone, everywhere exactly how the party vibe should be.

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Around the World

T&T’s Full Blown Taps Into African Music Market, Collaborating with Ghanaian Artiste,Black Sherif.

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The Atlantic Ocean has long connected Africa and the Caribbean through history and culture. That connection finds a powerful new expression with “Love Again,” an Afro-Caribbean collaboration between global Ghanaian superstar, Black Sherif and Trinidad and Tobago’s acclaimed songwriting and performing duo, brothers Kory and Kevon Hart of Full Blown.

The single was released globally through EMPIRE on September 4th. Built around themes of vulnerability, healing and the courage to love again, the record arrives at a time when
creative partnerships between Africa and the Caribbean are reshaping the sound of global music.

‘Love Again’ captures the emotional highs and lows of choosing hope after heartbreak. For Black Sherif, whose introspective storytelling has earned him over 1bn+ streams from his previous album “Iron Boy,” over 5bn+ streams across his catalogue, and a global audience, the collaboration represents another step in expanding the dialogue between African and Caribbean music.

For Kory and Kevon Hart, internationally respected producers and songwriters whose work has shaped countless Caribbean hits, it marks an opportunity to showcase their artistry alongside
one of Africa’s defining voices. As Black Sherif continues to share his life through his music, he is not shy about discussing intimacy and love. “Almost all of the necessary affections that I have needed, and have gotten, came from afar, physically and figuratively. As a result, I have a tough time receiving and keeping love or better say intimacy, even though I crave them intensely,” he shared.

Black Sherif

He admits that in his adult years this topic “has become one of the greatest discussions in my bedroom mirror and with this project, I have allowed you a glimpse of it.” Remarkably, despite creating this song together, the artistes did so from different parts of the world. They did not meet until the filming of the official music video. The reality TV-inspired video, which drops on October 15th, further celebrates the undeniable musical chemistry between West Africa and the Caribbean – regions whose cultural ties continue to inspire some of the world’s most exciting sounds.

Full Blown’s involvement in this project further supports their continued exploration of themes related to love and relationships. “This project felt natural and fits our vibe and style perfectly,” the brothers expressed cohesively.

Hailing from the twin-island Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, where Soca music is the dominant genre, a big part of their dream for the genre has always been to carry the sound of Soca music to the corners of the globe, and to collaborate and share their particular vibe with artistes from different cultures. “This project is another step forward for Full Blown. We’re keeping our
dream alive,” said the duo.

As Afrobeats continues its global rise and Caribbean music expands its international reach, ‘Love Again’ reflects a broader movement bringing African and Caribbean artistes closer together. Rather than borrowing from one another, the record celebrates a shared musical lineage while pointing toward an increasingly connected future.

‘Love Again’ is one of 6 tracks featured on his EP titled SUN SHERIF, which is set to follow the success of his second studio album.

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