DJ's View: G13's LP on the 5th Annual Atlanta Carnival J'ouvert Party

Denise "Saucy Wow" Belfon at the J'Ouvert Party

Special treat soca freaks!  So, you know your girl was REAL looking forward to going to Atlanta for carnival this year.  It didn't work out.  Which happens to me A LITTLE TOO OFTEN for my liking!  What can I say?!!? News must share.  So, I pulled a few strings to get an on-the-ground account of the action from DJ LP from New York's G13 Sound System.  If your memory is short, you know him as the sound boy who gave you that too sweet Free Download Mad Decent Power Soca Mix earlier this year.  If you didn't get it before, handle that!  Yuh stickin'....

So, back to the point.  Atlanta Carnival is now.  LP is there - feting like a fiend.  Enjoying his long weekend!...and I here in Toronto doing my regular Sunday Soca Therapy thang!  So, you wanna know the vibes in ATL, right?  Who better to tell ya than a DJ who LOVEs soca?  He's on de scene... ( I hear de man link up to snap pics for Toronto-Lime too, busy guy!)

The man is a boss.  He gave me updates and pics from several events.  So, like a good nurse, lemme give you in small doses.  One today, another tomorrow.  Following? First up....J'OUVERT!!!!

LP, tell the people....

Friday, May 22, 2009

Hi Karen,

Hope all is well in TO.  Here's my rundown...

Although there were a few Wednesday and Thursday fetes, this is well known as the official launch for the weekend.  I reached Atrium on Memorial Drive around midnight. I was still early, but the vibes were flowing nicely as they do at Krushmore Entertainment events.  The soca room started to fill up around 12:30 a.m. and the crowd was treated to a very good mix of new and old classics from various islands care of Optimisque from Dominica, DJ Hottness from Atlanta by way of Guyana, DJ Kevy Kev from Orlando by way of St Kitts & Nevis, and ATL's #1 soca DJ Tony Tempo.  

Tony Tempo and Giselle De Wassi One

Atlanta is very well known for its small island massive, and of course the VI, SKN, and Dominica massive were front and center the entire night, supporting a lot of new USVI and SKN soca from bands such as UMB Soldiers, WCK, Small Axe Band, and Nu-Vybes band, selected by DJ Kevy Kev 

After the small island session, DJ Tony Tempo and Giselle Di Wassi One took full control for the rest of the night with 100% soca, including performances from Ziggy Ranking and Denise Belfon.  By the time the party was over, there were only a few hours until masqueraders were to line up along West Peachtree Street for the parade.

Ziggy Ranking at J'ouvert Party

Sounds like a nice session!!  Thanks for the review LP!  Next up : The Atlanta Caribbean Carnival Bandleaders Association Parade of the Bands.  Check for the post in the morning!

Love and Soca, 

Nurse Karen

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Nurse's Lounge: Black and White Fete...

I have a confession. I roll out late. The fete was to begin at midnight. Judging from the crowd I met there, people arrived at midnight. I showed up....later.

Well, one benefit of a late arrival is that people are definitely in the mood for a great time by the time you reach...and the dance floor is on fire. We were at the Grand Palms Resort for a DJ party catering to a grown-up predominantly Trini crowd. I hope I blended in! Probably not....After all, patrons were meant to wear Black and White and I had on RED...go figure.

I wasn't the only not Trini in the house. I had the pleasure of meeting Mario Zamora, a Miami-based business man, originally from the Dominican Republic who sits on the board of Broward Carnival. I have to hand it to him. Mr. Meringue definitely knows how to keep pace when it comes to soca

I started really having a great time when Back to Basics started playing some back in times chunes. It was very hot inside the hotel, but that didn't dampen the spirits one bit!

Back to Basics bringing the musical sugar

Kudos to whoever coordinated the whole bar set-up. There were ample stations to get watered, the line-ups were short and quick, and the drinks were mixed well...from all reports. I just had two...not that you're counting.

Great party. For a little icing on the cake...I got to meet Ghetto Flex. I interviewed him about a year and a half back for WE Magazine. It was over the phone since he was in Trinidad and I in Toronto at the time. It was nice chat, we both discovered that we share Vincy parentage...which for some reason is like a bonding experience or something! Ghetto currently has a video on Canadian TV with a Toronto-based Rap artist.

Ghetto Flex and the Nurse...this picture makes me laugh aloud.

About 4 am, the posse made a move to Miami for the International Flag Party. Um...yeah...late, right. In this case too late. We were parked up on the causeway listening to Machel's set. At the end of the fete Giselle the Wassi One announces that HD was the last act...and party done.

Giselle de Wassi One, and Yours Truly at a party called F.R.I.E.N.D.S (the next night)

To most people reading, there would be no complaints if a fetes wraps at 5 am, right? Well...Miami wasn't having that. IFP was scheduled to end at 10 in the morning. They announced that tickets would be honoured at the next Trini South Boyz Sovavivor event. That seemed like a good plan. But what I didn't know then, is that the gate people collected tickets from all patrons on their way in. hmmm....sticky!

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