PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

wwwbassculture

islandscom

CR

ED

ITS Editor in Chief

Ania Orlowska wwwtheorlowskacom

Creative amp Art DirectionKerron Rileywwwkerronrileyphotographycom

Graphic ArtistChe Geoffroywwwchegeoffroycom Managing EditorLina Komin

Advertising amp Creative ContributionMarko Dependerwwwbassculturenl

WilliamM amp CoShaun Griffith PerezRedRunway

Special Thanks to

PLATFORM FOR CREATIVE MELTDOWNS

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

SUMMARY26

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

Ula lsquoAfrorsquo Fryc

4838

14

70

106

92

80

54116Jeremy Greenidge Simone Asia

Sheena Rose

Dub Creator

Andre Choo Quan

Haiti fashion week

Brianna McCarthyAlexander Masson

Brown Cotton

wwwbassculture

islandscom

wwwbassculture

islandscom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

B a r b a d o s

That

Gra

y M

atte

rhellip

Before coming to this series I would say I had a lot of challenges I am still facing challenges up to this point but they may be a bit more manageable than before I had done a lot of concepts based on things to which I was attracted Even though I was working with certain themes I liked I still found myself becoming ultimately bored The work never seemed interesting enough and I felt I needed to become more connected with my work I realized that theproblem was that those previous pieces were done by me but they were not of me

My main difficulty started when I was trying too hard to finalize a solid concept I was so con-cerned with trying to find concepts with deep intellectual meaning that it became forced and it slowed down my process Unfortunately I suffered many mental blocks so eventually every-thing ceased

lsquoI still found myself becoming ultimately boredrsquo

lsquoI want

to create atertnate reality

my hybrids within my own universersquo

M y goal with my newer ser ies was to be more honest than I was in my previous ser ies I wanted my work to connec t to me as an ar t ist I gravitate toward ideas about sc ience the universe dreams the mind exper iences and analogies I want to explore these ideas f rom my perspec t ive and personal connec t ion to them I want to create my a l -ternate real i t y my hybr ids within my own universe

M y use of detai l i s based on my bel ief that I had some t ype of OCD M y thoughts con-sume me and I a lso wr i te a lot but repet i t ively I am ver y par t icular in my ways and at t imes I can be a bit of a per fec t ionist The use of detai l however i s not speci f ica l ly l inked to any ser ies I have been doing detai l ser iously for three years now and i t has grown s ince then I i l lustrate this way because even though i t can be t ime consuming i t i s a st ress re l iever I t puts me in a t rance - l ike state where i t e ludes the concept of t ime I t a lso distrac ts me f rom my racing thoughts Funny thing is I am not a natural ly pat ient person but my work reveals the pat ience hidden in me

I connect or merge images and patterns together because it is a correlation of everything hap-pening in my mind The way I put them together is a manifestation of the way thoughts are processed in my brain- very random scattered juxtaposed but all interlinked My perspective on myself is that I am broken so when I put these images or patterns together it is like I am subconsciously trying to put myself togetherI believe that an artistrsquos work should be a mirror for that artist every time they see their work they see themselves Art should be honest it should be a reflection of its creator I want that I want my identity to be reinforced and translated in my work It does not take much to inspire me I just need to experience something whether negatively or positively

lsquo it is like I am subconsciously trying to put myself together rsquo

Personally most of the time the experience is solely about the feeling If my feelings are in-tense toward a specific topic evidently I am more inspired or inclined to produce Things which inundate my mind are what usually inspire my moments of creativity Ultimately I am an artist who strives on feeling I do not believe that every piece of imagery in my work should have a connection or meaning within my overall concept I do random patterns in my trance-like state I do not believe I have control of my work in that moment I like that because I tend to control things in my conscious state my conscious state causes me to think I try to avoid thinking most of the time because it tends to hold me back I illustrate this way because it highlights my obsessive nature and embodies the essence of my being

lsquohellipit highlights my obsessive nature and embodies theessence of my beingrsquo

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

Before coming to this series I would say I had a lot of challenges I am still facing challenges up to this point but they may be a bit more manageable than before I had done a lot of concepts based on things to which I was attracted Even though I was working with certain themes I liked I still found myself becoming ultimately bored The work never seemed interesting enough and I felt I needed to become more connected with my work I realized that theproblem was that those previous pieces were done by me but they were not of me

My main difficulty started when I was trying too hard to finalize a solid concept I was so con-cerned with trying to find concepts with deep intellectual meaning that it became forced and it slowed down my process Unfortunately I suffered many mental blocks so eventually every-thing ceased

lsquoI still found myself becoming ultimately boredrsquo

lsquoI want

to create atertnate reality

my hybrids within my own universersquo

M y goal with my newer ser ies was to be more honest than I was in my previous ser ies I wanted my work to connec t to me as an ar t ist I gravitate toward ideas about sc ience the universe dreams the mind exper iences and analogies I want to explore these ideas f rom my perspec t ive and personal connec t ion to them I want to create my a l -ternate real i t y my hybr ids within my own universe

M y use of detai l i s based on my bel ief that I had some t ype of OCD M y thoughts con-sume me and I a lso wr i te a lot but repet i t ively I am ver y par t icular in my ways and at t imes I can be a bit of a per fec t ionist The use of detai l however i s not speci f ica l ly l inked to any ser ies I have been doing detai l ser iously for three years now and i t has grown s ince then I i l lustrate this way because even though i t can be t ime consuming i t i s a st ress re l iever I t puts me in a t rance - l ike state where i t e ludes the concept of t ime I t a lso distrac ts me f rom my racing thoughts Funny thing is I am not a natural ly pat ient person but my work reveals the pat ience hidden in me

I connect or merge images and patterns together because it is a correlation of everything hap-pening in my mind The way I put them together is a manifestation of the way thoughts are processed in my brain- very random scattered juxtaposed but all interlinked My perspective on myself is that I am broken so when I put these images or patterns together it is like I am subconsciously trying to put myself togetherI believe that an artistrsquos work should be a mirror for that artist every time they see their work they see themselves Art should be honest it should be a reflection of its creator I want that I want my identity to be reinforced and translated in my work It does not take much to inspire me I just need to experience something whether negatively or positively

lsquo it is like I am subconsciously trying to put myself together rsquo

Personally most of the time the experience is solely about the feeling If my feelings are in-tense toward a specific topic evidently I am more inspired or inclined to produce Things which inundate my mind are what usually inspire my moments of creativity Ultimately I am an artist who strives on feeling I do not believe that every piece of imagery in my work should have a connection or meaning within my overall concept I do random patterns in my trance-like state I do not believe I have control of my work in that moment I like that because I tend to control things in my conscious state my conscious state causes me to think I try to avoid thinking most of the time because it tends to hold me back I illustrate this way because it highlights my obsessive nature and embodies the essence of my being

lsquohellipit highlights my obsessive nature and embodies theessence of my beingrsquo

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

M y goal with my newer ser ies was to be more honest than I was in my previous ser ies I wanted my work to connec t to me as an ar t ist I gravitate toward ideas about sc ience the universe dreams the mind exper iences and analogies I want to explore these ideas f rom my perspec t ive and personal connec t ion to them I want to create my a l -ternate real i t y my hybr ids within my own universe

M y use of detai l i s based on my bel ief that I had some t ype of OCD M y thoughts con-sume me and I a lso wr i te a lot but repet i t ively I am ver y par t icular in my ways and at t imes I can be a bit of a per fec t ionist The use of detai l however i s not speci f ica l ly l inked to any ser ies I have been doing detai l ser iously for three years now and i t has grown s ince then I i l lustrate this way because even though i t can be t ime consuming i t i s a st ress re l iever I t puts me in a t rance - l ike state where i t e ludes the concept of t ime I t a lso distrac ts me f rom my racing thoughts Funny thing is I am not a natural ly pat ient person but my work reveals the pat ience hidden in me

I connect or merge images and patterns together because it is a correlation of everything hap-pening in my mind The way I put them together is a manifestation of the way thoughts are processed in my brain- very random scattered juxtaposed but all interlinked My perspective on myself is that I am broken so when I put these images or patterns together it is like I am subconsciously trying to put myself togetherI believe that an artistrsquos work should be a mirror for that artist every time they see their work they see themselves Art should be honest it should be a reflection of its creator I want that I want my identity to be reinforced and translated in my work It does not take much to inspire me I just need to experience something whether negatively or positively

lsquo it is like I am subconsciously trying to put myself together rsquo

Personally most of the time the experience is solely about the feeling If my feelings are in-tense toward a specific topic evidently I am more inspired or inclined to produce Things which inundate my mind are what usually inspire my moments of creativity Ultimately I am an artist who strives on feeling I do not believe that every piece of imagery in my work should have a connection or meaning within my overall concept I do random patterns in my trance-like state I do not believe I have control of my work in that moment I like that because I tend to control things in my conscious state my conscious state causes me to think I try to avoid thinking most of the time because it tends to hold me back I illustrate this way because it highlights my obsessive nature and embodies the essence of my being

lsquohellipit highlights my obsessive nature and embodies theessence of my beingrsquo

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

I connect or merge images and patterns together because it is a correlation of everything hap-pening in my mind The way I put them together is a manifestation of the way thoughts are processed in my brain- very random scattered juxtaposed but all interlinked My perspective on myself is that I am broken so when I put these images or patterns together it is like I am subconsciously trying to put myself togetherI believe that an artistrsquos work should be a mirror for that artist every time they see their work they see themselves Art should be honest it should be a reflection of its creator I want that I want my identity to be reinforced and translated in my work It does not take much to inspire me I just need to experience something whether negatively or positively

lsquo it is like I am subconsciously trying to put myself together rsquo

Personally most of the time the experience is solely about the feeling If my feelings are in-tense toward a specific topic evidently I am more inspired or inclined to produce Things which inundate my mind are what usually inspire my moments of creativity Ultimately I am an artist who strives on feeling I do not believe that every piece of imagery in my work should have a connection or meaning within my overall concept I do random patterns in my trance-like state I do not believe I have control of my work in that moment I like that because I tend to control things in my conscious state my conscious state causes me to think I try to avoid thinking most of the time because it tends to hold me back I illustrate this way because it highlights my obsessive nature and embodies the essence of my being

lsquohellipit highlights my obsessive nature and embodies theessence of my beingrsquo

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

Personally most of the time the experience is solely about the feeling If my feelings are in-tense toward a specific topic evidently I am more inspired or inclined to produce Things which inundate my mind are what usually inspire my moments of creativity Ultimately I am an artist who strives on feeling I do not believe that every piece of imagery in my work should have a connection or meaning within my overall concept I do random patterns in my trance-like state I do not believe I have control of my work in that moment I like that because I tend to control things in my conscious state my conscious state causes me to think I try to avoid thinking most of the time because it tends to hold me back I illustrate this way because it highlights my obsessive nature and embodies the essence of my being

lsquohellipit highlights my obsessive nature and embodies theessence of my beingrsquo

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

wwwbassculture

islandscom

PhotographyMichal Kownackiwwwmichalkownackicom

PhotographyMichal Kownackiwwwmichalkownackicom

I AM

A D

AN

CEHA

LL QU

EEN

POLAND

My adventure with Dancehall as a dance or rather as the whole Dancehall culture started about nine years ago in 2005 It has been a long journey be-fore this discovery I started dancing at the age of four My mother took me to my first dance class and I will be grateful to her for the rest of my life After trying out many different dance styles I accidentally came across Dancehall music when I saw an online video of girls dancing to it I fell in love instantly and couldnrsquot sit whenever I heard this music so I knew lsquothis was itrsquo

How did you start your life journey with dance When did you discover thatdancehall is the type of dance you want to focus on

When it comes to the very beginning it wasnrsquot easy Not to say that people didnrsquot want to come to my classes but Dancehall wasnrsquot popular in Poland yet On top of this right after I finished high school I moved to a different city where I had to find my way around and get a location where I could teach But month after month it was getting better and the dance room started filling with people Nowadays it is much easier People know me they recog-nize my effort in promoting and supporting Dancehall in my country and around the world Also this style is much more popular in Poland now I am very happy to have a full room of people during my training sessions so I can share my knowledge and skills with them I have been working hard to be where I am right now and peoplersquos satisfaction after my classes is the highest reward for me

Currently you are a professional dance teacher What about the beginning How did you manage to find people who are interested in learning Dancehall

It depends on the training session I also wouldnrsquot agree with the saying lsquoall the typical movesrsquo as head top and wine are just a few elements of Dancehall Queen Style which is only reserved for women Of course men in this dance style wouldnrsquot use these moves as it is not considered to be appropriate In the beginning in Europe when Dancehall started to appear on dance scene this particular Dancehall Queen Style was promoted therefore most of the people thought Dancehall was only about butt shaking and wining Since then a lot has changed and I believe that now everyone knows that it is a dance style initiated by a man a very talented dancer the father of Dancehall ndash Bogle

I divided my training sessions to allow everybody to find something for themselves I do typical training for women where we learn more feminine moves we do acrobatics stretching and hips moving techniques But there are also classes where both sexes are welcome where I teach the dance moves history and the origin of Dancehall I also have an exclusive group of advanced dancers who under my supervision deepen this beautiful and great culture of Dancehall

Do you teach all the typical Dancehall moves including head top or wine

Dancehall music is known for itsrsquo explicit and contro-versial lyrics Do you think that Polish fans of thismusic and dance understand these lyrics Do theyunderstand the meaning of the songs

Perhaps I am very lucky or it simply is this way there are no negative reactions I always feel welcome people like what I do and they are interested in talking to me and knowing more about the culture There could have been some small unpleasant episodes but I think we all have experienced some drunken behaviors

Do you happen to come across some negativefeedback about your dance style from outsiders who are not familiar with dancehall culture

I totally agree with the fact that the lyrics of Jamaican Dancehall are much different thanDance-hall which is sang by Polish artists I do think though that it depends on the person Some peo-ple who are deep into the Jamaican culture know the lyrics and understand it perfectly There are also some who have no clue what the song is about and the Jamaican dialect is like black magic to them but they like the melody and the positive impact it has on them

Awards

1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2008rsquo championship2nd place lsquoDancehall Queenrsquo regional championship in Montego Bay Jamaica 1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2009rsquo championship2009 semifinals of lsquoPoland Got Talentrsquo TV show2nd place in lsquoINTERNATIONAL DANCEHALL QUEEN 2009rsquo world championship in Montego Bay Jamaica Reward for the best dance choreography 1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2010rsquo championship1st place in lsquoHip Hop Kemp Dancehall Queen 2011 lsquocompetition in Hradec Kralove Czech Republic 1st place in lsquoDancehall International Preselectionsrsquo1st runner up of lsquoEuropean Dancehall Queen Contest 2013rsquo in Vienna Austria1st place in lsquoWining Queenrsquo competition run by Dancehall MasakRah

I wouldnrsquot agree that Poland is the last place to associate with Reggae and Dancehall Now-adays we throw many great Reggae festivals known around the world There are more and more dancers who go to Jamaica to promote our country and prove that Polish people can dance and be successful in it On the other hand Jamaican dancers come to Poland and do regular workshops There are many documentaries and articles about the Polish ReggaeDancehall scene In my opinion we are well placed in the world I canrsquot help but mention that Polish sound systems like Dancehall Masak-Rah Splendid Sound Sensithief travel the world to play at the events and win sound system clashes

It seems Poland would be the last place to beassociated with Reggae and Dancehall music How would you describe the Polish Dancehall scene

This year was my sixth time to Jamaica Even though I have been there so many times I dis-cover new places and learn more every time Every day there are parties in Jamaica more so there are few on the same night so it would be hard for me to mention them all I try to be there during the summer when the Dancehall Queen World championship is held which I take part in I recommend this event to anyone who is visiting Jamaica between July and August ndash wonderful performances the best Dancehall dancers in the world and such incred-ible energy Of course a trip to the mountains to visit the wild part of Jamaica is a must ndash Irsquom a bit of a lsquobushmanrsquo and nature pulls me in I like so many things about the Jamaican culture but if I had to pick three it would be the music and dance the positive life attitude and incredible vibes created by the people and the places and events

You seem to be a frequent visitor to Jamaica Where do you go out while you are there What is it that you like most about Jamaican culture

Favorite Dancehall artistoh nohellip I canrsquot pick just one

Favorite Dancehall Queen Style moveHeadtop

Gaza or GullyI lsquom against separation

Ackee and saltfish or jerk chickenDefinitely Jerk chicken but from the Jerk Man on the street

Highest ambitionIt is my biggest dream at the same time so I wonrsquot reveal

Biggest authority and whyMy parents The support and love they give me will always be my inspiration

Dream carVolkswagen Transporterfor real

The biggest turn onI like a manly man with purpose and passion in life ndash such as my boyfriend

The biggest turn offWussy men and show off guys

Your secret talentI play violin

T r i n i d a dA

nim

au

s B

ota

nic

a 2

01

3 -

20

14

T r i n i d a d

An

ima

us

Bo

tan

ica

20

13

- 2

01

4

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

My adventure with Dancehall as a dance or rather as the whole Dancehall culture started about nine years ago in 2005 It has been a long journey be-fore this discovery I started dancing at the age of four My mother took me to my first dance class and I will be grateful to her for the rest of my life After trying out many different dance styles I accidentally came across Dancehall music when I saw an online video of girls dancing to it I fell in love instantly and couldnrsquot sit whenever I heard this music so I knew lsquothis was itrsquo

How did you start your life journey with dance When did you discover thatdancehall is the type of dance you want to focus on

When it comes to the very beginning it wasnrsquot easy Not to say that people didnrsquot want to come to my classes but Dancehall wasnrsquot popular in Poland yet On top of this right after I finished high school I moved to a different city where I had to find my way around and get a location where I could teach But month after month it was getting better and the dance room started filling with people Nowadays it is much easier People know me they recog-nize my effort in promoting and supporting Dancehall in my country and around the world Also this style is much more popular in Poland now I am very happy to have a full room of people during my training sessions so I can share my knowledge and skills with them I have been working hard to be where I am right now and peoplersquos satisfaction after my classes is the highest reward for me

Currently you are a professional dance teacher What about the beginning How did you manage to find people who are interested in learning Dancehall

It depends on the training session I also wouldnrsquot agree with the saying lsquoall the typical movesrsquo as head top and wine are just a few elements of Dancehall Queen Style which is only reserved for women Of course men in this dance style wouldnrsquot use these moves as it is not considered to be appropriate In the beginning in Europe when Dancehall started to appear on dance scene this particular Dancehall Queen Style was promoted therefore most of the people thought Dancehall was only about butt shaking and wining Since then a lot has changed and I believe that now everyone knows that it is a dance style initiated by a man a very talented dancer the father of Dancehall ndash Bogle

I divided my training sessions to allow everybody to find something for themselves I do typical training for women where we learn more feminine moves we do acrobatics stretching and hips moving techniques But there are also classes where both sexes are welcome where I teach the dance moves history and the origin of Dancehall I also have an exclusive group of advanced dancers who under my supervision deepen this beautiful and great culture of Dancehall

Do you teach all the typical Dancehall moves including head top or wine

Dancehall music is known for itsrsquo explicit and contro-versial lyrics Do you think that Polish fans of thismusic and dance understand these lyrics Do theyunderstand the meaning of the songs

Perhaps I am very lucky or it simply is this way there are no negative reactions I always feel welcome people like what I do and they are interested in talking to me and knowing more about the culture There could have been some small unpleasant episodes but I think we all have experienced some drunken behaviors

Do you happen to come across some negativefeedback about your dance style from outsiders who are not familiar with dancehall culture

I totally agree with the fact that the lyrics of Jamaican Dancehall are much different thanDance-hall which is sang by Polish artists I do think though that it depends on the person Some peo-ple who are deep into the Jamaican culture know the lyrics and understand it perfectly There are also some who have no clue what the song is about and the Jamaican dialect is like black magic to them but they like the melody and the positive impact it has on them

Awards

1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2008rsquo championship2nd place lsquoDancehall Queenrsquo regional championship in Montego Bay Jamaica 1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2009rsquo championship2009 semifinals of lsquoPoland Got Talentrsquo TV show2nd place in lsquoINTERNATIONAL DANCEHALL QUEEN 2009rsquo world championship in Montego Bay Jamaica Reward for the best dance choreography 1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2010rsquo championship1st place in lsquoHip Hop Kemp Dancehall Queen 2011 lsquocompetition in Hradec Kralove Czech Republic 1st place in lsquoDancehall International Preselectionsrsquo1st runner up of lsquoEuropean Dancehall Queen Contest 2013rsquo in Vienna Austria1st place in lsquoWining Queenrsquo competition run by Dancehall MasakRah

I wouldnrsquot agree that Poland is the last place to associate with Reggae and Dancehall Now-adays we throw many great Reggae festivals known around the world There are more and more dancers who go to Jamaica to promote our country and prove that Polish people can dance and be successful in it On the other hand Jamaican dancers come to Poland and do regular workshops There are many documentaries and articles about the Polish ReggaeDancehall scene In my opinion we are well placed in the world I canrsquot help but mention that Polish sound systems like Dancehall Masak-Rah Splendid Sound Sensithief travel the world to play at the events and win sound system clashes

It seems Poland would be the last place to beassociated with Reggae and Dancehall music How would you describe the Polish Dancehall scene

This year was my sixth time to Jamaica Even though I have been there so many times I dis-cover new places and learn more every time Every day there are parties in Jamaica more so there are few on the same night so it would be hard for me to mention them all I try to be there during the summer when the Dancehall Queen World championship is held which I take part in I recommend this event to anyone who is visiting Jamaica between July and August ndash wonderful performances the best Dancehall dancers in the world and such incred-ible energy Of course a trip to the mountains to visit the wild part of Jamaica is a must ndash Irsquom a bit of a lsquobushmanrsquo and nature pulls me in I like so many things about the Jamaican culture but if I had to pick three it would be the music and dance the positive life attitude and incredible vibes created by the people and the places and events

You seem to be a frequent visitor to Jamaica Where do you go out while you are there What is it that you like most about Jamaican culture

Favorite Dancehall artistoh nohellip I canrsquot pick just one

Favorite Dancehall Queen Style moveHeadtop

Gaza or GullyI lsquom against separation

Ackee and saltfish or jerk chickenDefinitely Jerk chicken but from the Jerk Man on the street

Highest ambitionIt is my biggest dream at the same time so I wonrsquot reveal

Biggest authority and whyMy parents The support and love they give me will always be my inspiration

Dream carVolkswagen Transporterfor real

The biggest turn onI like a manly man with purpose and passion in life ndash such as my boyfriend

The biggest turn offWussy men and show off guys

Your secret talentI play violin

T r i n i d a dA

nim

au

s B

ota

nic

a 2

01

3 -

20

14

T r i n i d a d

An

ima

us

Bo

tan

ica

20

13

- 2

01

4

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

When it comes to the very beginning it wasnrsquot easy Not to say that people didnrsquot want to come to my classes but Dancehall wasnrsquot popular in Poland yet On top of this right after I finished high school I moved to a different city where I had to find my way around and get a location where I could teach But month after month it was getting better and the dance room started filling with people Nowadays it is much easier People know me they recog-nize my effort in promoting and supporting Dancehall in my country and around the world Also this style is much more popular in Poland now I am very happy to have a full room of people during my training sessions so I can share my knowledge and skills with them I have been working hard to be where I am right now and peoplersquos satisfaction after my classes is the highest reward for me

Currently you are a professional dance teacher What about the beginning How did you manage to find people who are interested in learning Dancehall

It depends on the training session I also wouldnrsquot agree with the saying lsquoall the typical movesrsquo as head top and wine are just a few elements of Dancehall Queen Style which is only reserved for women Of course men in this dance style wouldnrsquot use these moves as it is not considered to be appropriate In the beginning in Europe when Dancehall started to appear on dance scene this particular Dancehall Queen Style was promoted therefore most of the people thought Dancehall was only about butt shaking and wining Since then a lot has changed and I believe that now everyone knows that it is a dance style initiated by a man a very talented dancer the father of Dancehall ndash Bogle

I divided my training sessions to allow everybody to find something for themselves I do typical training for women where we learn more feminine moves we do acrobatics stretching and hips moving techniques But there are also classes where both sexes are welcome where I teach the dance moves history and the origin of Dancehall I also have an exclusive group of advanced dancers who under my supervision deepen this beautiful and great culture of Dancehall

Do you teach all the typical Dancehall moves including head top or wine

Dancehall music is known for itsrsquo explicit and contro-versial lyrics Do you think that Polish fans of thismusic and dance understand these lyrics Do theyunderstand the meaning of the songs

Perhaps I am very lucky or it simply is this way there are no negative reactions I always feel welcome people like what I do and they are interested in talking to me and knowing more about the culture There could have been some small unpleasant episodes but I think we all have experienced some drunken behaviors

Do you happen to come across some negativefeedback about your dance style from outsiders who are not familiar with dancehall culture

I totally agree with the fact that the lyrics of Jamaican Dancehall are much different thanDance-hall which is sang by Polish artists I do think though that it depends on the person Some peo-ple who are deep into the Jamaican culture know the lyrics and understand it perfectly There are also some who have no clue what the song is about and the Jamaican dialect is like black magic to them but they like the melody and the positive impact it has on them

Awards

1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2008rsquo championship2nd place lsquoDancehall Queenrsquo regional championship in Montego Bay Jamaica 1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2009rsquo championship2009 semifinals of lsquoPoland Got Talentrsquo TV show2nd place in lsquoINTERNATIONAL DANCEHALL QUEEN 2009rsquo world championship in Montego Bay Jamaica Reward for the best dance choreography 1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2010rsquo championship1st place in lsquoHip Hop Kemp Dancehall Queen 2011 lsquocompetition in Hradec Kralove Czech Republic 1st place in lsquoDancehall International Preselectionsrsquo1st runner up of lsquoEuropean Dancehall Queen Contest 2013rsquo in Vienna Austria1st place in lsquoWining Queenrsquo competition run by Dancehall MasakRah

I wouldnrsquot agree that Poland is the last place to associate with Reggae and Dancehall Now-adays we throw many great Reggae festivals known around the world There are more and more dancers who go to Jamaica to promote our country and prove that Polish people can dance and be successful in it On the other hand Jamaican dancers come to Poland and do regular workshops There are many documentaries and articles about the Polish ReggaeDancehall scene In my opinion we are well placed in the world I canrsquot help but mention that Polish sound systems like Dancehall Masak-Rah Splendid Sound Sensithief travel the world to play at the events and win sound system clashes

It seems Poland would be the last place to beassociated with Reggae and Dancehall music How would you describe the Polish Dancehall scene

This year was my sixth time to Jamaica Even though I have been there so many times I dis-cover new places and learn more every time Every day there are parties in Jamaica more so there are few on the same night so it would be hard for me to mention them all I try to be there during the summer when the Dancehall Queen World championship is held which I take part in I recommend this event to anyone who is visiting Jamaica between July and August ndash wonderful performances the best Dancehall dancers in the world and such incred-ible energy Of course a trip to the mountains to visit the wild part of Jamaica is a must ndash Irsquom a bit of a lsquobushmanrsquo and nature pulls me in I like so many things about the Jamaican culture but if I had to pick three it would be the music and dance the positive life attitude and incredible vibes created by the people and the places and events

You seem to be a frequent visitor to Jamaica Where do you go out while you are there What is it that you like most about Jamaican culture

Favorite Dancehall artistoh nohellip I canrsquot pick just one

Favorite Dancehall Queen Style moveHeadtop

Gaza or GullyI lsquom against separation

Ackee and saltfish or jerk chickenDefinitely Jerk chicken but from the Jerk Man on the street

Highest ambitionIt is my biggest dream at the same time so I wonrsquot reveal

Biggest authority and whyMy parents The support and love they give me will always be my inspiration

Dream carVolkswagen Transporterfor real

The biggest turn onI like a manly man with purpose and passion in life ndash such as my boyfriend

The biggest turn offWussy men and show off guys

Your secret talentI play violin

T r i n i d a dA

nim

au

s B

ota

nic

a 2

01

3 -

20

14

T r i n i d a d

An

ima

us

Bo

tan

ica

20

13

- 2

01

4

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

It depends on the training session I also wouldnrsquot agree with the saying lsquoall the typical movesrsquo as head top and wine are just a few elements of Dancehall Queen Style which is only reserved for women Of course men in this dance style wouldnrsquot use these moves as it is not considered to be appropriate In the beginning in Europe when Dancehall started to appear on dance scene this particular Dancehall Queen Style was promoted therefore most of the people thought Dancehall was only about butt shaking and wining Since then a lot has changed and I believe that now everyone knows that it is a dance style initiated by a man a very talented dancer the father of Dancehall ndash Bogle

I divided my training sessions to allow everybody to find something for themselves I do typical training for women where we learn more feminine moves we do acrobatics stretching and hips moving techniques But there are also classes where both sexes are welcome where I teach the dance moves history and the origin of Dancehall I also have an exclusive group of advanced dancers who under my supervision deepen this beautiful and great culture of Dancehall

Do you teach all the typical Dancehall moves including head top or wine

Dancehall music is known for itsrsquo explicit and contro-versial lyrics Do you think that Polish fans of thismusic and dance understand these lyrics Do theyunderstand the meaning of the songs

Perhaps I am very lucky or it simply is this way there are no negative reactions I always feel welcome people like what I do and they are interested in talking to me and knowing more about the culture There could have been some small unpleasant episodes but I think we all have experienced some drunken behaviors

Do you happen to come across some negativefeedback about your dance style from outsiders who are not familiar with dancehall culture

I totally agree with the fact that the lyrics of Jamaican Dancehall are much different thanDance-hall which is sang by Polish artists I do think though that it depends on the person Some peo-ple who are deep into the Jamaican culture know the lyrics and understand it perfectly There are also some who have no clue what the song is about and the Jamaican dialect is like black magic to them but they like the melody and the positive impact it has on them

Awards

1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2008rsquo championship2nd place lsquoDancehall Queenrsquo regional championship in Montego Bay Jamaica 1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2009rsquo championship2009 semifinals of lsquoPoland Got Talentrsquo TV show2nd place in lsquoINTERNATIONAL DANCEHALL QUEEN 2009rsquo world championship in Montego Bay Jamaica Reward for the best dance choreography 1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2010rsquo championship1st place in lsquoHip Hop Kemp Dancehall Queen 2011 lsquocompetition in Hradec Kralove Czech Republic 1st place in lsquoDancehall International Preselectionsrsquo1st runner up of lsquoEuropean Dancehall Queen Contest 2013rsquo in Vienna Austria1st place in lsquoWining Queenrsquo competition run by Dancehall MasakRah

I wouldnrsquot agree that Poland is the last place to associate with Reggae and Dancehall Now-adays we throw many great Reggae festivals known around the world There are more and more dancers who go to Jamaica to promote our country and prove that Polish people can dance and be successful in it On the other hand Jamaican dancers come to Poland and do regular workshops There are many documentaries and articles about the Polish ReggaeDancehall scene In my opinion we are well placed in the world I canrsquot help but mention that Polish sound systems like Dancehall Masak-Rah Splendid Sound Sensithief travel the world to play at the events and win sound system clashes

It seems Poland would be the last place to beassociated with Reggae and Dancehall music How would you describe the Polish Dancehall scene

This year was my sixth time to Jamaica Even though I have been there so many times I dis-cover new places and learn more every time Every day there are parties in Jamaica more so there are few on the same night so it would be hard for me to mention them all I try to be there during the summer when the Dancehall Queen World championship is held which I take part in I recommend this event to anyone who is visiting Jamaica between July and August ndash wonderful performances the best Dancehall dancers in the world and such incred-ible energy Of course a trip to the mountains to visit the wild part of Jamaica is a must ndash Irsquom a bit of a lsquobushmanrsquo and nature pulls me in I like so many things about the Jamaican culture but if I had to pick three it would be the music and dance the positive life attitude and incredible vibes created by the people and the places and events

You seem to be a frequent visitor to Jamaica Where do you go out while you are there What is it that you like most about Jamaican culture

Favorite Dancehall artistoh nohellip I canrsquot pick just one

Favorite Dancehall Queen Style moveHeadtop

Gaza or GullyI lsquom against separation

Ackee and saltfish or jerk chickenDefinitely Jerk chicken but from the Jerk Man on the street

Highest ambitionIt is my biggest dream at the same time so I wonrsquot reveal

Biggest authority and whyMy parents The support and love they give me will always be my inspiration

Dream carVolkswagen Transporterfor real

The biggest turn onI like a manly man with purpose and passion in life ndash such as my boyfriend

The biggest turn offWussy men and show off guys

Your secret talentI play violin

T r i n i d a dA

nim

au

s B

ota

nic

a 2

01

3 -

20

14

T r i n i d a d

An

ima

us

Bo

tan

ica

20

13

- 2

01

4

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

Awards

1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2008rsquo championship2nd place lsquoDancehall Queenrsquo regional championship in Montego Bay Jamaica 1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2009rsquo championship2009 semifinals of lsquoPoland Got Talentrsquo TV show2nd place in lsquoINTERNATIONAL DANCEHALL QUEEN 2009rsquo world championship in Montego Bay Jamaica Reward for the best dance choreography 1st place in lsquoDANCEHALL QUEEN POLAND 2010rsquo championship1st place in lsquoHip Hop Kemp Dancehall Queen 2011 lsquocompetition in Hradec Kralove Czech Republic 1st place in lsquoDancehall International Preselectionsrsquo1st runner up of lsquoEuropean Dancehall Queen Contest 2013rsquo in Vienna Austria1st place in lsquoWining Queenrsquo competition run by Dancehall MasakRah

I wouldnrsquot agree that Poland is the last place to associate with Reggae and Dancehall Now-adays we throw many great Reggae festivals known around the world There are more and more dancers who go to Jamaica to promote our country and prove that Polish people can dance and be successful in it On the other hand Jamaican dancers come to Poland and do regular workshops There are many documentaries and articles about the Polish ReggaeDancehall scene In my opinion we are well placed in the world I canrsquot help but mention that Polish sound systems like Dancehall Masak-Rah Splendid Sound Sensithief travel the world to play at the events and win sound system clashes

It seems Poland would be the last place to beassociated with Reggae and Dancehall music How would you describe the Polish Dancehall scene

This year was my sixth time to Jamaica Even though I have been there so many times I dis-cover new places and learn more every time Every day there are parties in Jamaica more so there are few on the same night so it would be hard for me to mention them all I try to be there during the summer when the Dancehall Queen World championship is held which I take part in I recommend this event to anyone who is visiting Jamaica between July and August ndash wonderful performances the best Dancehall dancers in the world and such incred-ible energy Of course a trip to the mountains to visit the wild part of Jamaica is a must ndash Irsquom a bit of a lsquobushmanrsquo and nature pulls me in I like so many things about the Jamaican culture but if I had to pick three it would be the music and dance the positive life attitude and incredible vibes created by the people and the places and events

You seem to be a frequent visitor to Jamaica Where do you go out while you are there What is it that you like most about Jamaican culture

Favorite Dancehall artistoh nohellip I canrsquot pick just one

Favorite Dancehall Queen Style moveHeadtop

Gaza or GullyI lsquom against separation

Ackee and saltfish or jerk chickenDefinitely Jerk chicken but from the Jerk Man on the street

Highest ambitionIt is my biggest dream at the same time so I wonrsquot reveal

Biggest authority and whyMy parents The support and love they give me will always be my inspiration

Dream carVolkswagen Transporterfor real

The biggest turn onI like a manly man with purpose and passion in life ndash such as my boyfriend

The biggest turn offWussy men and show off guys

Your secret talentI play violin

T r i n i d a dA

nim

au

s B

ota

nic

a 2

01

3 -

20

14

T r i n i d a d

An

ima

us

Bo

tan

ica

20

13

- 2

01

4

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

I wouldnrsquot agree that Poland is the last place to associate with Reggae and Dancehall Now-adays we throw many great Reggae festivals known around the world There are more and more dancers who go to Jamaica to promote our country and prove that Polish people can dance and be successful in it On the other hand Jamaican dancers come to Poland and do regular workshops There are many documentaries and articles about the Polish ReggaeDancehall scene In my opinion we are well placed in the world I canrsquot help but mention that Polish sound systems like Dancehall Masak-Rah Splendid Sound Sensithief travel the world to play at the events and win sound system clashes

It seems Poland would be the last place to beassociated with Reggae and Dancehall music How would you describe the Polish Dancehall scene

This year was my sixth time to Jamaica Even though I have been there so many times I dis-cover new places and learn more every time Every day there are parties in Jamaica more so there are few on the same night so it would be hard for me to mention them all I try to be there during the summer when the Dancehall Queen World championship is held which I take part in I recommend this event to anyone who is visiting Jamaica between July and August ndash wonderful performances the best Dancehall dancers in the world and such incred-ible energy Of course a trip to the mountains to visit the wild part of Jamaica is a must ndash Irsquom a bit of a lsquobushmanrsquo and nature pulls me in I like so many things about the Jamaican culture but if I had to pick three it would be the music and dance the positive life attitude and incredible vibes created by the people and the places and events

You seem to be a frequent visitor to Jamaica Where do you go out while you are there What is it that you like most about Jamaican culture

Favorite Dancehall artistoh nohellip I canrsquot pick just one

Favorite Dancehall Queen Style moveHeadtop

Gaza or GullyI lsquom against separation

Ackee and saltfish or jerk chickenDefinitely Jerk chicken but from the Jerk Man on the street

Highest ambitionIt is my biggest dream at the same time so I wonrsquot reveal

Biggest authority and whyMy parents The support and love they give me will always be my inspiration

Dream carVolkswagen Transporterfor real

The biggest turn onI like a manly man with purpose and passion in life ndash such as my boyfriend

The biggest turn offWussy men and show off guys

Your secret talentI play violin

T r i n i d a dA

nim

au

s B

ota

nic

a 2

01

3 -

20

14

T r i n i d a d

An

ima

us

Bo

tan

ica

20

13

- 2

01

4

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

Favorite Dancehall artistoh nohellip I canrsquot pick just one

Favorite Dancehall Queen Style moveHeadtop

Gaza or GullyI lsquom against separation

Ackee and saltfish or jerk chickenDefinitely Jerk chicken but from the Jerk Man on the street

Highest ambitionIt is my biggest dream at the same time so I wonrsquot reveal

Biggest authority and whyMy parents The support and love they give me will always be my inspiration

Dream carVolkswagen Transporterfor real

The biggest turn onI like a manly man with purpose and passion in life ndash such as my boyfriend

The biggest turn offWussy men and show off guys

Your secret talentI play violin

T r i n i d a dA

nim

au

s B

ota

nic

a 2

01

3 -

20

14

T r i n i d a d

An

ima

us

Bo

tan

ica

20

13

- 2

01

4

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

T r i n i d a dA

nim

au

s B

ota

nic

a 2

01

3 -

20

14

T r i n i d a d

An

ima

us

Bo

tan

ica

20

13

- 2

01

4

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

T r i n i d a d

An

ima

us

Bo

tan

ica

20

13

- 2

01

4

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

wwwbassculture

islandscom

DesignsWilliamMampCo

On The Red Runway In Trinidad

Modeling has been a passion of mine for a few years now I grew up admiring many different models and began to enjoy fashion on another level I also began to envisioning myself be-coming a model At the age of 20 I decided to pursue my mod-eling career I enjoy it very much and appreciate all the love and support everyone has sent my way

Working with a team to produce fascinating images to walk-ing on the runway just seeing myself in many different places is surreal I am very grateful for the opportunities I have been given The high points of my career are that I get to meet and interact with new people and work on amazing projects The low point of my job is mainly the rejection due to my locks but it also gives me the extra push to keep moving forward and overcome any obstacles

My future plans in modeling is traveling more to other coun-tries and being in high end campaigns and performing in more runway shows As I would enjoy continuing to be a model I would like to pursue an additional career in acting which is why I have started to take lessonclasses in acting

is called lsquothe global sensationrsquo You might have seen Alexander in Jennifer Lopez video lsquoI Luh you papirsquo and lsquoAdrenalinersquo Late-ly he was invited to Trinidad and Tobago as a guest model for Red Runway This fashion project is designed to showcase new and emerging fashion talent in Trinidad and Tobago including designers models make-up artists fashion photographers and fashion stylists

Taking this opportunity we caught up with Alexander in Las Cuevas Trinidad to talk about his work and get some great shots of him on the beach

I do consider modeling to be an art From the way you are put together with different clothing to striking a pose it definitely tells a story ex-actly like an art piece

This French ndash Columbian21 year old model

Favorite food in TrinidadRoti

Favorite place in TrinidadScenery on the way to Las Cuevas beach

Big turn onIf a woman is into fitness

Your kind of girl Different shapessizes and colors have their own appeal to me

DesignsShaun Griffith Perez

On The Red Runway In Trinidad

Modeling has been a passion of mine for a few years now I grew up admiring many different models and began to enjoy fashion on another level I also began to envisioning myself be-coming a model At the age of 20 I decided to pursue my mod-eling career I enjoy it very much and appreciate all the love and support everyone has sent my way

Working with a team to produce fascinating images to walk-ing on the runway just seeing myself in many different places is surreal I am very grateful for the opportunities I have been given The high points of my career are that I get to meet and interact with new people and work on amazing projects The low point of my job is mainly the rejection due to my locks but it also gives me the extra push to keep moving forward and overcome any obstacles

My future plans in modeling is traveling more to other coun-tries and being in high end campaigns and performing in more runway shows As I would enjoy continuing to be a model I would like to pursue an additional career in acting which is why I have started to take lessonclasses in acting

is called lsquothe global sensationrsquo You might have seen Alexander in Jennifer Lopez video lsquoI Luh you papirsquo and lsquoAdrenalinersquo Late-ly he was invited to Trinidad and Tobago as a guest model for Red Runway This fashion project is designed to showcase new and emerging fashion talent in Trinidad and Tobago including designers models make-up artists fashion photographers and fashion stylists

Taking this opportunity we caught up with Alexander in Las Cuevas Trinidad to talk about his work and get some great shots of him on the beach

I do consider modeling to be an art From the way you are put together with different clothing to striking a pose it definitely tells a story ex-actly like an art piece

This French ndash Columbian21 year old model

Favorite food in TrinidadRoti

Favorite place in TrinidadScenery on the way to Las Cuevas beach

Big turn onIf a woman is into fitness

Your kind of girl Different shapessizes and colors have their own appeal to me

DesignsShaun Griffith Perez

Modeling has been a passion of mine for a few years now I grew up admiring many different models and began to enjoy fashion on another level I also began to envisioning myself be-coming a model At the age of 20 I decided to pursue my mod-eling career I enjoy it very much and appreciate all the love and support everyone has sent my way

Working with a team to produce fascinating images to walk-ing on the runway just seeing myself in many different places is surreal I am very grateful for the opportunities I have been given The high points of my career are that I get to meet and interact with new people and work on amazing projects The low point of my job is mainly the rejection due to my locks but it also gives me the extra push to keep moving forward and overcome any obstacles

My future plans in modeling is traveling more to other coun-tries and being in high end campaigns and performing in more runway shows As I would enjoy continuing to be a model I would like to pursue an additional career in acting which is why I have started to take lessonclasses in acting

is called lsquothe global sensationrsquo You might have seen Alexander in Jennifer Lopez video lsquoI Luh you papirsquo and lsquoAdrenalinersquo Late-ly he was invited to Trinidad and Tobago as a guest model for Red Runway This fashion project is designed to showcase new and emerging fashion talent in Trinidad and Tobago including designers models make-up artists fashion photographers and fashion stylists

Taking this opportunity we caught up with Alexander in Las Cuevas Trinidad to talk about his work and get some great shots of him on the beach

I do consider modeling to be an art From the way you are put together with different clothing to striking a pose it definitely tells a story ex-actly like an art piece

This French ndash Columbian21 year old model

Favorite food in TrinidadRoti

Favorite place in TrinidadScenery on the way to Las Cuevas beach

Big turn onIf a woman is into fitness

Your kind of girl Different shapessizes and colors have their own appeal to me

DesignsShaun Griffith Perez

Favorite food in TrinidadRoti

Favorite place in TrinidadScenery on the way to Las Cuevas beach

Big turn onIf a woman is into fitness

Your kind of girl Different shapessizes and colors have their own appeal to me

DesignsShaun Griffith Perez

Follow your dreams keep striving for what you want and do whatever it takes to achieve success

My motto for success isldquo

ldquo

PhotographyKerron Rileywwwkerronrileyphotographycom

Design Label - Brown CottonPhotographer - Justin Ifill ForbesStylist - Kathryn NurseMakeUp - Arry CruickshankHairStylist - Kimbalene BlackmanModel - Kimili See Tai

Collection ldquoIRISrdquo

Risanne MartinTrinidad amp Tobago

Brown Cotton is a Fashion and Life Style Brand with a design Studio based in Trinidad and To-bago Regionally acclaimed Stylist and now de-signer for the brand Risanne Martin designed the Collection ldquoIRISrdquo after her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer The Collection is named after her ailing mother and the entire editorial tells the tale of IRIS as a bold and daring beauty making her way through an enchanted wilderness that is living without a cure for cancer

IRIS reflects Caribbean Resort Wear infused with bold and daring elements plunging necklines and flared fanciness fostering a lifestyle of boldness through dress and in the quest to make dreams a reality the im-portance of dress in our approach to our daily lives our quest for identity

lsquoCreative flow for Brown Cotton literally comes in my dreams Ideas and inspiration stem from dreaming Over the past couple years I have been waking up and writing sketching images from my dreams Creat-ing garments for myself was the idea un-til friends and family and even strangers showed interest that is when I knew I had to share my dreams with the worldrsquo - Risanne Martin

wwwbassculture

islandscom

Design Label - Brown CottonPhotographer - Justin Ifill ForbesStylist - Kathryn NurseMakeUp - Arry CruickshankHairStylist - Kimbalene BlackmanModel - Kimili See Tai

Collection ldquoIRISrdquo

Risanne MartinTrinidad amp Tobago

Brown Cotton is a Fashion and Life Style Brand with a design Studio based in Trinidad and To-bago Regionally acclaimed Stylist and now de-signer for the brand Risanne Martin designed the Collection ldquoIRISrdquo after her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer The Collection is named after her ailing mother and the entire editorial tells the tale of IRIS as a bold and daring beauty making her way through an enchanted wilderness that is living without a cure for cancer

IRIS reflects Caribbean Resort Wear infused with bold and daring elements plunging necklines and flared fanciness fostering a lifestyle of boldness through dress and in the quest to make dreams a reality the im-portance of dress in our approach to our daily lives our quest for identity

lsquoCreative flow for Brown Cotton literally comes in my dreams Ideas and inspiration stem from dreaming Over the past couple years I have been waking up and writing sketching images from my dreams Creat-ing garments for myself was the idea un-til friends and family and even strangers showed interest that is when I knew I had to share my dreams with the worldrsquo - Risanne Martin

wwwbassculture

islandscom

Risanne MartinTrinidad amp Tobago

Brown Cotton is a Fashion and Life Style Brand with a design Studio based in Trinidad and To-bago Regionally acclaimed Stylist and now de-signer for the brand Risanne Martin designed the Collection ldquoIRISrdquo after her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer The Collection is named after her ailing mother and the entire editorial tells the tale of IRIS as a bold and daring beauty making her way through an enchanted wilderness that is living without a cure for cancer

IRIS reflects Caribbean Resort Wear infused with bold and daring elements plunging necklines and flared fanciness fostering a lifestyle of boldness through dress and in the quest to make dreams a reality the im-portance of dress in our approach to our daily lives our quest for identity

lsquoCreative flow for Brown Cotton literally comes in my dreams Ideas and inspiration stem from dreaming Over the past couple years I have been waking up and writing sketching images from my dreams Creat-ing garments for myself was the idea un-til friends and family and even strangers showed interest that is when I knew I had to share my dreams with the worldrsquo - Risanne Martin

wwwbassculture

islandscom

Brown Cotton is a Fashion and Life Style Brand with a design Studio based in Trinidad and To-bago Regionally acclaimed Stylist and now de-signer for the brand Risanne Martin designed the Collection ldquoIRISrdquo after her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer The Collection is named after her ailing mother and the entire editorial tells the tale of IRIS as a bold and daring beauty making her way through an enchanted wilderness that is living without a cure for cancer

IRIS reflects Caribbean Resort Wear infused with bold and daring elements plunging necklines and flared fanciness fostering a lifestyle of boldness through dress and in the quest to make dreams a reality the im-portance of dress in our approach to our daily lives our quest for identity

lsquoCreative flow for Brown Cotton literally comes in my dreams Ideas and inspiration stem from dreaming Over the past couple years I have been waking up and writing sketching images from my dreams Creat-ing garments for myself was the idea un-til friends and family and even strangers showed interest that is when I knew I had to share my dreams with the worldrsquo - Risanne Martin

wwwbassculture

islandscom

IRIS reflects Caribbean Resort Wear infused with bold and daring elements plunging necklines and flared fanciness fostering a lifestyle of boldness through dress and in the quest to make dreams a reality the im-portance of dress in our approach to our daily lives our quest for identity

lsquoCreative flow for Brown Cotton literally comes in my dreams Ideas and inspiration stem from dreaming Over the past couple years I have been waking up and writing sketching images from my dreams Creat-ing garments for myself was the idea un-til friends and family and even strangers showed interest that is when I knew I had to share my dreams with the worldrsquo - Risanne Martin

wwwbassculture

islandscom

lsquoCreative flow for Brown Cotton literally comes in my dreams Ideas and inspiration stem from dreaming Over the past couple years I have been waking up and writing sketching images from my dreams Creat-ing garments for myself was the idea un-til friends and family and even strangers showed interest that is when I knew I had to share my dreams with the worldrsquo - Risanne Martin

wwwbassculture

islandscom

wwwbassculture

islandscom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

The

aest

het

ic e

xper

ien

ce o

f th

e st

reet

s

B A R B A D O S

B A R B A D O S

I am always interested

in the streets shopping

overheard conversation

and architecture of the

spacescountries I en-

countered I look at the

everyday situations and

share my experiences

to the viewer through

drawing paintings

performances and an-

imations I add more

lines because it seems

more interesting and it

shows different layers

of streets or angles of

the building So I real-

ly like the idea of lay-

ers instead of just one

line drawing Recently

I have been thinking to

add thicker or thinner

lines to add depth too

but for now I really like

the flatness and graphic

feeling of the work I am

interested of the view-

er seeing these spaces

with me and hopefully

have the same aesthetic

experience which I had

in these many coun-

tries ndash Sheena Rose

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

B A R B A D O S

I am always interested

in the streets shopping

overheard conversation

and architecture of the

spacescountries I en-

countered I look at the

everyday situations and

share my experiences

to the viewer through

drawing paintings

performances and an-

imations I add more

lines because it seems

more interesting and it

shows different layers

of streets or angles of

the building So I real-

ly like the idea of lay-

ers instead of just one

line drawing Recently

I have been thinking to

add thicker or thinner

lines to add depth too

but for now I really like

the flatness and graphic

feeling of the work I am

interested of the view-

er seeing these spaces

with me and hopefully

have the same aesthetic

experience which I had

in these many coun-

tries ndash Sheena Rose

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

I am always interested

in the streets shopping

overheard conversation

and architecture of the

spacescountries I en-

countered I look at the

everyday situations and

share my experiences

to the viewer through

drawing paintings

performances and an-

imations I add more

lines because it seems

more interesting and it

shows different layers

of streets or angles of

the building So I real-

ly like the idea of lay-

ers instead of just one

line drawing Recently

I have been thinking to

add thicker or thinner

lines to add depth too

but for now I really like

the flatness and graphic

feeling of the work I am

interested of the view-

er seeing these spaces

with me and hopefully

have the same aesthetic

experience which I had

in these many coun-

tries ndash Sheena Rose

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

wwwbassculture

islandscom

by Donn Thompson of Dracincwwwdracinccom

Hair Make Up and Styling Richard Young

EVEN

T IN

FO

CU

S

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne JeanDesigner Esther Joseph (St Lucia)

Model Christelle LesifortDesigner Magguy Durce (Haiti)

Model Christelle Lesifort Designer Esther Joseph (St Lucia)

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne Jean Designer Esther Joseph (St Lucia)

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne Jean Designer Magguy Durce (Haiti)

By Sian McIntosh

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne JeanDesigner Esther Joseph (St Lucia)

Model Christelle LesifortDesigner Magguy Durce (Haiti)

Model Christelle Lesifort Designer Esther Joseph (St Lucia)

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne Jean Designer Esther Joseph (St Lucia)

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne Jean Designer Magguy Durce (Haiti)

By Sian McIntosh

Model Christelle LesifortDesigner Magguy Durce (Haiti)

Model Christelle Lesifort Designer Esther Joseph (St Lucia)

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne Jean Designer Esther Joseph (St Lucia)

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne Jean Designer Magguy Durce (Haiti)

By Sian McIntosh

Model Christelle Lesifort Designer Esther Joseph (St Lucia)

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne Jean Designer Esther Joseph (St Lucia)

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne Jean Designer Magguy Durce (Haiti)

By Sian McIntosh

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne Jean Designer Esther Joseph (St Lucia)

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne Jean Designer Magguy Durce (Haiti)

By Sian McIntosh

Model Viergeline Antoinise Julienne Jean Designer Magguy Durce (Haiti)

By Sian McIntosh

By Sian McIntosh

BEHIND THE SCENE

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO CARNIVAL

TRINIJUNGLEJUICECOM

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO CARNIVAL

TRINIJUNGLEJUICECOM

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

MA

N VS CA

RNIVA

L

BACCHANAL JAMAICA

Letrsquos start from the beginning How did you end updoing this lsquocarnival businessrsquo What exactly is your job

Trini Jungle Juice (also commonly referred to as TJJ) all started off as a hobby back in college in Connecticut when it was my personal website without a proper URL hosted by one of those make a website in minutes companies My website was called ldquoJungle Juicerdquo named after a party we did in Trinidad years be-fore I always loved the name and the logo The site document-ed my travels around the world which of course included the greatest show in the world Trinidad amp Tobago carnival a trusty Canon Powershot point and shoot camera was my best friend Fast forward a few years Irsquom working full time as an IT Specialist with IBM in Atlanta but working part time (seem like another full time job) on Jungle Juice Around 20022003 when I came to realization that the world was actually paying attention to my lilrsquo project (the beauty of web statistics) it was time to take things to the next level ndash register my own domain and get an official URL JungleJuicecom TAKEN Rats What next Then my American friend Julius said ldquoWhy not Trini Jungle Juice after all you are a TRINIrdquo and in 2003 TriniJungleJuicecom was official Our mis-sion was simple - to be the 1st Caribbean entertainment website to take our viewers Global reaching Caribbean and Internation-al communities across the world Yes there were already estab-lished Caribbean websites like Toronto Lime and Trini Scene at the time BUT they specifically focused on their local markets This is where TJJ broke the mold an accomplishment we are quite proud of especially when others are following our trend Beside event photography TJJ focuses heavily on video cover-age of carnivals Between 2004-2006 when I was based in Toron-to I found that a lot of people were aware of the popular Soca and Reggae songs no context of the artists singing them That is when a little JVC camcorder joined my arsenal It felt great to promote our local artistes and their music and to showcase what transpires behind the scenes and below the surface of fetes pretty costumes and carnival

Five years later in 2008 I left corporate America to pursue my dream full time It was at the point when I decided it was best for TJJ to specialize in Carni-val after establishing ourselves in every major city we targeted across the globe We then achieved yet another lsquoFirstrsquo in our market becoming the 1st Ca-ribbean website to have our own television produc-tion ndash ldquoYou TJJ and Carnivalrdquo in 2009 The show airs locally in Trinidad amp Tobago with past seasons airing throughout the Caribbean and in the US (New York New Jersey Connecticut) When I look back today where it started sometimes I donrsquot believe how far the website (and myself as a person) has grown

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL UK

How many carnivals have you been to Did u ever check how much time in a year you spend at carnivals

For many this is dream job tell us hon-estly what are the downfalls

Irsquove been to around 20 different carnivals from what I can recall Honestly I believe therersquos a carnival happening somewhere around the world most weekends My season usually starts in January with Trinidad Carnival and ends in October with Miami Carnival spend-ing roughly 4 months at carnivals a year

Personally I hate packing and traveling but once Irsquom at the destina-tion I love it If I could grab my phone camera and laptop get on a plane and see my luggage waiting at hotel when I arrive I would be a happy camper

SAINT LUCIA CARNIVAL

Carnival can be exhausting with all the fetes and pa-rade How do you feel each time

What is the part of carnival that impresses you or makes you excited each time What are you tired of

What is carnival for you Is it more of a job or fun

Itrsquos a game I like to call ldquoMan vs Carnivalrdquo You win some you lose some A short Trinidad Carnival season (4-6 weeks) is the most intense and usually leaves me sick in bed for a week sometime after But as the saying goes ldquoIf you fail to prepare prepare to failrdquo Itrsquos a game of stamina and serious lsquoCarnivalliersrsquo (I might have just created a new word) train and diet for months before Being in shape will not only get you to the finish line but have you looking great in your carnival costume too

Irsquom always impressed by the preparations for carnival by the mas bands soca artistes and pro-moters As soon as one carnival is over they start planning for the next year Unfortunately Trini Jungle Juice doesnrsquot have that luxury as itrsquos on to the next carnival for us Band launch season always excites me you can feel the spirit of carnival coming I also love the feeling of reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones Irsquove met some of my best friends at the different carnivals I attend Now what I do get tired of soca artistes and bands doing the same exact performance all season (or all year in some cases) In this day and age partygoers should never know what to expect entertainment wise Irsquom not asking for bands to rework their entire set but mix it up in subtle ways for the very least

They say if you love what you do you feel as if never work a day in your life I think this isnrsquot 100 true I absolutely love what I do but at times I feel like Irsquom working 247 and need a break Itrsquos funny as everyone tells me off when I take a vacation to some exotic destination following a carnival But they donrsquot realize that while they are drinking partying and have a ball Irsquom right there with them Not only doing the same - drinking partying and yes win-ing BUT Irsquom also working This part of the job never feels like work The work comes before with the planning and after when we have to process and showcase the respective carnivals

HOLLYWOOD CARNIVAL

You have been doing this for a while now How did carnivals change over the years

Itrsquos gotten a lot more expensive ndash both parties and playing mas But I also believe the level of service and quality has also gone up Womenrsquos costumes have also gotten skimpier and skimp-ier But heh ldquoLess is MORErdquo Entertainment wise there are more musical groupsbands that perform primarily their own music Yes you still have a couple cross over bands doing covers but personally this is dying breed One must establish and grow their own music and brand identity to stay relevant and competitive You donrsquot go to a Jay-Z concert to hear him sing Bob Marleyrsquos songs Also most partygoers donrsquot want to be told what to do by entertainers at events The days for ldquomove to the left move to the rightrdquo and ldquohands up hands downrdquo are gone We simply want artistes to perform and entertain us

Letrsquos say you have a daughter or maybe two of them would you let them play carnival and at what age if yes Would you follow them around to see whatrsquos happeningYes of course I believe 16-17 years old is a good age to start with adult supervision Itrsquos nice to see parents have their kids play adult mas with them when in their later teenager years I would do the same Carnival hands down is one of the best social mechanisms and I also like the idea of Kiddies carnival to get the young generation started However parents shouldnrsquot force their kids into it if it doesnrsquot appeal to them One pet peeve of mine is seeing young chil-dren dancing and wining like adults I believe carnival should be fun and innocent at this age

MIAMI CARNIVAL

5 absolutely not to do things during carnival- Donrsquot oversleep Especially before Breakfast Parties or JrsquoOuvert- If you donrsquot drink Carnival is NOT the place to start- Donrsquot wear tight shoes unless losing a toe nail is okay- Never walk around with a thick wad of money- Donrsquot NOT play Mas

If Machel is Mr Fete who would you be The Carnival Ref Irsquom that guy that makes the call if a carnival is worth going to

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

BACCHANAL JAMAICA

Letrsquos start from the beginning How did you end updoing this lsquocarnival businessrsquo What exactly is your job

Trini Jungle Juice (also commonly referred to as TJJ) all started off as a hobby back in college in Connecticut when it was my personal website without a proper URL hosted by one of those make a website in minutes companies My website was called ldquoJungle Juicerdquo named after a party we did in Trinidad years be-fore I always loved the name and the logo The site document-ed my travels around the world which of course included the greatest show in the world Trinidad amp Tobago carnival a trusty Canon Powershot point and shoot camera was my best friend Fast forward a few years Irsquom working full time as an IT Specialist with IBM in Atlanta but working part time (seem like another full time job) on Jungle Juice Around 20022003 when I came to realization that the world was actually paying attention to my lilrsquo project (the beauty of web statistics) it was time to take things to the next level ndash register my own domain and get an official URL JungleJuicecom TAKEN Rats What next Then my American friend Julius said ldquoWhy not Trini Jungle Juice after all you are a TRINIrdquo and in 2003 TriniJungleJuicecom was official Our mis-sion was simple - to be the 1st Caribbean entertainment website to take our viewers Global reaching Caribbean and Internation-al communities across the world Yes there were already estab-lished Caribbean websites like Toronto Lime and Trini Scene at the time BUT they specifically focused on their local markets This is where TJJ broke the mold an accomplishment we are quite proud of especially when others are following our trend Beside event photography TJJ focuses heavily on video cover-age of carnivals Between 2004-2006 when I was based in Toron-to I found that a lot of people were aware of the popular Soca and Reggae songs no context of the artists singing them That is when a little JVC camcorder joined my arsenal It felt great to promote our local artistes and their music and to showcase what transpires behind the scenes and below the surface of fetes pretty costumes and carnival

Five years later in 2008 I left corporate America to pursue my dream full time It was at the point when I decided it was best for TJJ to specialize in Carni-val after establishing ourselves in every major city we targeted across the globe We then achieved yet another lsquoFirstrsquo in our market becoming the 1st Ca-ribbean website to have our own television produc-tion ndash ldquoYou TJJ and Carnivalrdquo in 2009 The show airs locally in Trinidad amp Tobago with past seasons airing throughout the Caribbean and in the US (New York New Jersey Connecticut) When I look back today where it started sometimes I donrsquot believe how far the website (and myself as a person) has grown

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL UK

How many carnivals have you been to Did u ever check how much time in a year you spend at carnivals

For many this is dream job tell us hon-estly what are the downfalls

Irsquove been to around 20 different carnivals from what I can recall Honestly I believe therersquos a carnival happening somewhere around the world most weekends My season usually starts in January with Trinidad Carnival and ends in October with Miami Carnival spend-ing roughly 4 months at carnivals a year

Personally I hate packing and traveling but once Irsquom at the destina-tion I love it If I could grab my phone camera and laptop get on a plane and see my luggage waiting at hotel when I arrive I would be a happy camper

SAINT LUCIA CARNIVAL

Carnival can be exhausting with all the fetes and pa-rade How do you feel each time

What is the part of carnival that impresses you or makes you excited each time What are you tired of

What is carnival for you Is it more of a job or fun

Itrsquos a game I like to call ldquoMan vs Carnivalrdquo You win some you lose some A short Trinidad Carnival season (4-6 weeks) is the most intense and usually leaves me sick in bed for a week sometime after But as the saying goes ldquoIf you fail to prepare prepare to failrdquo Itrsquos a game of stamina and serious lsquoCarnivalliersrsquo (I might have just created a new word) train and diet for months before Being in shape will not only get you to the finish line but have you looking great in your carnival costume too

Irsquom always impressed by the preparations for carnival by the mas bands soca artistes and pro-moters As soon as one carnival is over they start planning for the next year Unfortunately Trini Jungle Juice doesnrsquot have that luxury as itrsquos on to the next carnival for us Band launch season always excites me you can feel the spirit of carnival coming I also love the feeling of reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones Irsquove met some of my best friends at the different carnivals I attend Now what I do get tired of soca artistes and bands doing the same exact performance all season (or all year in some cases) In this day and age partygoers should never know what to expect entertainment wise Irsquom not asking for bands to rework their entire set but mix it up in subtle ways for the very least

They say if you love what you do you feel as if never work a day in your life I think this isnrsquot 100 true I absolutely love what I do but at times I feel like Irsquom working 247 and need a break Itrsquos funny as everyone tells me off when I take a vacation to some exotic destination following a carnival But they donrsquot realize that while they are drinking partying and have a ball Irsquom right there with them Not only doing the same - drinking partying and yes win-ing BUT Irsquom also working This part of the job never feels like work The work comes before with the planning and after when we have to process and showcase the respective carnivals

HOLLYWOOD CARNIVAL

You have been doing this for a while now How did carnivals change over the years

Itrsquos gotten a lot more expensive ndash both parties and playing mas But I also believe the level of service and quality has also gone up Womenrsquos costumes have also gotten skimpier and skimp-ier But heh ldquoLess is MORErdquo Entertainment wise there are more musical groupsbands that perform primarily their own music Yes you still have a couple cross over bands doing covers but personally this is dying breed One must establish and grow their own music and brand identity to stay relevant and competitive You donrsquot go to a Jay-Z concert to hear him sing Bob Marleyrsquos songs Also most partygoers donrsquot want to be told what to do by entertainers at events The days for ldquomove to the left move to the rightrdquo and ldquohands up hands downrdquo are gone We simply want artistes to perform and entertain us

Letrsquos say you have a daughter or maybe two of them would you let them play carnival and at what age if yes Would you follow them around to see whatrsquos happeningYes of course I believe 16-17 years old is a good age to start with adult supervision Itrsquos nice to see parents have their kids play adult mas with them when in their later teenager years I would do the same Carnival hands down is one of the best social mechanisms and I also like the idea of Kiddies carnival to get the young generation started However parents shouldnrsquot force their kids into it if it doesnrsquot appeal to them One pet peeve of mine is seeing young chil-dren dancing and wining like adults I believe carnival should be fun and innocent at this age

MIAMI CARNIVAL

5 absolutely not to do things during carnival- Donrsquot oversleep Especially before Breakfast Parties or JrsquoOuvert- If you donrsquot drink Carnival is NOT the place to start- Donrsquot wear tight shoes unless losing a toe nail is okay- Never walk around with a thick wad of money- Donrsquot NOT play Mas

If Machel is Mr Fete who would you be The Carnival Ref Irsquom that guy that makes the call if a carnival is worth going to

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

Letrsquos start from the beginning How did you end updoing this lsquocarnival businessrsquo What exactly is your job

Trini Jungle Juice (also commonly referred to as TJJ) all started off as a hobby back in college in Connecticut when it was my personal website without a proper URL hosted by one of those make a website in minutes companies My website was called ldquoJungle Juicerdquo named after a party we did in Trinidad years be-fore I always loved the name and the logo The site document-ed my travels around the world which of course included the greatest show in the world Trinidad amp Tobago carnival a trusty Canon Powershot point and shoot camera was my best friend Fast forward a few years Irsquom working full time as an IT Specialist with IBM in Atlanta but working part time (seem like another full time job) on Jungle Juice Around 20022003 when I came to realization that the world was actually paying attention to my lilrsquo project (the beauty of web statistics) it was time to take things to the next level ndash register my own domain and get an official URL JungleJuicecom TAKEN Rats What next Then my American friend Julius said ldquoWhy not Trini Jungle Juice after all you are a TRINIrdquo and in 2003 TriniJungleJuicecom was official Our mis-sion was simple - to be the 1st Caribbean entertainment website to take our viewers Global reaching Caribbean and Internation-al communities across the world Yes there were already estab-lished Caribbean websites like Toronto Lime and Trini Scene at the time BUT they specifically focused on their local markets This is where TJJ broke the mold an accomplishment we are quite proud of especially when others are following our trend Beside event photography TJJ focuses heavily on video cover-age of carnivals Between 2004-2006 when I was based in Toron-to I found that a lot of people were aware of the popular Soca and Reggae songs no context of the artists singing them That is when a little JVC camcorder joined my arsenal It felt great to promote our local artistes and their music and to showcase what transpires behind the scenes and below the surface of fetes pretty costumes and carnival

Five years later in 2008 I left corporate America to pursue my dream full time It was at the point when I decided it was best for TJJ to specialize in Carni-val after establishing ourselves in every major city we targeted across the globe We then achieved yet another lsquoFirstrsquo in our market becoming the 1st Ca-ribbean website to have our own television produc-tion ndash ldquoYou TJJ and Carnivalrdquo in 2009 The show airs locally in Trinidad amp Tobago with past seasons airing throughout the Caribbean and in the US (New York New Jersey Connecticut) When I look back today where it started sometimes I donrsquot believe how far the website (and myself as a person) has grown

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL UK

How many carnivals have you been to Did u ever check how much time in a year you spend at carnivals

For many this is dream job tell us hon-estly what are the downfalls

Irsquove been to around 20 different carnivals from what I can recall Honestly I believe therersquos a carnival happening somewhere around the world most weekends My season usually starts in January with Trinidad Carnival and ends in October with Miami Carnival spend-ing roughly 4 months at carnivals a year

Personally I hate packing and traveling but once Irsquom at the destina-tion I love it If I could grab my phone camera and laptop get on a plane and see my luggage waiting at hotel when I arrive I would be a happy camper

SAINT LUCIA CARNIVAL

Carnival can be exhausting with all the fetes and pa-rade How do you feel each time

What is the part of carnival that impresses you or makes you excited each time What are you tired of

What is carnival for you Is it more of a job or fun

Itrsquos a game I like to call ldquoMan vs Carnivalrdquo You win some you lose some A short Trinidad Carnival season (4-6 weeks) is the most intense and usually leaves me sick in bed for a week sometime after But as the saying goes ldquoIf you fail to prepare prepare to failrdquo Itrsquos a game of stamina and serious lsquoCarnivalliersrsquo (I might have just created a new word) train and diet for months before Being in shape will not only get you to the finish line but have you looking great in your carnival costume too

Irsquom always impressed by the preparations for carnival by the mas bands soca artistes and pro-moters As soon as one carnival is over they start planning for the next year Unfortunately Trini Jungle Juice doesnrsquot have that luxury as itrsquos on to the next carnival for us Band launch season always excites me you can feel the spirit of carnival coming I also love the feeling of reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones Irsquove met some of my best friends at the different carnivals I attend Now what I do get tired of soca artistes and bands doing the same exact performance all season (or all year in some cases) In this day and age partygoers should never know what to expect entertainment wise Irsquom not asking for bands to rework their entire set but mix it up in subtle ways for the very least

They say if you love what you do you feel as if never work a day in your life I think this isnrsquot 100 true I absolutely love what I do but at times I feel like Irsquom working 247 and need a break Itrsquos funny as everyone tells me off when I take a vacation to some exotic destination following a carnival But they donrsquot realize that while they are drinking partying and have a ball Irsquom right there with them Not only doing the same - drinking partying and yes win-ing BUT Irsquom also working This part of the job never feels like work The work comes before with the planning and after when we have to process and showcase the respective carnivals

HOLLYWOOD CARNIVAL

You have been doing this for a while now How did carnivals change over the years

Itrsquos gotten a lot more expensive ndash both parties and playing mas But I also believe the level of service and quality has also gone up Womenrsquos costumes have also gotten skimpier and skimp-ier But heh ldquoLess is MORErdquo Entertainment wise there are more musical groupsbands that perform primarily their own music Yes you still have a couple cross over bands doing covers but personally this is dying breed One must establish and grow their own music and brand identity to stay relevant and competitive You donrsquot go to a Jay-Z concert to hear him sing Bob Marleyrsquos songs Also most partygoers donrsquot want to be told what to do by entertainers at events The days for ldquomove to the left move to the rightrdquo and ldquohands up hands downrdquo are gone We simply want artistes to perform and entertain us

Letrsquos say you have a daughter or maybe two of them would you let them play carnival and at what age if yes Would you follow them around to see whatrsquos happeningYes of course I believe 16-17 years old is a good age to start with adult supervision Itrsquos nice to see parents have their kids play adult mas with them when in their later teenager years I would do the same Carnival hands down is one of the best social mechanisms and I also like the idea of Kiddies carnival to get the young generation started However parents shouldnrsquot force their kids into it if it doesnrsquot appeal to them One pet peeve of mine is seeing young chil-dren dancing and wining like adults I believe carnival should be fun and innocent at this age

MIAMI CARNIVAL

5 absolutely not to do things during carnival- Donrsquot oversleep Especially before Breakfast Parties or JrsquoOuvert- If you donrsquot drink Carnival is NOT the place to start- Donrsquot wear tight shoes unless losing a toe nail is okay- Never walk around with a thick wad of money- Donrsquot NOT play Mas

If Machel is Mr Fete who would you be The Carnival Ref Irsquom that guy that makes the call if a carnival is worth going to

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

Five years later in 2008 I left corporate America to pursue my dream full time It was at the point when I decided it was best for TJJ to specialize in Carni-val after establishing ourselves in every major city we targeted across the globe We then achieved yet another lsquoFirstrsquo in our market becoming the 1st Ca-ribbean website to have our own television produc-tion ndash ldquoYou TJJ and Carnivalrdquo in 2009 The show airs locally in Trinidad amp Tobago with past seasons airing throughout the Caribbean and in the US (New York New Jersey Connecticut) When I look back today where it started sometimes I donrsquot believe how far the website (and myself as a person) has grown

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL UK

How many carnivals have you been to Did u ever check how much time in a year you spend at carnivals

For many this is dream job tell us hon-estly what are the downfalls

Irsquove been to around 20 different carnivals from what I can recall Honestly I believe therersquos a carnival happening somewhere around the world most weekends My season usually starts in January with Trinidad Carnival and ends in October with Miami Carnival spend-ing roughly 4 months at carnivals a year

Personally I hate packing and traveling but once Irsquom at the destina-tion I love it If I could grab my phone camera and laptop get on a plane and see my luggage waiting at hotel when I arrive I would be a happy camper

SAINT LUCIA CARNIVAL

Carnival can be exhausting with all the fetes and pa-rade How do you feel each time

What is the part of carnival that impresses you or makes you excited each time What are you tired of

What is carnival for you Is it more of a job or fun

Itrsquos a game I like to call ldquoMan vs Carnivalrdquo You win some you lose some A short Trinidad Carnival season (4-6 weeks) is the most intense and usually leaves me sick in bed for a week sometime after But as the saying goes ldquoIf you fail to prepare prepare to failrdquo Itrsquos a game of stamina and serious lsquoCarnivalliersrsquo (I might have just created a new word) train and diet for months before Being in shape will not only get you to the finish line but have you looking great in your carnival costume too

Irsquom always impressed by the preparations for carnival by the mas bands soca artistes and pro-moters As soon as one carnival is over they start planning for the next year Unfortunately Trini Jungle Juice doesnrsquot have that luxury as itrsquos on to the next carnival for us Band launch season always excites me you can feel the spirit of carnival coming I also love the feeling of reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones Irsquove met some of my best friends at the different carnivals I attend Now what I do get tired of soca artistes and bands doing the same exact performance all season (or all year in some cases) In this day and age partygoers should never know what to expect entertainment wise Irsquom not asking for bands to rework their entire set but mix it up in subtle ways for the very least

They say if you love what you do you feel as if never work a day in your life I think this isnrsquot 100 true I absolutely love what I do but at times I feel like Irsquom working 247 and need a break Itrsquos funny as everyone tells me off when I take a vacation to some exotic destination following a carnival But they donrsquot realize that while they are drinking partying and have a ball Irsquom right there with them Not only doing the same - drinking partying and yes win-ing BUT Irsquom also working This part of the job never feels like work The work comes before with the planning and after when we have to process and showcase the respective carnivals

HOLLYWOOD CARNIVAL

You have been doing this for a while now How did carnivals change over the years

Itrsquos gotten a lot more expensive ndash both parties and playing mas But I also believe the level of service and quality has also gone up Womenrsquos costumes have also gotten skimpier and skimp-ier But heh ldquoLess is MORErdquo Entertainment wise there are more musical groupsbands that perform primarily their own music Yes you still have a couple cross over bands doing covers but personally this is dying breed One must establish and grow their own music and brand identity to stay relevant and competitive You donrsquot go to a Jay-Z concert to hear him sing Bob Marleyrsquos songs Also most partygoers donrsquot want to be told what to do by entertainers at events The days for ldquomove to the left move to the rightrdquo and ldquohands up hands downrdquo are gone We simply want artistes to perform and entertain us

Letrsquos say you have a daughter or maybe two of them would you let them play carnival and at what age if yes Would you follow them around to see whatrsquos happeningYes of course I believe 16-17 years old is a good age to start with adult supervision Itrsquos nice to see parents have their kids play adult mas with them when in their later teenager years I would do the same Carnival hands down is one of the best social mechanisms and I also like the idea of Kiddies carnival to get the young generation started However parents shouldnrsquot force their kids into it if it doesnrsquot appeal to them One pet peeve of mine is seeing young chil-dren dancing and wining like adults I believe carnival should be fun and innocent at this age

MIAMI CARNIVAL

5 absolutely not to do things during carnival- Donrsquot oversleep Especially before Breakfast Parties or JrsquoOuvert- If you donrsquot drink Carnival is NOT the place to start- Donrsquot wear tight shoes unless losing a toe nail is okay- Never walk around with a thick wad of money- Donrsquot NOT play Mas

If Machel is Mr Fete who would you be The Carnival Ref Irsquom that guy that makes the call if a carnival is worth going to

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

How many carnivals have you been to Did u ever check how much time in a year you spend at carnivals

For many this is dream job tell us hon-estly what are the downfalls

Irsquove been to around 20 different carnivals from what I can recall Honestly I believe therersquos a carnival happening somewhere around the world most weekends My season usually starts in January with Trinidad Carnival and ends in October with Miami Carnival spend-ing roughly 4 months at carnivals a year

Personally I hate packing and traveling but once Irsquom at the destina-tion I love it If I could grab my phone camera and laptop get on a plane and see my luggage waiting at hotel when I arrive I would be a happy camper

SAINT LUCIA CARNIVAL

Carnival can be exhausting with all the fetes and pa-rade How do you feel each time

What is the part of carnival that impresses you or makes you excited each time What are you tired of

What is carnival for you Is it more of a job or fun

Itrsquos a game I like to call ldquoMan vs Carnivalrdquo You win some you lose some A short Trinidad Carnival season (4-6 weeks) is the most intense and usually leaves me sick in bed for a week sometime after But as the saying goes ldquoIf you fail to prepare prepare to failrdquo Itrsquos a game of stamina and serious lsquoCarnivalliersrsquo (I might have just created a new word) train and diet for months before Being in shape will not only get you to the finish line but have you looking great in your carnival costume too

Irsquom always impressed by the preparations for carnival by the mas bands soca artistes and pro-moters As soon as one carnival is over they start planning for the next year Unfortunately Trini Jungle Juice doesnrsquot have that luxury as itrsquos on to the next carnival for us Band launch season always excites me you can feel the spirit of carnival coming I also love the feeling of reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones Irsquove met some of my best friends at the different carnivals I attend Now what I do get tired of soca artistes and bands doing the same exact performance all season (or all year in some cases) In this day and age partygoers should never know what to expect entertainment wise Irsquom not asking for bands to rework their entire set but mix it up in subtle ways for the very least

They say if you love what you do you feel as if never work a day in your life I think this isnrsquot 100 true I absolutely love what I do but at times I feel like Irsquom working 247 and need a break Itrsquos funny as everyone tells me off when I take a vacation to some exotic destination following a carnival But they donrsquot realize that while they are drinking partying and have a ball Irsquom right there with them Not only doing the same - drinking partying and yes win-ing BUT Irsquom also working This part of the job never feels like work The work comes before with the planning and after when we have to process and showcase the respective carnivals

HOLLYWOOD CARNIVAL

You have been doing this for a while now How did carnivals change over the years

Itrsquos gotten a lot more expensive ndash both parties and playing mas But I also believe the level of service and quality has also gone up Womenrsquos costumes have also gotten skimpier and skimp-ier But heh ldquoLess is MORErdquo Entertainment wise there are more musical groupsbands that perform primarily their own music Yes you still have a couple cross over bands doing covers but personally this is dying breed One must establish and grow their own music and brand identity to stay relevant and competitive You donrsquot go to a Jay-Z concert to hear him sing Bob Marleyrsquos songs Also most partygoers donrsquot want to be told what to do by entertainers at events The days for ldquomove to the left move to the rightrdquo and ldquohands up hands downrdquo are gone We simply want artistes to perform and entertain us

Letrsquos say you have a daughter or maybe two of them would you let them play carnival and at what age if yes Would you follow them around to see whatrsquos happeningYes of course I believe 16-17 years old is a good age to start with adult supervision Itrsquos nice to see parents have their kids play adult mas with them when in their later teenager years I would do the same Carnival hands down is one of the best social mechanisms and I also like the idea of Kiddies carnival to get the young generation started However parents shouldnrsquot force their kids into it if it doesnrsquot appeal to them One pet peeve of mine is seeing young chil-dren dancing and wining like adults I believe carnival should be fun and innocent at this age

MIAMI CARNIVAL

5 absolutely not to do things during carnival- Donrsquot oversleep Especially before Breakfast Parties or JrsquoOuvert- If you donrsquot drink Carnival is NOT the place to start- Donrsquot wear tight shoes unless losing a toe nail is okay- Never walk around with a thick wad of money- Donrsquot NOT play Mas

If Machel is Mr Fete who would you be The Carnival Ref Irsquom that guy that makes the call if a carnival is worth going to

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

SAINT LUCIA CARNIVAL

Carnival can be exhausting with all the fetes and pa-rade How do you feel each time

What is the part of carnival that impresses you or makes you excited each time What are you tired of

What is carnival for you Is it more of a job or fun

Itrsquos a game I like to call ldquoMan vs Carnivalrdquo You win some you lose some A short Trinidad Carnival season (4-6 weeks) is the most intense and usually leaves me sick in bed for a week sometime after But as the saying goes ldquoIf you fail to prepare prepare to failrdquo Itrsquos a game of stamina and serious lsquoCarnivalliersrsquo (I might have just created a new word) train and diet for months before Being in shape will not only get you to the finish line but have you looking great in your carnival costume too

Irsquom always impressed by the preparations for carnival by the mas bands soca artistes and pro-moters As soon as one carnival is over they start planning for the next year Unfortunately Trini Jungle Juice doesnrsquot have that luxury as itrsquos on to the next carnival for us Band launch season always excites me you can feel the spirit of carnival coming I also love the feeling of reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones Irsquove met some of my best friends at the different carnivals I attend Now what I do get tired of soca artistes and bands doing the same exact performance all season (or all year in some cases) In this day and age partygoers should never know what to expect entertainment wise Irsquom not asking for bands to rework their entire set but mix it up in subtle ways for the very least

They say if you love what you do you feel as if never work a day in your life I think this isnrsquot 100 true I absolutely love what I do but at times I feel like Irsquom working 247 and need a break Itrsquos funny as everyone tells me off when I take a vacation to some exotic destination following a carnival But they donrsquot realize that while they are drinking partying and have a ball Irsquom right there with them Not only doing the same - drinking partying and yes win-ing BUT Irsquom also working This part of the job never feels like work The work comes before with the planning and after when we have to process and showcase the respective carnivals

HOLLYWOOD CARNIVAL

You have been doing this for a while now How did carnivals change over the years

Itrsquos gotten a lot more expensive ndash both parties and playing mas But I also believe the level of service and quality has also gone up Womenrsquos costumes have also gotten skimpier and skimp-ier But heh ldquoLess is MORErdquo Entertainment wise there are more musical groupsbands that perform primarily their own music Yes you still have a couple cross over bands doing covers but personally this is dying breed One must establish and grow their own music and brand identity to stay relevant and competitive You donrsquot go to a Jay-Z concert to hear him sing Bob Marleyrsquos songs Also most partygoers donrsquot want to be told what to do by entertainers at events The days for ldquomove to the left move to the rightrdquo and ldquohands up hands downrdquo are gone We simply want artistes to perform and entertain us

Letrsquos say you have a daughter or maybe two of them would you let them play carnival and at what age if yes Would you follow them around to see whatrsquos happeningYes of course I believe 16-17 years old is a good age to start with adult supervision Itrsquos nice to see parents have their kids play adult mas with them when in their later teenager years I would do the same Carnival hands down is one of the best social mechanisms and I also like the idea of Kiddies carnival to get the young generation started However parents shouldnrsquot force their kids into it if it doesnrsquot appeal to them One pet peeve of mine is seeing young chil-dren dancing and wining like adults I believe carnival should be fun and innocent at this age

MIAMI CARNIVAL

5 absolutely not to do things during carnival- Donrsquot oversleep Especially before Breakfast Parties or JrsquoOuvert- If you donrsquot drink Carnival is NOT the place to start- Donrsquot wear tight shoes unless losing a toe nail is okay- Never walk around with a thick wad of money- Donrsquot NOT play Mas

If Machel is Mr Fete who would you be The Carnival Ref Irsquom that guy that makes the call if a carnival is worth going to

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

Carnival can be exhausting with all the fetes and pa-rade How do you feel each time

What is the part of carnival that impresses you or makes you excited each time What are you tired of

What is carnival for you Is it more of a job or fun

Itrsquos a game I like to call ldquoMan vs Carnivalrdquo You win some you lose some A short Trinidad Carnival season (4-6 weeks) is the most intense and usually leaves me sick in bed for a week sometime after But as the saying goes ldquoIf you fail to prepare prepare to failrdquo Itrsquos a game of stamina and serious lsquoCarnivalliersrsquo (I might have just created a new word) train and diet for months before Being in shape will not only get you to the finish line but have you looking great in your carnival costume too

Irsquom always impressed by the preparations for carnival by the mas bands soca artistes and pro-moters As soon as one carnival is over they start planning for the next year Unfortunately Trini Jungle Juice doesnrsquot have that luxury as itrsquos on to the next carnival for us Band launch season always excites me you can feel the spirit of carnival coming I also love the feeling of reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones Irsquove met some of my best friends at the different carnivals I attend Now what I do get tired of soca artistes and bands doing the same exact performance all season (or all year in some cases) In this day and age partygoers should never know what to expect entertainment wise Irsquom not asking for bands to rework their entire set but mix it up in subtle ways for the very least

They say if you love what you do you feel as if never work a day in your life I think this isnrsquot 100 true I absolutely love what I do but at times I feel like Irsquom working 247 and need a break Itrsquos funny as everyone tells me off when I take a vacation to some exotic destination following a carnival But they donrsquot realize that while they are drinking partying and have a ball Irsquom right there with them Not only doing the same - drinking partying and yes win-ing BUT Irsquom also working This part of the job never feels like work The work comes before with the planning and after when we have to process and showcase the respective carnivals

HOLLYWOOD CARNIVAL

You have been doing this for a while now How did carnivals change over the years

Itrsquos gotten a lot more expensive ndash both parties and playing mas But I also believe the level of service and quality has also gone up Womenrsquos costumes have also gotten skimpier and skimp-ier But heh ldquoLess is MORErdquo Entertainment wise there are more musical groupsbands that perform primarily their own music Yes you still have a couple cross over bands doing covers but personally this is dying breed One must establish and grow their own music and brand identity to stay relevant and competitive You donrsquot go to a Jay-Z concert to hear him sing Bob Marleyrsquos songs Also most partygoers donrsquot want to be told what to do by entertainers at events The days for ldquomove to the left move to the rightrdquo and ldquohands up hands downrdquo are gone We simply want artistes to perform and entertain us

Letrsquos say you have a daughter or maybe two of them would you let them play carnival and at what age if yes Would you follow them around to see whatrsquos happeningYes of course I believe 16-17 years old is a good age to start with adult supervision Itrsquos nice to see parents have their kids play adult mas with them when in their later teenager years I would do the same Carnival hands down is one of the best social mechanisms and I also like the idea of Kiddies carnival to get the young generation started However parents shouldnrsquot force their kids into it if it doesnrsquot appeal to them One pet peeve of mine is seeing young chil-dren dancing and wining like adults I believe carnival should be fun and innocent at this age

MIAMI CARNIVAL

5 absolutely not to do things during carnival- Donrsquot oversleep Especially before Breakfast Parties or JrsquoOuvert- If you donrsquot drink Carnival is NOT the place to start- Donrsquot wear tight shoes unless losing a toe nail is okay- Never walk around with a thick wad of money- Donrsquot NOT play Mas

If Machel is Mr Fete who would you be The Carnival Ref Irsquom that guy that makes the call if a carnival is worth going to

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

HOLLYWOOD CARNIVAL

You have been doing this for a while now How did carnivals change over the years

Itrsquos gotten a lot more expensive ndash both parties and playing mas But I also believe the level of service and quality has also gone up Womenrsquos costumes have also gotten skimpier and skimp-ier But heh ldquoLess is MORErdquo Entertainment wise there are more musical groupsbands that perform primarily their own music Yes you still have a couple cross over bands doing covers but personally this is dying breed One must establish and grow their own music and brand identity to stay relevant and competitive You donrsquot go to a Jay-Z concert to hear him sing Bob Marleyrsquos songs Also most partygoers donrsquot want to be told what to do by entertainers at events The days for ldquomove to the left move to the rightrdquo and ldquohands up hands downrdquo are gone We simply want artistes to perform and entertain us

Letrsquos say you have a daughter or maybe two of them would you let them play carnival and at what age if yes Would you follow them around to see whatrsquos happeningYes of course I believe 16-17 years old is a good age to start with adult supervision Itrsquos nice to see parents have their kids play adult mas with them when in their later teenager years I would do the same Carnival hands down is one of the best social mechanisms and I also like the idea of Kiddies carnival to get the young generation started However parents shouldnrsquot force their kids into it if it doesnrsquot appeal to them One pet peeve of mine is seeing young chil-dren dancing and wining like adults I believe carnival should be fun and innocent at this age

MIAMI CARNIVAL

5 absolutely not to do things during carnival- Donrsquot oversleep Especially before Breakfast Parties or JrsquoOuvert- If you donrsquot drink Carnival is NOT the place to start- Donrsquot wear tight shoes unless losing a toe nail is okay- Never walk around with a thick wad of money- Donrsquot NOT play Mas

If Machel is Mr Fete who would you be The Carnival Ref Irsquom that guy that makes the call if a carnival is worth going to

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

You have been doing this for a while now How did carnivals change over the years

Itrsquos gotten a lot more expensive ndash both parties and playing mas But I also believe the level of service and quality has also gone up Womenrsquos costumes have also gotten skimpier and skimp-ier But heh ldquoLess is MORErdquo Entertainment wise there are more musical groupsbands that perform primarily their own music Yes you still have a couple cross over bands doing covers but personally this is dying breed One must establish and grow their own music and brand identity to stay relevant and competitive You donrsquot go to a Jay-Z concert to hear him sing Bob Marleyrsquos songs Also most partygoers donrsquot want to be told what to do by entertainers at events The days for ldquomove to the left move to the rightrdquo and ldquohands up hands downrdquo are gone We simply want artistes to perform and entertain us

Letrsquos say you have a daughter or maybe two of them would you let them play carnival and at what age if yes Would you follow them around to see whatrsquos happeningYes of course I believe 16-17 years old is a good age to start with adult supervision Itrsquos nice to see parents have their kids play adult mas with them when in their later teenager years I would do the same Carnival hands down is one of the best social mechanisms and I also like the idea of Kiddies carnival to get the young generation started However parents shouldnrsquot force their kids into it if it doesnrsquot appeal to them One pet peeve of mine is seeing young chil-dren dancing and wining like adults I believe carnival should be fun and innocent at this age

MIAMI CARNIVAL

5 absolutely not to do things during carnival- Donrsquot oversleep Especially before Breakfast Parties or JrsquoOuvert- If you donrsquot drink Carnival is NOT the place to start- Donrsquot wear tight shoes unless losing a toe nail is okay- Never walk around with a thick wad of money- Donrsquot NOT play Mas

If Machel is Mr Fete who would you be The Carnival Ref Irsquom that guy that makes the call if a carnival is worth going to

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

MIAMI CARNIVAL

5 absolutely not to do things during carnival- Donrsquot oversleep Especially before Breakfast Parties or JrsquoOuvert- If you donrsquot drink Carnival is NOT the place to start- Donrsquot wear tight shoes unless losing a toe nail is okay- Never walk around with a thick wad of money- Donrsquot NOT play Mas

If Machel is Mr Fete who would you be The Carnival Ref Irsquom that guy that makes the call if a carnival is worth going to

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

5 absolutely not to do things during carnival- Donrsquot oversleep Especially before Breakfast Parties or JrsquoOuvert- If you donrsquot drink Carnival is NOT the place to start- Donrsquot wear tight shoes unless losing a toe nail is okay- Never walk around with a thick wad of money- Donrsquot NOT play Mas

If Machel is Mr Fete who would you be The Carnival Ref Irsquom that guy that makes the call if a carnival is worth going to

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

If Machel is Mr Fete who would you be The Carnival Ref Irsquom that guy that makes the call if a carnival is worth going to

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

The best ever carnival fete

Did u ever lose your camera in this bacchanal

Carnival with the most stunning girls

Best Power Soca tune

Carnival with the most beautiful costumes

Which carnival you havenrsquot been to yet

Which one you canrsquot remember

Groovy

Is carnival coming out your pores

How long are you planning to do this

Vale Vibe Breakfast Party (Trinidad) especially when it was hosted in Diamond Vale

Knocking on wood Thankfully NO

Trinidad based on sheer numbers however both Jamaica and Cayman can give a good run for money

Destra Garcia amp Machel Montano ndash Carnival

Helloooooooooooo Trinidad Carnival hands down

Both Antigua and Rotterdam They always seem to clash with bigger carnivals

Tampa Bay Carnival donrsquot even think it still exist

Wow too many to namehellip And I seem to love the groovy songs from the other islands tooKrosfyah - Insane (Wet Me) (1996)Gabby - Dr Cassandra (1995)Atlantik - All Aboard (1997)Kevin Lyttle - Home For Carnival (2005)and my anthemRupee - Thatrsquos Where Irsquoll be (2003)

Itrsquos in my blood but not coming out of my pores There are lots of folks out there and live and die by carnival

I always asked myself this question Will I become too old to do this I definitely donrsquot want to be ldquothat guyrdquo in the partycarnival But then someone told me something that stuck They said they see me as being the ldquoAnthony Bourdain of Carnivalrdquo one day because my years of experience with carnival will be unrivaled

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

The H

istory and

Future of New

Roots

The Netherlands

Dub Creator is known for his music productions regarding Digital Roots Steppa amp Reggae music specially made for the heavy hand made Sound Systems He is the creator of the many King Shiloh Sound System releases and mix amp masters for several other producers amp labels

Among these releases are the 7rdquo vinyls of Bassculture Foundation Amsterdam coming out in 2015 Bassculture crew rides down to the village of lsquoZwaanshoekrsquo in the North-Holland province to visit Mr A Goldstein AKA the Dub Creator in his studio We talk about sounds that are and sounds to come from his big ldquolittlerdquo DUBshed

by MA Depender of Bassculture Foundation Pictures by Lara Tompa (wwwpixolarcom)Location Zwaanshoek Holland

Who is this man that cuts produces amp mixes these heavyDigital Dub rhythms for massive Sound SystemsHow did it all startI am born in Purmerend and raised in Haarlem After that I moved to Amsterdam The music and love for bass started like everybody else I assume my brother had some vinyl from Bob Marley UB40 Peter Tosh and others that I really enjoyed From there other sounds came to ear like dubs from King Tubby Lee Perry Jamaican Style Listening together with friends and of course with something nice to lsquosmokersquo it was kind of magic I started to collect these sounds and rhythms and felt that I could try to play a style too Somewhere around 1986 I passed by a shop and bought myself a Casio keyboard it was good fun to play along with dub Soon after that I purchased a Roland E5 and an 8 track mixer and my first echodelay the Rockman Stereo Echohellipmy voyage with music started this way Today I have replaced all equipment but my Echo is still therehellipin all of my sounds

I tried to work with bands and had my own band but that was really hard work I felt it never sounded exactly how I wanted Around this time the computers came like Atari and others I got one myself and it gave me the possibility to lead the tracks with MIDI to arrange the synths etc This was amazing From then on I was able to do everything myself I like it like that

We speak about the early nineties what sounds influenced you around that time and where did they bring youIt was the UK dub in combination with Jamaican Dub that had a big influence on the sound I liked We talk about Jah Shaka Jah Tubbyrsquos Channel One Sound System Adrian Sherwood Mad Professor Dub Syndicate Band to mention a few They laid out the path of dub evolution from the late 70rsquos combining Jamaican Reggae based music with the new digital equipment Professional equipment was highly expensive at that time so you had to mix it up with gear like the Roland TR-808 or TB-303 They were easy to get and affordable in the early 80rsquosThat is how Jah Warrior Disciples Conscious Sounds Nick Manasseh started their sound they were the real pioneers of that style

Around the same time I attended the King Shiloh sessions in the early 90rsquos in Amsterdam when they didnrsquot even have their own sound system I remember it was once a month but Dancehall was really hot at the time with Gregory Isaacsrsquo new hits I came there mainly to listen to Roots amp Reggae Culture At one particular time I gave a DAT recording to Neil from King Shiloh He called me a few days later saying ldquoI have two singers here maybe we could pass by and recordrdquo I immediately laid down two rhythms for them they werenrsquot anything special One of them was a track called lsquoRed Lightrsquo with Idren Natural released on 10rdquo vinyl It kind of started from there

Sound Systems amp Dub culture really grew over the past thirty years how do you feel about that

Which other labels are you working with right now

I feel that a lot of the dubs you hear nowadays are lower in quality then they used to be Due to technology which is also a good thing a lot of young people make a rhythm in their attic on a computer It has everything in it like cubase built-in synthesizers amp plug-ins access ga-lore But they immediately mistake it as a great track and release it Nowadays there is a lot of sound with the simple lsquobumbumbum klakrsquo with tremendous bass and that is it Where is the vocal What about the hornsection How about some melody To me these are just a kind of lsquoguidersquo tracks an interlude a base to get all the harmonies to-gether It takes time to collect and properly master these instruments and machines together with musicians to make a solid heavy and harmonious sound

Also the dance changed with more mass-audience I kind of enjoyed the early days when the dance was with more rastas and alternative people We enjoyed the sounds and the culture in a kind of natural way Now it became more and more of a rave with students and other freaks using the pills coke or whatever chemical just to get rave-wasted

I prefer to work alone on music productions but do mixing and mastering for other labels andor producers For 15 years I worked with Rootikal Attack I just finished a 12rdquo vinyl for them with vocals from Cedric Myton (singer of The Congorsquos red) A track with Johnny Clarke is also in the making for themhellipthese are not minor artists you know I gave them some of my lsquoguidersquo tracks in case they have vocals to go over them thatrsquos how we work For King Shiloh I have a lot of work in stock about 15 new tracks I think that gives me enough to do for the next 5 years

Bassculture Foundation Amsterdam is going to release some tracks on vinyl in 2015 on their own independent label I (re)mix and master their projects tooThe tracks coming out with Bassculture are with lsquogenuinersquo quality Like the first 7rdquo vinyl re-lease ldquoNatty Dubrdquo coming up in 2015 with the Bassculture Family Band amp Mikey Murka vocal which has become a very strong Sound System track The project of Bassculture Foundation was to give a vocal for the musicians to play and make the rhythm on top of that I am happy with my mixing and mastering and I feel it is a big track for the dance The 7rdquo vinyl remix ldquoDigital Agerdquo with the vocal of Earl 16 is more of a strong listening tune with a very strong message in my opinion Of course it comes with a dub

What can you tell us about Bassculture Foundation AmsterdamWorking together with Bassculture Foundation gives me a good and creative feeling The lsquoumbrellarsquo mind of Bassculture results in projects that contain many different elements in music styles and genres

It feels a little bit how I started off in the beginning keeping it wide and open It used to be only Roots amp Reggae for years but here I work on projects like Umeme Afrorave Band Bassculture Family Band and digital rhythms of various producers Working together with professional artists and musicians on these projects gives a platform that creates nice crossovers and eventually leads to new collaborations

Letrsquos get it on

What can you tell us about Bassculture Foundation AmsterdamWorking together with Bassculture Foundation gives me a good and creative feeling The lsquoumbrellarsquo mind of Bassculture results in projects that contain many different elements in music styles and genres

It feels a little bit how I started off in the beginning keeping it wide and open It used to be only Roots amp Reggae for years but here I work on projects like Umeme Afrorave Band Bassculture Family Band and digital rhythms of various producers Working together with professional artists and musicians on these projects gives a platform that creates nice crossovers and eventually leads to new collaborations

Letrsquos get it on

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

Sound Systems amp Dub culture really grew over the past thirty years how do you feel about that

Which other labels are you working with right now

I feel that a lot of the dubs you hear nowadays are lower in quality then they used to be Due to technology which is also a good thing a lot of young people make a rhythm in their attic on a computer It has everything in it like cubase built-in synthesizers amp plug-ins access ga-lore But they immediately mistake it as a great track and release it Nowadays there is a lot of sound with the simple lsquobumbumbum klakrsquo with tremendous bass and that is it Where is the vocal What about the hornsection How about some melody To me these are just a kind of lsquoguidersquo tracks an interlude a base to get all the harmonies to-gether It takes time to collect and properly master these instruments and machines together with musicians to make a solid heavy and harmonious sound

Also the dance changed with more mass-audience I kind of enjoyed the early days when the dance was with more rastas and alternative people We enjoyed the sounds and the culture in a kind of natural way Now it became more and more of a rave with students and other freaks using the pills coke or whatever chemical just to get rave-wasted

I prefer to work alone on music productions but do mixing and mastering for other labels andor producers For 15 years I worked with Rootikal Attack I just finished a 12rdquo vinyl for them with vocals from Cedric Myton (singer of The Congorsquos red) A track with Johnny Clarke is also in the making for themhellipthese are not minor artists you know I gave them some of my lsquoguidersquo tracks in case they have vocals to go over them thatrsquos how we work For King Shiloh I have a lot of work in stock about 15 new tracks I think that gives me enough to do for the next 5 years

Bassculture Foundation Amsterdam is going to release some tracks on vinyl in 2015 on their own independent label I (re)mix and master their projects tooThe tracks coming out with Bassculture are with lsquogenuinersquo quality Like the first 7rdquo vinyl re-lease ldquoNatty Dubrdquo coming up in 2015 with the Bassculture Family Band amp Mikey Murka vocal which has become a very strong Sound System track The project of Bassculture Foundation was to give a vocal for the musicians to play and make the rhythm on top of that I am happy with my mixing and mastering and I feel it is a big track for the dance The 7rdquo vinyl remix ldquoDigital Agerdquo with the vocal of Earl 16 is more of a strong listening tune with a very strong message in my opinion Of course it comes with a dub

What can you tell us about Bassculture Foundation AmsterdamWorking together with Bassculture Foundation gives me a good and creative feeling The lsquoumbrellarsquo mind of Bassculture results in projects that contain many different elements in music styles and genres

It feels a little bit how I started off in the beginning keeping it wide and open It used to be only Roots amp Reggae for years but here I work on projects like Umeme Afrorave Band Bassculture Family Band and digital rhythms of various producers Working together with professional artists and musicians on these projects gives a platform that creates nice crossovers and eventually leads to new collaborations

Letrsquos get it on

What can you tell us about Bassculture Foundation AmsterdamWorking together with Bassculture Foundation gives me a good and creative feeling The lsquoumbrellarsquo mind of Bassculture results in projects that contain many different elements in music styles and genres

It feels a little bit how I started off in the beginning keeping it wide and open It used to be only Roots amp Reggae for years but here I work on projects like Umeme Afrorave Band Bassculture Family Band and digital rhythms of various producers Working together with professional artists and musicians on these projects gives a platform that creates nice crossovers and eventually leads to new collaborations

Letrsquos get it on

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

What can you tell us about Bassculture Foundation AmsterdamWorking together with Bassculture Foundation gives me a good and creative feeling The lsquoumbrellarsquo mind of Bassculture results in projects that contain many different elements in music styles and genres

It feels a little bit how I started off in the beginning keeping it wide and open It used to be only Roots amp Reggae for years but here I work on projects like Umeme Afrorave Band Bassculture Family Band and digital rhythms of various producers Working together with professional artists and musicians on these projects gives a platform that creates nice crossovers and eventually leads to new collaborations

Letrsquos get it on

What can you tell us about Bassculture Foundation AmsterdamWorking together with Bassculture Foundation gives me a good and creative feeling The lsquoumbrellarsquo mind of Bassculture results in projects that contain many different elements in music styles and genres

It feels a little bit how I started off in the beginning keeping it wide and open It used to be only Roots amp Reggae for years but here I work on projects like Umeme Afrorave Band Bassculture Family Band and digital rhythms of various producers Working together with professional artists and musicians on these projects gives a platform that creates nice crossovers and eventually leads to new collaborations

Letrsquos get it on

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

What can you tell us about Bassculture Foundation AmsterdamWorking together with Bassculture Foundation gives me a good and creative feeling The lsquoumbrellarsquo mind of Bassculture results in projects that contain many different elements in music styles and genres

It feels a little bit how I started off in the beginning keeping it wide and open It used to be only Roots amp Reggae for years but here I work on projects like Umeme Afrorave Band Bassculture Family Band and digital rhythms of various producers Working together with professional artists and musicians on these projects gives a platform that creates nice crossovers and eventually leads to new collaborations

Letrsquos get it on

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

wwwbassculture

islandscom

F i n d p h o t o g r a p h e r a t h t t p w w w i s l a n d - f o t o c o m

Ba

rba

do

s

I believe photographs are most interesting when they foster a sense of mystery showing not just beauty but also peaking the curiosity as to how and where it was taken Beautiful photographs are to be found everywhere however it takes not only vision but also patience and persever-ance to find them

My work is about being in touch with my environ-ment My vision is also driven by my love of technolo-gy and the exploration of new places My interests are to capture the beauty of our everyday surroundings in addition to portraiture Places and faces interest me equally

I use slow shutter speeds and double exposures to ex-plore the nuances of movement and the passage of time I work with landscapes seascapes urbanscapes and peo-ple to illustrate my perspective My goal is to use my camera to open unexplored worlds to satisfy human cu-riosity and show everyday beauty

wwwbassculture

islandscom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

I believe photographs are most interesting when they foster a sense of mystery showing not just beauty but also peaking the curiosity as to how and where it was taken Beautiful photographs are to be found everywhere however it takes not only vision but also patience and persever-ance to find them

My work is about being in touch with my environ-ment My vision is also driven by my love of technolo-gy and the exploration of new places My interests are to capture the beauty of our everyday surroundings in addition to portraiture Places and faces interest me equally

I use slow shutter speeds and double exposures to ex-plore the nuances of movement and the passage of time I work with landscapes seascapes urbanscapes and peo-ple to illustrate my perspective My goal is to use my camera to open unexplored worlds to satisfy human cu-riosity and show everyday beauty

wwwbassculture

islandscom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

My work is about being in touch with my environ-ment My vision is also driven by my love of technolo-gy and the exploration of new places My interests are to capture the beauty of our everyday surroundings in addition to portraiture Places and faces interest me equally

I use slow shutter speeds and double exposures to ex-plore the nuances of movement and the passage of time I work with landscapes seascapes urbanscapes and peo-ple to illustrate my perspective My goal is to use my camera to open unexplored worlds to satisfy human cu-riosity and show everyday beauty

wwwbassculture

islandscom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

I use slow shutter speeds and double exposures to ex-plore the nuances of movement and the passage of time I work with landscapes seascapes urbanscapes and peo-ple to illustrate my perspective My goal is to use my camera to open unexplored worlds to satisfy human cu-riosity and show everyday beauty

wwwbassculture

islandscom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

wwwbassculture

islandscom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom

wwwbassculture

islandscom

PHOTO BY MIQUEL GALOFRE (TampT ROCKS) LOCATION BARBADOS

wwwfacebookcomTandTrocks

wwwmiquelgalofrecom