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CAYMAN CARNIVAL
2014 COVERAGE
Batabano, Oh Batabano! 2014 marks my 5th visit (number six for TJJ) to the Cayman Islands for the Batabano festivities and I'm still loving it! Cayman Airways will get you there (try their Rum Punch in flight), Andy's Car Rental will get you around the island (try to book a right-hand drive). Singh's Roti Shop will provide you will all the curry & stew you can eat! In my Bacchanal Jamaica 2014 review I mentioned that the core of any successful carnival is having a great parade, which is ironic given the fact that one certainty of Batabano is that on Carnival Saturday evening (around 3pm to 6pm) all masqueraders will revel along West Bay Road (adjacent to the famous Seven Mile Beach) taking full advantage of the road in every way possible.... and like any good carnival, you will be left craving more! Batabano Chairperson, Donna Myrie-Stephen, and committee do an excellent job in the planning and organization of the 'Adult Costume Parade'. Enough bands to jump with, all creeds and races, and fits and forms of costumes. The only thing more beautiful than the island is the women and their sexy costumes! So get on the road early, as every minute lost translates into a lost wine!! And with a set time to seek out "M.O.R" road... energy and vibes is never lacking. Whilst the real carnival lovers (especially team TJJ) would still love to see the parade route extended, most revellers, especially the lightweights who can't cope with the 2-day jump in most major Carnivals, the Batabano jump up is just perfect. Swanky International took home their 7th "Band of the Year" title with "Once Upon A Time" theme (by designingDARYL). Toronto's mas man Dexter Seusahai (who designed formally for Swanky Int'l) brought out his own mas band 'Tribal' and copped 2nd place with "Deep Rising 2014" presentation. And LIME came in 3rd place and won the 'Spirit of Batabano' award. Another certainty of Cayman Carnival is that the Batabano committee and key promoters will host some of the biggest names in the soca industry for the carnival weekend. The uncertainly lies within the fact that it's usually done last minute, not allowing carnivaliers enough time to plan the trip. Respect goes out to Cayman Bacchanal, who start their carnival promotions from January 1st every year. The official Batabano festivities kicked off on Thursday night at Royal Palms for a two-in-one event "Le Masque" and "World Fete" featuring the Queen of Bacchanal Destra. On Friday night, we were on the Waterfront in George Town for "Bacchanal Friday" where Viking of Soca, Bunji Garlin fresh off his BET 106 & Park debut gave an energetic performance. (Watch interview with Bunji Garlin) After the parade, T&T's K.Rich and Vincy's Skinny 'BTW' Fabulous performed at "Swanky's After-Mas". The last certainty of Batabano ... On Sunday, Rum Point/Star Fish Point is the place to be! Hands down, the best Carnival Cooldown party/lime ... period. Trini Jungle Juice teamed up with Swanky for "RUM + SOCA" and took not just one, but two boats out on the water hosted by our good friends K.Rich and Skinny Fabulous. The lime was bess. This year, Fresh Carnival joined forces with Cayman Bacchanal and Tribal Cayman for their "Sweetness on the Water" boat ride. But the real surprise came when all 3 boats anchored along side one another making it ONE BIG party at Star Fish Point where all the DJ's took turns to shell down the place. Interesting fact before I run to my next carnival. Swanky Int'l started off in 2007 with 57 masqueraders in costume. In 2014, their band is at 690 revellers (in costume). Although I am still fascinated by their insane woman to man ratio (#winning), this is a clear example of how mas bands are playing their part in the growth of Cayman Carnival. And with other bands like 'Fresh Carnival' offering getaway packages (bringing in a large group from Toronto), things are certainly going in the right direction Batabano. Cayman Islands ... #REPRESENT!
We Love Carnival ... We Know Carnival ... WE ARE CARNIVAL! Yours truly, ps. Special thanks to the Cayman Carnival Batabano Committee (Donna, Laura and team) and all the sponsors who made this trip once again possible, and not forgetting Swanky Int'l for sorting out my short, but sweet stay at Lacovia. >> Cayman
Carnival 2013 Coverage |
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