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HOUSTON
CARIBFEST 2011 COVERAGE
Houston… We have a Problem! Most of us reading this wrap up, will probably remember the 1995 movie Apollo 13 and the quote that help made it famous.... ‘Houston... we have a problem.’ When it was used, the crew thought that a meteoroid had struck the Lunar Module. However, what we did not know is that the origination of that line was actually “Houston, we’ve had a problem” quoted by astronaut Jack Swigert, back in 1970 on the original trip on Apollo. The line then, depicted that the problem was there but is no longer a threat to the space shuttle. So why all this tra la la? Well, TJJ almost had to call the Houston CaribFest Committee and say.... “Houston... we have a problem!” But instead, captains of the ship (the ship is Trini Jungle Juice btw) Daddy Juice and D’ Original Lime Flavor made the all important call to Joy Juice and said... “Joy Juice... we CANNOT have a problem in Houston. We are unable to go, ARE YOU READY FOR CARNIVAL????” And in true fashion, I made that call to the CaribFest committee. And though not a native of Houston Texas, it was only fitting to say…. “Houston…I’m Coming Home!” Allyuh guess what? They really made TJJ feel at home from touchdown to takeoff. Yeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhh… was the first thing I said after landing in Houston at approximately 4pm. Committee member Sharon, was in route to pick up both TJJ and Lord Nelson. “What? You mean to tell me I will be in the same car with the Lord Nelson? Wooooooowwwwwwww” was all I could say. So that you know, on route to the hotel, I took that opportunity to do a 5 Minutes With interview with Lord Nelson… look out for it people… it’s fantastic! By the time we got to the hotel, there was only time to do two things... eat and get ready for the Ultra GLO event featuring the Request Band, Lord Nelson, Rikki Jai and headliner Kes The Band. By the way, that best food we got came from Cool Runnings Jamaican Grill (my gosh, dat food was good). You can visit them at www.coolrunningshouston.com . Onto the show. The Ultra GLO was great. It started on time, finished late, good service, great crowd. Certainly signs of things to come. It is a must if ever you make it to Houston Carnival. The three-generation line up of artists could not have been better for a carnival-opening event. By day two, there was a lot of hype surrounding the annual CaribFest J’Ouvert. I kept hearing from the bosses...“JoyJuice, yuh will love that J’ouvert!” Now... it’s come and gone, and I cannot wait to go back next year!! The J’Ouvert... well, honestly, you had to be there. It was everything... AND then some. With thousands of Caribbean Diaspora in attendance, a water truck in the waiting to soak the crowd, a massive line up of quality DJ’s, vendors on the outside with home cooked food, ah Jab Jab posse passing through and a best corn soup to look forward too, there was no doubt that a treat was is store. The later it got the more paint, oil and powder we began to see. No customary mud, but no complaints either. By 5am the music truck that was intended for the road, ended staging within the venue’s walls and actually proved to be a good thing. People did not hesitate to follow the tuck around the yard. Other than the water that was sprayed on the Jouvert-ers, following the truck brought back days of Trinidad Carnival when I did my thing... hmmmmmmm. Anyway, J’Ouvert ended at 6am and by that time… even the band members of the Request Band, who dressed up in their J’Ouvert kits, needed a little sleep on the ride back to the hotel. They were partied out! So far for the carnival, so good!!! On July 2nd, we took a bit of a trek by Limerz International and their annual day fete... Climaxx. Nice vibes. And plus, Back to Basics was there. Need I say more? Hey it’s Carnival time... we had to take a little taste. Held at a nightclub, Climaxx did just enough to start the evening going. Good crowd, good people and the music was just right. As for the CaribFest’s event that evening, there was a bit of a hiccup... but no major problem. The original venue for the ‘Baytown Comes Alive’ had to be changed for whatever reason. We didn’t care as long as the people knew and as long as we were there. Both were achieved. The Houston CaribFest Committee worked diligently to inform their following of the venue change and the transition went off without a problem. This by the way was no easy feat. But they did it. With a trip down to the Banana Beach Bend for Baytown Comes Alive 2011, the new location for the event, we were happy to see the turn out. The support of the Houston CaribFest events is amazing. It certainly helped to know that we even saw loyal TJJ subscribers at this event. Yaaaaayyyyyyyy!!! With a full cast lined up, there was no stopping the show. Iwer George, Rupee, Lyrical, Ragga and Krosfyah all made their initial appearance for the weekend at this event. The vibe for the entire evening was flowing. You just needed to be there to understand. Trini Jungle Juice concluded our 2011 Houston CaribFest tour of duty at the Parade of the Bands at the Tom Bass Park, Houston TX. Great venue, lots of food, lots of drinks, a fantastic show in place and we captured it all. The parade was a bit short and the numbers a bit small, but they are growing in that area. And what they lost in numbers at the parade, they certainly made up for in numbers at every venue. There was no different in the artist line up from the previous night’s festivities other than local Houston artist T-Rock, and the 5000 strong crowd that gathered in front the stage. What an event. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have never been to Houston TX for their Carnival, then you’re certainly missing something special. To the promoters, we certainly appreciate the love, hospitality and professionalism. We cannot say it enough. We cannot name everyone but there are two people worthy of mentioning... Patrick and Nadine, you guys and your team have done an outstanding job! Keep the ball rolling. And by the way, after all the festivities, CaribFest was so nice to even give ah Cool Down by the Park on the Monday. They sweet eh?
JoyJuice... Out and About! <<
Houston Caribfest 2010 Coverage >> |
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