Houston CaribFest Parade of the Bands 2011 Review
http://www.trinijunglejuice.com/tjjnews/articles/2336/1/Houston-CaribFest-Parade-of-the-Bands-2011-Review/Page1.html
By Neil aka Joy Juice
Published on 03-Jul-11
People......we're in Houston TX. Can you imagine what the temperatures are like down here? A staggering 100 degrees +, has been the norm all weekend, with the days reaching its high point between 2 and 3pm. With such being the case, the Houston Caribfest committee and their management team, smartly moved the parade back three hours, with a now kick off time at 5pm. This was a ...
>> View Houston CaribFest Parade Of The Bands 2011 Part 1 Gallery
>> View Houston CaribFest Parade Of The Bands 2011 Part 2 Gallery
>> View Houston CaribFest 2011 Coverage
People......we're in Houston TX. Can you imagine what the temperatures are like down here? A staggering 100 degrees +, has been the norm all weekend, with the days reaching its high point between 2 and 3pm. With such being the case, the Houston Caribfest committee and their management team, smartly moved the parade back three hours, with a now kick off time at 5pm. This was a great call on the management team's side. This move just echoed the positive decisions we were seeing all weekend long. And though there was a concern that the parade would have interfered with the concert and live show, this was not the case. This event was well planned and organized. This was also evident by thousands of people that showed up to the event which came off without a hitch.
CROWD:
The size of the parade was not as large as expected. There were five bands and non of them went probably over 150 masqueraders. However that did not stop the jamming! Some spectators even met the bands on the parade route to join the celebrations. After the parade, the crowd that assembled in anticipation of the evening's show, was clearly the biggest turn out of supporters I have see in a very very long time. Certainly a family event, one can see a truly diverse crowd of every generation and culture.
VENUE/ACCESSIBILITY:
The Tom Bass Park, was the ideal place to host the Parade of the Bands and Live show. There had to be possibly 5000 + patrons at this event with room for more. The park played host to both the parade and the concert alike. As for the show, the performers performed on the largest stage for the weekend at the park's amphitheater. This was good especially considering the tight stages they used all weekend. The amphitheater accommodated a combination of dancing, seating and standing room. The venue was great for parking, ease of traffic getting in and out as well. There was enough room for vendors as well.
VIBES:
"The vibes was certainly in place from the get go. The masqueraders did their work both on the road and then to their judging point, remaining upbeat all along. There was a bit of a pause from the road to their stage, but Aisa was sure to get things going. I can possibly even see the masqueraders using the same stage as the concert...but that's another story. By the time TJJ arrived at the concerts location, the vibration was transferred to the amphitheater from the parade, where once again, Mr. Hype himself...MC Wassy, earned his keep. The DJs for the evening keep the thousands on their feet jumping to the sweet sounds of the caribbean. Caribbean flags were everywhere as the patrons truly showed their national pride. As for the show, the entertainers kept the large crowd alive.
Local recording artist T-Rock started the show and kicked things off. He did a good job and opened the gates for the 'Disco Daddy' the Lord Nelson. Nelson, who turns 80yrs of age later this month, pleased the crowd with his renditions of Disco Daddy, La La and Meh Lover, clearly the crowd's favorite. Following Nelson, was Ragga, who tantalized the ladies who were front and centre. Ragga had a good weekend performing. 2011 hit song Ramajay's Lyrikal, once again gave a stellar performance.He is becoming very popular and knows how to work a crowd. Lyrikal also partnered with one of the Request Band’s front line singers Leonce….who on this day, decked off in a Wonder Woman outfit…Believe me, she certainly fit the role. Worth mentioning in this review, is the versatility of the Request Band. They were really fantastic and we can see them going far if they continue along the right path.
As the show moved on, Both Iwer George and Rupee amplified the evening’s energy with their performances. After a back in times session and in customary fashion, Iwer climbed into the crowd to the delight of his followers, after they were forced to leave the stage when Iwer said “Come to Meh.” Patrons took it literally and climbed on stage. In past years soca entertainers have found success in their music by giving their followers a job to do. It’s either move to the left or right, get something and wave, put yuh hands in the air and wave it, be an obsessive winer, gih me ah bly in de sky, etc etc…and this year was no different as Iwer constantly asked them to ‘Come to Meh….or Go away from meh’ Who say Caribbean people don’t like following instructions? Steupes…. As for the soft voice Rupee, he has found success in singing specifically for the ladies. So just imaging the entire front line...hmmmmm. His song ‘If I Can’t Have You’ is certain testimony. What got the crowd really worked up is his rendition of ‘What Happens In the Party.’ A tune that is certain to last a lifetime…really reaches out to every party goer as we all have had times where we wished ‘What Happened in the party…really stayed in de party….right? And for all you Houston TX carnival goers…What Happens in Houston, Stays in Houston……..TJJ will only tell our readers some of the fun we had…..In other words…for those of you reading this…..you should have been there…LOL… Rupee gave a quality performance, as always….
To close the show…no one could have picked a better band in Crossfire! Edwin Yearwood’s voice is as sweet as ever. Complimented by his band, Edwin has not lost a beat. Crossfire’s existence has certainly been renewed as it was shown by their performance on this night. Eddy gave the huge crowd permission to ‘Handle Yuh Bizniz’ and that they did with ease…..They ‘Kept Rolling It’…. There was no dispute that all the performers kept the vibe rolling for the person before them. The vibe was never at a stand still.
FOOD & DRINKS:
Allyuh....I not lying....I will leave my location and fly to Houston, TX just to eat by 'Cool Runnings Caribbean Restaurant.' My gosh...de meat literally falling off de bone, the rice and peas is de best I ever taste and down to the cabbage is best! What de hell allyuh put in dat food? Geez an ages....!!! I am truly sorry to the other vendors that were there that night..so sorry. I know they had really good food and they as well had lines in front their booths, but 'Cool Runnings' booth was the longest! The jerk chicken, stew chicken, fry plaintains...etc everything was really really good. As for drinks...i'm sorry again but even the fruit punch by Cool Runnings was....was.....was....ah can't even get it out....tears coming to my eyes yes.....it was de best fruit punch ever...ever....and ever again....Boss Runnings....well done....
Ok...enough....anyway, other than that, overall the food and drinks was great. There was an ice tea that the artists and media had privy to back stage. I like myself with that.
SERVICE:
Timing is everything to TJJ staff. Being at events on time or in time to capture everything is important. The promoters were so organized and on time that if problems existed, no one would have known. The management rented vehicles and personal drivers were assigned to ensure artists, media and other important persons made it to the venues on time. At one point I remember being on stage and feeling thirsty. As I walked off to find me something to drink, a staff member met me half way with a bottle of water....I wondered if she was psychic. How de hell she knew I was thirsty? That's serious service right there!!! she needs to get the flava flav for that one ...WWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW.... the artists had AC rooms to cool off in, coolers of water were visible, food was available from Cool Runnings, police and security were in place to secure what ever they needed to secure etc etc. As far as service, I think this is something that other committees can learn from. Great job Houston!
COST/VALUE:
The cost was great! $15.00 was the cover to get in. Not bad at all. People were able to bring their entire families to this event.
At the end of the day, I can safely say that this was one of the best events I have covered. Not much went wrong or could be done better. You truly had to be there. The organization was really good. To the DJ's and Artists, great job! The love you guys show TJJ, we appreciate it. We hope we can do you justice with our photography and in our reviews. There was a temporary stop in the show when a little girl was identified to be lost but the good work of MC Wassy brought her on stage and her parents were quickly identified. Request Band and Crossfire...well done. Iwer, Rupee, Lyrikal, Ragga...great job. Lord Nelson...you set the tone with your humility and positive nature. Thank you. Marky...we go link up! TJJ had a great time. To the promoters, Houston Caribfest...fantastic job. We cannot say it enough! Patrick...Patrick...Patrick....excellent work. Nadine, Natalie, Rea, Giselle, Trudy, Sharon, and every other committee member who mane escapes me.... And btw, hospitality rep Marsha...great job all weekend! Thanks for the love you guys showed TJJ! We love you too Houston!!!
Joy Juice...Out and About
Did we forget anything? Add your 2 cents below...
>> View Houston CaribFest Parade Of The Bands 2011 Part 1 Gallery
>> View Houston CaribFest Parade Of The Bands 2011 Part 2 Gallery
>> View Houston CaribFest 2011 Coverage
>> View Houston CaribFest Parade Of The Bands 2011 Part 2 Gallery
>> View Houston CaribFest 2011 Coverage
People......we're in Houston TX. Can you imagine what the temperatures are like down here? A staggering 100 degrees +, has been the norm all weekend, with the days reaching its high point between 2 and 3pm. With such being the case, the Houston Caribfest committee and their management team, smartly moved the parade back three hours, with a now kick off time at 5pm. This was a great call on the management team's side. This move just echoed the positive decisions we were seeing all weekend long. And though there was a concern that the parade would have interfered with the concert and live show, this was not the case. This event was well planned and organized. This was also evident by thousands of people that showed up to the event which came off without a hitch.CROWD:
The size of the parade was not as large as expected. There were five bands and non of them went probably over 150 masqueraders. However that did not stop the jamming! Some spectators even met the bands on the parade route to join the celebrations. After the parade, the crowd that assembled in anticipation of the evening's show, was clearly the biggest turn out of supporters I have see in a very very long time. Certainly a family event, one can see a truly diverse crowd of every generation and culture.
VENUE/ACCESSIBILITY:The Tom Bass Park, was the ideal place to host the Parade of the Bands and Live show. There had to be possibly 5000 + patrons at this event with room for more. The park played host to both the parade and the concert alike. As for the show, the performers performed on the largest stage for the weekend at the park's amphitheater. This was good especially considering the tight stages they used all weekend. The amphitheater accommodated a combination of dancing, seating and standing room. The venue was great for parking, ease of traffic getting in and out as well. There was enough room for vendors as well.
VIBES:
"The vibes was certainly in place from the get go. The masqueraders did their work both on the road and then to their judging point, remaining upbeat all along. There was a bit of a pause from the road to their stage, but Aisa was sure to get things going. I can possibly even see the masqueraders using the same stage as the concert...but that's another story. By the time TJJ arrived at the concerts location, the vibration was transferred to the amphitheater from the parade, where once again, Mr. Hype himself...MC Wassy, earned his keep. The DJs for the evening keep the thousands on their feet jumping to the sweet sounds of the caribbean. Caribbean flags were everywhere as the patrons truly showed their national pride. As for the show, the entertainers kept the large crowd alive.
Local recording artist T-Rock started the show and kicked things off. He did a good job and opened the gates for the 'Disco Daddy' the Lord Nelson. Nelson, who turns 80yrs of age later this month, pleased the crowd with his renditions of Disco Daddy, La La and Meh Lover, clearly the crowd's favorite. Following Nelson, was Ragga, who tantalized the ladies who were front and centre. Ragga had a good weekend performing. 2011 hit song Ramajay's Lyrikal, once again gave a stellar performance.He is becoming very popular and knows how to work a crowd. Lyrikal also partnered with one of the Request Band’s front line singers Leonce….who on this day, decked off in a Wonder Woman outfit…Believe me, she certainly fit the role. Worth mentioning in this review, is the versatility of the Request Band. They were really fantastic and we can see them going far if they continue along the right path. As the show moved on, Both Iwer George and Rupee amplified the evening’s energy with their performances. After a back in times session and in customary fashion, Iwer climbed into the crowd to the delight of his followers, after they were forced to leave the stage when Iwer said “Come to Meh.” Patrons took it literally and climbed on stage. In past years soca entertainers have found success in their music by giving their followers a job to do. It’s either move to the left or right, get something and wave, put yuh hands in the air and wave it, be an obsessive winer, gih me ah bly in de sky, etc etc…and this year was no different as Iwer constantly asked them to ‘Come to Meh….or Go away from meh’ Who say Caribbean people don’t like following instructions? Steupes…. As for the soft voice Rupee, he has found success in singing specifically for the ladies. So just imaging the entire front line...hmmmmm. His song ‘If I Can’t Have You’ is certain testimony. What got the crowd really worked up is his rendition of ‘What Happens In the Party.’ A tune that is certain to last a lifetime…really reaches out to every party goer as we all have had times where we wished ‘What Happened in the party…really stayed in de party….right? And for all you Houston TX carnival goers…What Happens in Houston, Stays in Houston……..TJJ will only tell our readers some of the fun we had…..In other words…for those of you reading this…..you should have been there…LOL… Rupee gave a quality performance, as always….
To close the show…no one could have picked a better band in Crossfire! Edwin Yearwood’s voice is as sweet as ever. Complimented by his band, Edwin has not lost a beat. Crossfire’s existence has certainly been renewed as it was shown by their performance on this night. Eddy gave the huge crowd permission to ‘Handle Yuh Bizniz’ and that they did with ease…..They ‘Kept Rolling It’…. There was no dispute that all the performers kept the vibe rolling for the person before them. The vibe was never at a stand still.
FOOD & DRINKS:Allyuh....I not lying....I will leave my location and fly to Houston, TX just to eat by 'Cool Runnings Caribbean Restaurant.' My gosh...de meat literally falling off de bone, the rice and peas is de best I ever taste and down to the cabbage is best! What de hell allyuh put in dat food? Geez an ages....!!! I am truly sorry to the other vendors that were there that night..so sorry. I know they had really good food and they as well had lines in front their booths, but 'Cool Runnings' booth was the longest! The jerk chicken, stew chicken, fry plaintains...etc everything was really really good. As for drinks...i'm sorry again but even the fruit punch by Cool Runnings was....was.....was....ah can't even get it out....tears coming to my eyes yes.....it was de best fruit punch ever...ever....and ever again....Boss Runnings....well done....
Ok...enough....anyway, other than that, overall the food and drinks was great. There was an ice tea that the artists and media had privy to back stage. I like myself with that.
SERVICE:
Timing is everything to TJJ staff. Being at events on time or in time to capture everything is important. The promoters were so organized and on time that if problems existed, no one would have known. The management rented vehicles and personal drivers were assigned to ensure artists, media and other important persons made it to the venues on time. At one point I remember being on stage and feeling thirsty. As I walked off to find me something to drink, a staff member met me half way with a bottle of water....I wondered if she was psychic. How de hell she knew I was thirsty? That's serious service right there!!! she needs to get the flava flav for that one ...WWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW.... the artists had AC rooms to cool off in, coolers of water were visible, food was available from Cool Runnings, police and security were in place to secure what ever they needed to secure etc etc. As far as service, I think this is something that other committees can learn from. Great job Houston!
COST/VALUE:The cost was great! $15.00 was the cover to get in. Not bad at all. People were able to bring their entire families to this event.
At the end of the day, I can safely say that this was one of the best events I have covered. Not much went wrong or could be done better. You truly had to be there. The organization was really good. To the DJ's and Artists, great job! The love you guys show TJJ, we appreciate it. We hope we can do you justice with our photography and in our reviews. There was a temporary stop in the show when a little girl was identified to be lost but the good work of MC Wassy brought her on stage and her parents were quickly identified. Request Band and Crossfire...well done. Iwer, Rupee, Lyrikal, Ragga...great job. Lord Nelson...you set the tone with your humility and positive nature. Thank you. Marky...we go link up! TJJ had a great time. To the promoters, Houston Caribfest...fantastic job. We cannot say it enough! Patrick...Patrick...Patrick....excellent work. Nadine, Natalie, Rea, Giselle, Trudy, Sharon, and every other committee member who mane escapes me.... And btw, hospitality rep Marsha...great job all weekend! Thanks for the love you guys showed TJJ! We love you too Houston!!!
Joy Juice...Out and About
Did we forget anything? Add your 2 cents below...
>> View Houston CaribFest Parade Of The Bands 2011 Part 1 Gallery
>> View Houston CaribFest Parade Of The Bands 2011 Part 2 Gallery
>> View Houston CaribFest 2011 Coverage