#Soca Gold 2017

[galleryyuhself]

Galleryyuhself - DECLARING DIEGO MARTIN THE HOME OF CALYPSOMEDIA RELEASE

There are 300+ Trinidad-style Carnivals all over planet Earth. The two largest festivals in the western world are Trini-styled Carnivals- London’s Notting Hill, and Brooklyn’s Labour Day- which, at their height, had over 4 million people on the streets! Calypso has been the root and has profoundly influenced the trajectory of many forms of popular music from Afrobeat, Ska, Rock Steady, Dancehall, and Reggaeton, to Afro Beats and EDM, etc. The first platinum album in the world was Calypso by Harry Belafonte beating out Rock N Roll and Elvis. After Jazz and before Pop, America was contemplating making Calypso its next popular music… Millions of people across the world move to the pulse of its variant forms- Soca, Chutney, and more…

All of this impact was born in a cave at the top of Diego Martin out of the voice of one genius enslaved African called Gros Jean… On Thursday 9th February at 10:30am a group of citizens, historians, Calypsonians and estates of Calypsonians made the historic declaration that ‘’Diego Martin is the Home of Calypso’ at the Azure Room in IMAX, Starting with the phrase, ‘’As this is the ‘Mother of All Carnivals’ we would like to make the ‘Mother of all Carnival Declarations’’ the Artists’ Coalition of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT) in collaboration with  series of Diego Martin citizen organisations, and the estates of some of T&T’s most illustrious Kings of Calypso are pursuing an initiative to have Diego Martin branded ‘the Home of Calypso’. 

The fascinating claim emerges out of a strange confluence of cultural phenomena observed by ACTT president Rubadiri Victor whilst doing historical research for a Cultural Mapping exercise for Diego Martin as part of a Commonwealth Foundation grant project in 2016.The reasons behind the claim are the following: The first 6 or so Calypsonians ever in the historical record came from slave plantations in Diego.

Records have shown that during the late 1700s, the first Calypsonians originated from the Begorrat Slave Plantation in Covigne Hill, Diego Martin- with the first Calypsonian on record being the enslaved African “Gros Jean” a singer of extraordinary talent. The tomb of Gros Jean- the first Calypsonian- is located at the corner of Covigne Road and Richardson Street in Diego Martin- at what was once the Bergorrat family cemetery. It is said that on burial, Gros Jean’s body was wrapped in flaming red cloth, with a gold crucifix over his forehead, and his mouth filled with rum…Following Gros Jean were other calypsonians like “So-So”, “Papa Couchon”, “Possum”, and “Hannibal the Mulatto”.

The site where Calypso was 'born' were the Covigne caves beneath Begorrat's great house. The network of caves are said to extend all the way to the West coast beach of Macqueripe where Begorrat was rumoured to have run contraband and illegal slaves through. That Calypso was born in a cave is a fascinating Creation Myth. Victor and fellow ACTT board member and Calypso archivist Shawn Randoo made the hike to discover the caves in 2017 and filmed the entire adventure. It will be released as a short film later this year…

Apart from this, many of the modern Calypso Kings also came to reside in Diego- Sparrow, Kitchener, Rudder, Chalkdust- as well as other geniuses of the form- Funny, Brigo, Brother Superior, etc. The first ever Calypso King (1939)- the Growling Tiger- - was born there. Calypso Queen Denise Plummer was also a resident, alongside “Marcia Miranda”, the duo “Regeneration Now” and brass bandleader “Roy Cape”. One of the greatest writers of the Calypso- the late “Winsford Devine” also called Diego home, alongside contemporary voices like Kerwyn Du Bois and Maximus Dan who were born there.

Add to this legendary Pan arranger Clive Bradley and Drew Gonzalves- lead singer/songwriter of the Calypso-based Juno winning group Kobo Town (the Juno is the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy). It is a staggering amount of Legacy names!...To crown it all the largest archive of T&T music and Calypso exists in Diego- the Shawn Randoo collection. This is important as the two largest collections of T&T and Calypso music are both held outside of T&T. The first is located in Alaska with historian and ex-judge Ray Funk.

The second is located in Canada- recently sold by Trini-born Toronto native George Maharaj.

These facts inspired Rubadiri and ACTT to crown the phenomena via a proposal that was supported by the Diego Martin Regional Corporation through then Chairman Hong and the village of Covigne in 2017. Its objectives were, and still are, the activation of a Heritage Hub project and the branding of Diego Martin as the Home of Calypso, on the planet.

The project was advancing on many fronts- but COVID then derailed it…As this is the "Mother of All Carnivals" it was decided to reanimate the project, reassemble the forces, and relaunch the project with a media conference to LAUNCH THE IDEA of DIEGO MARTIN- THE HOME OF CALYPSO.

At the media conference, a timeline was given to realize the first phase of projects in time for Carnival 2024. To facilitate the project a committee made up of the stakeholders has been put together and is expanding. There are reps from the estates of the Kings- Kitch, Sparrow, Rudder, etc; Shawn Randoo the kaiso historian; representatives of the Covigne people; the Diego Martin Carnival Committee; Akins Vidale- a professor from the Cipriani Labour College (born in Covigne); other Diego non-Calypso VIPs; and members of the Artists’ Coalition of Trinidad & Tobago.

At the Heart of all this, of course, is the Power and majesty of the thing called Calypso, which has changed the world and lives profoundly. The aim of the Heritage Hub project is to create entrepreneurial hubs based around profound Heritage Sites.

These sites are compelling destinations which should house multi-media Museums. Around this you then add the agricultural produce of the region, its culinary skills, its cultural practitioners and talents, its artisans, its tech, and its entrepreneurs- small, medium, and large.

ACTT believes that the ‘Diego Martin- Home of Calypso’ project will be a prototype of such citizen-led initiatives to transform declining communities.The committee is actively looking for private and public sector partners for the project which visualises a one year timeline for the first phase of the re-branding.

The projects include:

1.      Designating the Begorrat Caves a National Heritage Site and creating an international hiking trail destination with multiple lookout points. A project for the clearing and mapping of the caves at the top of Covigne exists and awaits partners.

2.      Another project involves creating heritage markers for the front of all the Homes of the Kings and other calypso sites in Diego- like Sparrow’s Hideaway, Kitchener’s Rain-O-Rama;  the grave of Gros Jean, the homes of Superior, etc.

3.      A low hanging fruit project involves the creation of murals all over the soon-to.be-borough with a specific one prescribed for Covigne itself.

4.      Another project involves a possible creation of a Diego Martin and Calypso multi-media museum out of the current Water Wheel Heritage Site and the designing of an outdoor stage at the Water Wheel, itself which is a natural ampitheatre.

5.      Holding all the multiple Heritage locations together will be the creation of a tourist guide map of the area by the committee.

6.      Finally the branding exclamation mark would be the creation of a billboard at the entrance of Diego proclaiming ‘‘Welcome to DIEGO MARTIN- THE HOME OF CALYPSO!’’

7.      A Diego Martin Calypso Heritage Festival would be the final goal, possibly twinned with the historic Pigeon Peas Festival run by members of the Covigne community.Its aim is to eventually attract up to 100,000 unique domestic and overseas visitors to Diego Martin annually in the first instance- as well as other forms of tourism.

This project could change the fate and face of Diego for the better and release multi-million dollar entrepreneurial multipliers in the community. It could assist in the rehabilitation of collapsing hillside communities and delinquent boys. The project also envisages the establishment of vinyl record shops, a record-pressing plant, and internet radio stations as outcomes. Ultimately the ‘Home of Calypso’ project would contribute toward generating and circulating millions of dollars in foreign exchange within Diego Martin, surrounding communities, and Trinidad & Tobago as a whole. 

There is a Facebook page you can join to keep abreast and to contribute: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090180610072 or call 1’868-797-‘0949 if interested.

Members of the committee: Pedro Mulrain ‘The Scientist’ ACTT board member and vinyl record activist: Errol Joseph representing the Covigne community and chairman of the Diego Martin Pigeon Peas Festival: Mr Shurland Hartley, head of the West Penn Sports and Cultural Organisation: and Rubadiri Victor, president of ACTT. Missing members of the Diego Martin Carnival Committee.

Video greetings by: David Michael Rudder; Karen Francisco from the Sparrow family: and Yvonne Bobb Smith, librarian and advocate for the creation of the T&T Museum of Music. Blessing came from the family of Kitchener- widow Valerie Roberts and daughter Quweina Roberts, and from Hollis Liverpool- the Chalkdust.

THE ENTIRE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT IS DEDICATED TO THE LATE PROFESSOR GORDON ROHLEHR....

[sneakyjames]

Bunji Garlin ft. Stadic - Road Bunx | Soca Gold 2017 by VP RECORDS Bunji Garlin ft. Stadic - Road Bunx | Soca Gold 2017 Stream or Download Soca Gold 2017 now: http://ift.tt/2vGhTrQ Follow Bunji Garlin: http://ift.tt/2bmwCRh Soca Gold 2017 has made its debut on the Billboard Reggae Chart, landing at number one this week. For twenty years, the annual series has set the standard for carnival music, bringing a taste of the Caribbean Islands with a current sample of the best Caribbean carnival hits. “We are excited that the album has debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart, especially for its 20th year” said Edwin Howell, A&R Director for VP Records. “The support of this soca series has proven that this is a genre that resonates with more and more people every year and keeps getting better,” he continues. The “Soca Gold 2017” compilation offers listeners 17 breakout hits including ‘No Name’ from Soca sensation Rupee featuring Ricardo Drue, Destra Garcia with ‘Destra vs Lucy’, ‘No Code’ by Teddyson John featuring Roy Cape All Stars and ‘Know the face’ by Marvay.‘Road Bunx’ from the “Soca Viking” Bunji Garlin featuring Static and ‘Hold On Something’ by Fay Ann-Lyons round out the set by delivering the high energy that soca lovers enjoy. For collector’s, the physical package for Soca Gold 2017 contains a bonus DVD with live, high-energy carnival footage and music videos that bring the carnival experience to life. Every year, the dynamic cover art on Soca Gold makes a bold statement and the 2017 edition doesn’t disappoint. Cover art from photographer Travis Matthews features model and Instagram influencor Sira P. Kante (@inkmyafrica on Instagram – 330+k followers), wearing a fishnet bodysuit, studded bra and ripped denim, the 2017 concept is ‘carnival meets street’, consisting of traditional Carnival costume pieces styled with a street aesthetic. Soca Gold 2017 Tracklist 1. Take A Bath – Iwer George 2. I Doh Mind – Uncle Ellis 3. No Code – Teddyson John feat. Roy Cape Stars 4. Freaky Girls – Ricky T feat. Emepey Slicker 5. Destra VS. Lucy – Destra Garcia 6. Know The Face – Marvay 7. Road Bunx – Bunji Garlin 8. Hold On Something – Fay-Ann Lyons 9. Ramsingh Sharma – Omardath Maharaj feat. Raymond Ramnarine 10. Good Morning – Peter Ram 11. Nuttin Sweetah – Mr. Dale 12. No Name – Rupee & Ricardo Drue 13. Pumping Iron – Tizzy 14. Get Up And Move (Bubble) – Hypasounds 15. Single Woman – Rikki Jai 16. Balkisoon – Omardath Maharaj feat. Raymond Ramnarine 17. Turn On De Speaker- Gryner http://ift.tt/2vG1hRb http://ift.tt/1sgi4T8 July 20, 2017 at 02:09PM

[tropicalfete]

New Post has been published on http://tropicalfete.com/2017/07/18/soca-gold-2017-debuts-at-number-1/

Soca Gold 2017 Debuts at Number 1

  Soca Gold 2017 Debuts at Number 1 on Billboard Reggae Chart

  NEW YORK, NY– Soca Gold 2017 has made its debut on the Billboard Reggae Chart, landing at number one this week. For twenty years, the annual series has set the standard for carnival music, bringing a taste of the Caribbean Islands with a current sample of the best Caribbean carnival hits.

“We are excited that the album has debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart, especially for its 20th year” said Edwin Howell, A&R Director for VP Records. “The support of this soca series has proven that this is a genre that resonates with more and more people every year and keeps getting better,” he continues.

The “Soca Gold 2017” compilation offers listeners 17 breakout hits including ‘No Name’ from Soca sensation Rupee featuring Ricardo Drue, Destra Garcia with ‘Destra vs Lucy’, ‘No Code’ by Teddyson John featuring Roy Cape All Stars and ‘Know the face’ by Marvay.‘Road Bunx’ from the “Soca Viking” Bunji Garlin featuring Static and ‘Hold On Something’ by Fay Ann-Lyons round out the set by delivering the high energy that soca lovers enjoy.

  For collector’s, the physical package for Soca Gold 2017 contains a bonus DVD with live, high-energy carnival footage and music videos that bring the carnival experience to life.

Every year, the dynamic cover art  on Soca Gold makes a bold statement and the 2017 edition doesn’t disappoint. Cover art from photographer Travis Matthews features model and Instagram influencor Sira P. Kante (@inkmyafrica on Instagram – 330+k followers), wearing a fishnet bodysuit, studded bra and ripped denim, the 2017 concept is ‘carnival meets street’, consisting of traditional Carnival costume pieces styled with a street aesthetic.

  For more information about Soca Gold, please visit:

https://www.facebook.com/socagold.

  Soca Gold 2017 TRACKLIST

Take A Bath – Iwer George

I Doh Mind – Uncle Ellis

No Code – Teddyson John feat. Roy Cape Stars

Freaky Girls – Ricky T feat. Emepey Slicker

Destra VS. Lucy – Destra Garcia

Know The Face – Marvay

Road Bunx – Bunji Garlin

Hold On Something – Fay-Ann Lyons

Ramsingh Sharma – Omardath Maharaj feat. Raymond Ramnarine

Good Morning – Peter Ram

Nuttin Sweetah – Mr. Dale

No Name – Rupee & Ricardo Drue

Pumping Iron – Tizzy

Get Up And Move (Bubble) – Hypasounds

Single Woman – Rikki Jai

Balkisoon – Omardath Maharaj feat. Raymond Ramnarine

17. Turn On De Speaker- Gryner

[menwithlocs]

Music Monday: Dynamite

How long have you been making music? I’ve been making music from since I was in primary school , the memory that stuck with me was at during lunch periods in primary school I use to knock on the desk and be singing and my other school mates would gather around and we would create a vibe, however I started recording professionally in 2015 after the release of my reggae track believe got national attention . I’m presently sign to Master Room Studio and doing music fulltime, I’m a publish artist with BMI and fully committed to making great music.

Tell us about your sound? I’ve been combining everything I’ve learn into one, when I first started out singing it was strictly reggae, and then I started blending the dancehall with the reggae now I’m blending those genres  with the soca flavor. Right now I’m doing all types of music there’s no boundaries when it comes to making music, the only limitation is the one you place on yourself.  

Who are some of your musical influences? Some of my music influences are Bob Marley, Chronixx, Damian Marley, Buju Banton, Vybz Kartel, Popcaan, Busy Signal, Bunji Garlin  just to name a few.

If you had the opportunity to collaborate with any artists, who would they be?

If it had the opportunity to collaborate with any artists It would be with Chronixx and Bunji Garlin

Tell us about your latest song? With the immense success after releasing my first ever soca song Brave in 2017 I had to release another bouncy catchy soca single for 2018 for all the soca lovers and dancers! My latest release this year is titled “BIG UP” produced once again by Mark Cyrus of Master room Studios SVG. I couldn’t choose a more suitable subject haven been inspired and blessed with my first soca release Brave being signed by Sony UK Black butter records, travelling all over the world with memorable trips to England and Trinidad for the first time and performing on stage with great acts such as Bunji Garlin, Cardi B, Marshal Montano, Nailah Blackman. Added to this, many new and amazing ventures and relationships were molded working with producers such as Stadic, Bad Royale, Black Gold King Bubba, Dj Ana, Travis World for upcoming 2018 releases .2018 is really set to be BIG UP with collabs coming with superstar soca artists such as Kevin Lyttle, Stiffy, King Bubba and Problem Child. BIG UP!!!

Where can we check out your music? My music can be found on my website and social media

WEBSITE www.dynamitetunes.com

INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/dynamitetunes/

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/dynamitetunes/

TWITTER https://twitter.com/dynamitetunes/

SOUNDCLOUD https://soundcloud.com/dynamitetunes

YOU TUBE CHANNEL https://www.youtube.com/dynamitesongs

[damajority]

DaMajority Fresh Article https://www.damajority.com/christopher-martins-album-and-then-to-be-released-may-3rd-on-vp-records-album-celebrated-with-live-tv-special-watch-parties-and-more/

CHRISTOPHER MARTIN’S ALBUM, AND THEN, TO BE RELEASED MAY 3RD ON VP RECORDS ALBUM CELEBRATED WITH LIVE TV SPECIAL, WATCH PARTIES AND MORE

CHRISTOPHER MARTIN’S ALBUM, AND THEN, TO BE RELEASED MAY 3RD ON VP RECORDS ALBUM CELEBRATED WITH LIVE TV SPECIAL, WATCH PARTIES AND MORE

Following the release of his single “Life”, VP Records is proud to announce that Christopher Martin’s album And Then will be released this Friday, May 3rd. In his sophomore offering, Christopher Martin presents a well-rounded mix of ballads and up-tempo jams, showcasing his musical versatility and growth with a celebration centered around themes of love, rising above hardship and finding the good in every situation. And Then is the follow up to Martin’s debut full length-album, “Big Deal”, which reached the top 5 on the Reggae Billboard Charts in 2017.

To celebrate the album release, a variety of events will be held in Jamaica and the U.S. On the albums release day, Christopher Martin will be at TVJ Studios for a live performance and interview which will be broadcasted on RETV, VP Records YouTube Channel at 7pm JA time/ 8pm EST and will be rebroadcasted on TVJ at a later time. The event can also be seen at two watch parties in Florida and Philadelphia (details below) and heard on Fame FM Jamaica, Reggae King Radio, Vibes FM in London and Irie Jam in New York (more stations to be announced). This TV Special is the second in the VP Records Live Series which launched in January with Strictly the Best Live from Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records in Montego Bay. The program was a huge success and reached many people globally. Next up will be Soca Gold Live in June. Christopher Martin will then head to New York, where he will celebrate with a album release party. More details to be announced. Singles off the album include “Bun Fi Bun,”, “Can’t Dweet Again,” “Come Back” and most recently “Life.” The album also features a standout cover of Mr. Big’s 1991 definitive track, “To Be With You.” Martin’s re-imagining of the love song is a sweet homage, delivering new meaning to the chart-topping single without losing sight of his powerful ability to connect with audiences across the globe and showcase his versatility as an artist not confined to one solitary genre.

With the launch of his second album, Chris was determined to give back and help raise the goals and expectations of youthful fans at home and abroad. In doing so, he teamed with the The Kulture Movement on the #NoDisrespect Campaign, which aims to educate the youth on behaviors that garner respect without resorting to violence. Shani Kulture of Hot 97.1 spearheaded the campaign with his partner Roxie Digital of Hot 103.9 FM and tapped Martin for the “School Tour,” in which workshops and activities with the kids are done to spread the message of positivity and self-worth. In addition to the campaign, Martin expanded his philanthropic efforts by supporting the American Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUWI)’s mission of raising funds and providing scholarships for needy students at UWI’s 4 campuses in 17 countries, by performing at their 2019 Legacy Awards gala held in February.

Born in St. Catherine, Jamaica, the now 32-year-old first established himself as an emerging talent following winning Jamaica’s top televised talent show “Digicel Rising Stars” in 2005. Shortly after, Martin went on to navigate his undeniably destined career in music with an eagerness and dedication to establishing his own forward-thinking sound. As exemplified through his energetic live performances and feel-good lyricism, his characteristic positivity is as genuine as it is memorable, allowing him to organically make a name for himself on the beloved island and connect with audiences that stretch far beyond his backyard in the Caribbean.   “And Then is a body of work I am very proud of and it comes at a time where I am embarking into a new chapter,” Martin states. “I have a newly born son and new music at the same time and that is a very special thing.”

[rebelmas-blog]

On Saturday, June 24, 2017, ®ebelMas ©a®nival Blog took a few whines down Hollywood Blvd in the Door section of Epic Mas Bands: Guilty Treasures #carnivaltheme I was adorned in a gold wire bra, gold necklace, wings reminiscent of Sunrays, golden leg/arm pieces, and a gold head chain to complete my look! D'or represents “the metal we lace our most treasured possessions with to signify their esteemed value.”- Epic Mas Band . De road to carnival bliss is one of the longest routes in the United States 😩 and is a route I’m willing to conquer again. I mentioned early on that this was the city’s #5th Annual Carnival Celebration and it proved to be a carnival I won’t soon forget. Seven bands participated in the parade: 1. Extasy Mas- “Allure of the Sea” 2. Mirage Mas- “Sunrise” 3. Reggae on The Road- “Forbidden” 4. Bamboo Mas- “Jungle Fever” 5. Sistas Wit Style 6. Epic Mas Band-“Guilty Treasures” 7. Hollywood Massive- “An Evolution of Expressions”

These 7 bands assembled perfectly like a full on #Soca #Brigade!!!!

[izatrini]

Soca music lovers, Soca Gold 2017 out June 23rd - South Florida Caribbean News http://dlvr.it/Qv0R1k

[alexphoenyx-blog]

Only 5 days left till Gold!!! J'Ouvert GOLD's, 2017 presentation Aurum Delight will be will be on the streets with glitter, glam and paint! It's not too late to join the masquerade with beautiful people, security, parking, food, drinks and of course the music!!! All Inclusive Packages are ONLY 550 TTD. Sign up today @JouvertGOLD on Facebook or contact a committee member. Join the revolution!. Packages: Individual - $550 TTD Group of 10 - $500 TTD each Contact Fiona 7351925. Kevin 742-5525. Marlon 3884417. Nicole 315-7271. Brand Design and Development | Alexander Phoenyx. www.alexanderphoenyx.com #AlexanderPhoenyx #Experienceyourself #LiveLoveLearn #Whatsyourstory #GraphicDesign #Design #Photography #Advertising #Flyer #video #Jouvert #Music #Masquerade #Carnival #Gold #Life #Glitter #Paint #Glamour #Soca #Mas #People #freedom #Travel #Trinidad #TrinidadandTobago #2017 #wejammin (at Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago)

[junker-town]

US Soccer is headed in the wrong direction

The future of the men’s and women’s soccer national team programs is at a crossroads, and no one is sure which way to go.

American soccer suffered a devastating blow in October when the United States men’s national team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. A stunning loss to Trinidad and Tobago meant the Americans will miss out on the biggest sporting event in the world for the first time since 1986.

It was an embarrassing moment, and it has brought about widespread demands for change.

In light of this failure, federation president Sunil Gulati has declared that he will not run for re-election. And while the loss to T&T might have been an eye-opener for many fans, there’s much more to U.S. Soccer’s problems than just some bad performances from the senior men’s squad.

The first few years of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, created in 2007 as an elite youth league, somehow coincided with a talent void rather than surplus. Meanwhile the women’s national team turned in its worst-ever Olympics performance in 2016, then lost a once unfathomable three home games in 2017.

In February, U.S. Soccer will elect a new president. The candidates all have difficult questions to answer: Is U.S. Soccer still headed in the right direction? What needs to change? And what should be American soccer’s measuring stick for success?

Despite recent failures, the federation could have as much as $140 million in its coffers. U.S. Soccer has the resources to make its way back onto the world stage, but how those resources should be put to use is very much up for debate.

There are some stellar young players on the men’s and women’s sides, but the results have yet to come. All of the candidates for U.S. Soccer president have different ideas about how to proceed. But at the moment, it’s impossible to say whether any of them will have American soccer heading in a positive direction going into the next World Cup cycles.

Maybe you’re wondering what happened. Two months later, it’s still hard to believe.

On Oct. 10, the USMNT entered its match away to Trinidad and Tobago needing only a draw to secure its place in the World Cup. That T&T squad featured players who most of the American team had regularly outplayed at the club level and was missing its two best North American-based players, Joevin Jones and Kevin Molino.

And yet, failure to qualify for the World Cup perhaps wasn’t quite as surprising as it seemed.

The USMNT looked slow and tired as it was outplayed by the young, experimental Soca Warriors. The Americans conceded twice in the first half and couldn’t complete a comeback, losing 2-1. Head coach Bruce Arena was fired.

It was one of the greatest single failures in the history of the program, but the failure to qualify started well before that. Consecutive losses to Mexico and Costa Rica in the first two qualifying matches cost Jürgen Klinsmann his job as head coach. Arena, his replacement, appeared to have things under control until September when his aggressive and naive attacking tactics helped Costa Rica score two goals on the counter and beat the USMNT, 2-0, in New Jersey. That led into the T&T disaster.

And yet, failure to qualify for the World Cup perhaps wasn’t quite as surprising as it seemed. Though the USMNT could comfortably feel like it had more talent than T&T, the gap between the two is smaller than it was four years ago. The gap in talent from the USMNT to rivals Mexico is probably larger, as well. And that’s partially down to a lost generation — most of the youth national team players born between 1990 and 1996 just haven’t made it.

Only three members of the United States team that played at the 2009 U-20 World Cup went on to make impacts at the senior level. One of them, Mix Diskerud, was the only player on the USMNT roster for the 2014 World Cup to not appear in the tournament, and he no longer receives call-ups.

The same can be said for Brek Shea, who has not appeared since 2015 and has largely struggled at the club level since 2011. The third player, Jorge Villafaña — who was part of that team but born in 1989 — did not receive his first senior cap until he was 27.

This group actually fared better than the age group below it, which failed to qualify for the 2011 U-20 World Cup. Players from both of these age groups joined forces on the team that attempted and failed to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, which is restricted to players 23 or under. Villafaña is by far the most successful USMNT player from that group. Things didn’t go much better for the 2016 Olympic qualifying squad, whose only significant contributor to the World Cup qualification campaign was Jordan Morris.

The good news for the USMNT is that there are players from these age groups who weren’t part of those squads. Kellyn Acosta wasn’t identified as a future star midfielder until later in his career. DeAndre Yedlin would have been a success story from those squads, but he was unavailable for selection on a couple of occasions. And John Brooks stayed out of competitive youth games to keep his options open before eventually committing to the USMNT in 2013.

All three of them are between 22 and 24 years old and bear very little blame for the team’s recent failure. They will be expected to lead their younger teammates in the next World Cup qualifying cycle.

Then there is Christian Pulisic, already arguably the most accomplished American male player ever at club level. He has 20 caps and nine goals at age 19 and is a key player for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. His ceiling is yet to be determined, but even if he doesn’t improve significantly, he’s already one of the most talented players to ever come out of the United States.

Pulisic leads a vanguard of sub-20-year-olds who could be gearing up to resurrect the USMNT. He’ll be joined by central midfielder Weston McKennie, who plays just 30 minutes away for rivals Schalke 04, utility man Tyler Adams, who was a star player in MLS this season at 18, center back Cameron Carter-Vickers, who’s in great form for Sheffield United in the English Championship, and Josh Sargent, a 17-year-old striker who was a prolific scorer at youth level. And those are just the players who have already gotten senior looks — a slew of other players from the Under-20 and Under-17 squads that made World Cup knockout stages could join them soon.

But the final stage of the next World Cup’s qualifying won’t come until 2021. The Gold Cup and a potential 2020 Copa America will be critical in the development of that potential young World Cup team, but those tournaments will be seen more as development opportunities than chances to win trophies for the first time. And even in previous cycles, they have been nowhere near as important as the World Cup. The USMNT’s fate is a long way off from being determined.

The more pressing issue is 2019, when the United States women will be trying to repeat as World Cup champions. Following their poor showing at the 2016 Olympics and an average 2017, they cannot be considered the favorite to do so.

Corbis via Getty Images

Despite recent missteps, the USWNT is still ranked No. 1 in the world by FIFA. In perhaps the only instance of FIFA treating women’s soccer better than men’s, the women’s rankings are ELO-based and are more predictive than the men’s rankings. There’s no doubt that the Americans are still capable of being the best team in the world.

Though the USWNT started its 2017 campaign with a win over Germany, it fell in consecutive shutout losses to England and France. It was significantly outplayed in a 1-0 loss at home to Australia later in the year and was lucky not to lose by more. The Americans also needed a late comeback to pull off a 4-3 win over an out-of-form Brazil and was outplayed in a 1-1 draw against a young Canada team.

Fans are feeling a bit uneasy about the state of the entire program following a disappointing 2016 Under-20 World Cup, as well as the departure of former Seattle Reign boss Laura Harvey after just one month in an advisory role. “The U.S. Soccer [job] wasn’t what I thought it was going to be,” Harvey said of why she accepted the head coach position at Utah Royals FC. Things don’t appear to be going well with the women’s program at its foundational level.

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the USWNT was hampered by injuries in 2017. Young stars Mallory Pugh, Rose Lavelle, and Andi Sullivan were all unavailable for significant chunks of the year. Veteran Tobin Heath was also injured for most of the campaign. And there likely would have been a role for Amy Rodriguez had she not torn her ACL in the first game of the NWSL season. If those players enter 2018 healthy, you might see a much different USWNT.

But head coach Jill Ellis’ seat is lukewarm at the moment, and it might get hot if 2018 gets off to a poor start — or if the new U.S. Soccer president has other ideas for a revamped women’s program.

Whoever wins February’s presidential election will have a mandate to make big changes and the financial resources to execute them. For that reason, this feels like a pivotal moment for the future of American soccer. But there’s only so much the next president can do — very smart and very rich people have been trying and failing to solve American soccer’s development problems for decades.

The candidates are vying for a difficult and likely thankless job. Any reforms they institute are unlikely to pay dividends in the form of World Cup success until long after their first term expires. No coaching hire will be universally popular.

So yes, the person elected to lead U.S. Soccer into the future will decide a ton about its direction, including what to do with a $140 million surplus. The new president will pick the next USMNT manager and determine what Ellis needs to do to remain in charge of the USWNT and will have to figure out the federation’s approach to grassroots soccer, how to run the Development Academy system, its part in Soccer United Marketing’s business operations, and so much more.

But the big question — how does the United States become a world power in men’s soccer and maintain its place at the top of women’s soccer? — has no simple answer. There are numerous candidates for U.S. Soccer president. Some major positions range from Mike Winograd advocating for letting clubs in on solidarity payments, to Eric Wynalda pushing to bring professional leagues in line with Europe’s schedule and structure, to Kathy Carter promising to spare no expense in player development to alleviate pay-to-play problems in youth soccer. All of their ideas have merit, but if any of them were the answer, it would have been done already.

In the short term, a lot of problems can be covered up by good coaching hires and players like McKennie and Lavelle improving over the next two years. The long-term solutions to American soccer’s problems are less simple. Anyone who claims to know the answers is lying. If they were obvious, the presidential candidates wouldn’t have such wildly different platforms, and the USMNT would have never failed to qualify for the World Cup.

All we know is that U.S. Soccer is facing a reckoning. Things are not as bright as they once seemed. What we don't know is the fix, or if it even exists.

[cool-senatobia-world]

พบกับ Soca Gold 2017 โดย Various Artists ที่ Deezer Vprecords

[tropicalfete]

New Post has been published on http://tropicalfete.com/2017/05/29/soca-gold-2017-pre-orders-available-now/

Soca Gold 2017 Pre-Orders Available Now

On its 20th year, the top selling Soca Gold compilation album by VP Records will be released at a time when soca is hotter than ever before. With an abundance of cultures embracing the Carnival season, along with soca influences being witnessed in many of today’s biggest contemporary pop hits, Soca Gold is destined to be the soundtrack to the summer. Pre-orders are available now and the album is available everywhere on June 23rd.

The two-disc CD compilation includes 17 breakout hits including ‘No Name’ from Soca sensation Rupee featuring Ricardo Drue. Another standout track comes from Destra Garcia with ‘Destra vs Lucy’. Additionally, ‘No Code’ by Teddyson John featuring Roy Cape All Stars, delivers the high energy that soca lovers enjoy.

Other highlights include, ‘Know the face’ by Marvay and ‘Road Bunx’ from Soca hitmaker Bunji Garlin featuring Static. Bunji Garlin’s wife Fay Ann-Lyons turns it up some more with the hypnotic ‘Hold on Something’.

One anticipated element of Soca Gold are the dynamic covers, which doesn’t disappoint this year featuring model and Instagram influencer Sira P. Kante (@inkmyafrica on Instagram – 300+k followers). Wearing a fishnet bodysuit, studded bra and ripped denim photographed by Travis Matthews, the 2017 concept is ‘Carnival meets Street’, consisting of traditional Carnival costume pieces styled with a street aesthetic. “We loved how the stylistic direction resulted in a hybrid look that displays a modern and youthful take on carnival fashion,” said Stephanie Chin and Christina Chin, Creative Directors of VP Records. “This cover is testimony that Soca Gold transcends more than just a compilation album, over the years it has become a brand and a lifestyle.”

Like its annual predecessors, Soca Gold 2017 includes a bonus DVD with live carnival footage and music videos that bring the exuberant music to life.

“This compilation represents the best of soca,” said Edwin Howell of VP Records. We carefully chose songs that would embody the energy and spirit that the carnival season brings.”

For more information about Soca Gold, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/socagold.

Soca Gold 2017 TRACKLIST 1. Take A Bath – Iwer George 2. I Doh Mind – Uncle Ellis 3. No Code – Teddyson John feat. Roy Cape Stars 4. Freaky Girls – Ricky T feat. Emepey Slicker 5. Destra VS. Lucy – Destra Garcia 6. Know The Face – Marvay 7. Road Bunx – Bunji Garlin 8. Hold On Something – Fay-Ann Lyons 9. Ramsingh Sharma – Omardath Maharaj feat. Raymond Ramnarine 10. Good Morning – Peter Ram 11. Nuttin Sweetah – Mr. Dale 12. No Name – Rupee & Ricardo Drue 13. Pumping Iron – Tizzy 14. Get Up And Move (Bubble) – Hypasounds 15. Single Woman – Rikki Jai 16. Balkisoon – Omardath Maharaj feat. Raymond Ramnarine 17. Turn On De Speaker- Gryner

[damajority]

DaMajority Fresh Article https://www.damajority.com/estelles-new-album-lovers-rock-to-be-released-this-september-single-and-video-for-better-launches-today-and-offered-as-an-insta-grat-single-off-25th-anniv/

ESTELLE’S NEW ALBUM “LOVERS ROCK” TO BE RELEASED THIS SEPTEMBER- SINGLE AND VIDEO FOR “BETTER” LAUNCHES TODAY AND OFFERED AS AN INSTA-GRAT SINGLE OFF 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF REGGAE GOLD 2018

ESTELLE’S NEW ALBUM “LOVERS ROCK” TO BE RELEASED THIS SEPTEMBER- SINGLE AND VIDEO FOR “BETTER” LAUNCHES TODAY AND OFFERED AS AN INSTA-GRAT SINGLE OFF 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF REGGAE GOLD 2018

VP Records is proud to announce that Multiplatinum GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Estelle will be releasing her fifth studio album, Lover’s Rock via VP Records and Established 1980 Inc this September.

In conjunction with today’s album announcement, Estelle’s video for the single “Better” has also premiered exclusively on Apple Music’s Beats 1 Station with an interview with radio personality Becca D. “Better” is composed of sultry vocals and a modern reggae and afro-beats rhythm that is sure to become a summer staple.

“Better” is also an iTunes instant-grat track off VP Records Reggae Gold 2018, which is the 25th Anniversary of the iconic compilation album out July 27th. Reggae Gold has made its name as the premier compilation album for the latest and best in reggae and dancehall each year. Estelle was featured on 2017’s Reggae Gold with ‘Love Like Ours’ featuring Tarrus Riley which became an instant hit among urban and Caribbean radio and garnered over 2 million views on YouTube.

In comparison to those of her formative years, Lover’s Rock is Estelle’s most personal album to date, as she centers in on her West Indian roots with a full-fledged reggae album. She has collaborated with esteemed Jamaican producer Supa Dups [Drake, Beenie Man], Reefa [Lil Wayne], Jerry Wonda [Wyclef Jean], Harmony Samuels [Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande] and more. In the forthcoming LP, Estelle has assured to fuse her signature R&B and hip-hop sound while paying homage to her Grenadian roots as she not only concentrates in reggae, but also embraces Afro-beats and Soca music.

Estelle is slated to perform in Philadelphia on July 28th at Penn’s Landing for the Pennsylvania Care Health Festival. More details can be found HERE.

On the heels of her acclaimed 2004 debut The 18th Day, Estelle soared to international prominence on 2008’s Shine—now celebrating its tenth anniversary. The lead single, “American Boy” featuring Kanye West, won a 2009 GRAMMY® in the category of “Best Rap Sung Collaboration” and achieved an RIAA double-platinum certification. She released the follow-up All Of Me in 2012, and the single “Thank You” received a GRAMMY® nomination for “Best R&B Performance.”

2015’s True Romance yielded the smash “Conqueror.” Guest starring in a popular episode of Empire in Season One, she joined star Jussie Smollett for a duet of the tune. It stood out as “one of the show’s highest-charting songs” and fueled the Original Soundtrack to a #1 bow on the Billboard Top 200.

Beyond Empire, she has cameoed in films such as Girls Trip and voiced lead character Garnet on Cartoon Network’s smash Steven Universe since 2013. Estelle has also launched her own online boutique named Elle Vie. Simultaneously, she launched the All of Me foundation. The charity grants college scholarships and opportunities abroad to youth. Among many highlights, it sponsored a trip to Senegal for Los Angeles students who had never ventured outside of the city prior.

“Since the release of ‘Come Over (feat. Sean Paul)’ from my first album, fans have consistently asked when I would make an entire reggae album,” says Estelle on the new project. “I’m happy to give the people what they have been asking for and I’m proud to share another piece of my life and art with the world.”

“Upon hearing the song ‘Better’, I knew it had all of the right elements of a modern day hit,” said Randy Chin, President at VP Records. “We are very excited to work with Estelle and be alongside her journey in her first full-length reggae project.”

Stay tuned for more announcements in the coming weeks!

Download or Stream “Better” HERE.

Watch “Better” HERE.

Website | Facebook (270K) | Twitter (882.2K) | Instagram (276K)

[glenmenlow]

Drake Launches His Brand’s First Flagship Store in Toronto

Drake took the limelight at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto on Monday for his annual OVO Fest, but first dropped this teaser for his OVO flagship store that opened at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre on Saturday.

In the video for his song Gyalchester, Drake and crew stroll through the mall and drive a Cadillac Escalade inside.

The 1,600 square foot space features the rapper’s October’s Very Own apparel and other forthcoming collections, and the mall, Canada’s fourth largest, is about 10 minutes away from where Drake grew up in Forest Hill. Lines started early Friday morning reaching more than one thousand.

Yorkdale publicist Adrienne Simic said, “People will be moved outside overnight and then back in at 5:30 a.m.”

Drake’s moves capitalized on Caribana Weekend in Toronto, as NBA and music stars came to town— including LeBron James, who hosted the Hennessy Daylight party August 4th at Cabana Pool Bar on Polson Street—a festival hotspot.

The Caribana Caribbean Carnival, started in 1967, draws more than one million tourists to the city.

Drake is the Global Ambassador for the Raptors, hosts of the annual OVO Festival, and Chris Bosh was a regular at James’ Caribana parties while a member of the team.

Performers this year include PartyNextDoor, DVSN, Majid Jordan, Roy Woods and surprise guests—in signature Drake style. Past Drake invites include Eminem, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Stevie Wonder and Kanye West.

Drake is credited with popularizing Toronto as “The 6” (or “The 6ix” or “The Six”) in numerous songs in a shoutout to the city’s 416 area code, as well as the city’s six boroughs after the 1998 amalgamation.

Drake’s songs, the King St. restaurant Fring’s, and his role as the Raptors’ global ambassador led three young girls to create a free Drizzy walking tour of Toronto this summer.

Soca fans were treated Saturday night to Soca king Machel Montano joining Drake on stage.

https://giphy.com/embed/3o85xvbBgiaFthEzJu

This year, Bunji Garlin joined the cast as he and Montano launch their Busshead tour that heads to Barbados Monday for the annual 1love concert.

In 2015, brandchannel noted what the Drake brand has done for Toronto. “Drake’s business is no small business. He’s a rapper who’s sold an estimated 10 million albums worldwide to date. He’s an entrepreneur with a clothing line, a restaurant and an annual music festival. He starred on a popular teen drama (Degrassi: The Next Generation), and is credited with the popularity of phrases like ‘YOLO’ and redefining Toronto as ‘The 6.’”

“His three-week-old music video Hotline Bling has spawned millions of gifs, Vines, memes and Halloween costumes—even a Christmas sweater. He’s the global ambassador for the only Canadian NBA basketball team, the Toronto Raptors (which hosts Drake Nights and has inspired a co-branded OVO clothing line with the artist) and a proud supporter of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball franchise.”

https://giphy.com/embed/3o85xKWHrNvXqAvWMM

The Yorkdale mall opened in 1964, but has recently been renovated to house more than 270 shops including Chanel, Prada, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Jimmy Choo and Gucci.

Drake’s luxury streetwear brand, led by El-Khatib, includes T-shirts and tanks ($40-$88), ball caps ($48), keychains ($12-$15), track pants ($118), hoodies ($148-$158), and phone cases ($38)—most sporting his iconic gold owl.

For those older fans, Drake builds on other Toronto and Canadian artists including ‘60s folkies Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young and Leonard Cohen, ‘70s prog-rockers Rush, ‘80s bands Parachute Club, Martha and the Muffins and Shuffle Demons, ‘90s punk act Lowest of the Low, The Tragically Hip, and early rappers Maestro and Kardinal Offishall.

And the beat goes on…

The post Drake Launches His Brand’s First Flagship Store in Toronto appeared first on brandchannel:.

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[stephaniefchase]

Bajan Newscap 8/8/2017

Good Morning #realdreamchasers. Here is your daily news cap for Tuesday , August 8TH, 2017. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

20 TREATED FOR GUNSHOT WOUNDS ON KADOOMENT DAY - In just under three hours, the Accident and Emergency Department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) treated 22 people, including 20 with gunshot wounds. In a second media release Monday night, the QEH gave more details from the activation of the Incident Command around 7:50 p.m. until it was closed at 10:36 p.m. In addition to the shooting victims, two others, one with stab wounds and another who had been in a vehicle accident, were also treated. One man succumbed to injuries sustained in a shooting on the Spring Garden Highway at the climax of Grand Kadooment, while another person was undergoing emergency surgery. The injured comprised 15 males and seven females, among them five minors. Four people have been admitted and ten were seen and discharged. Those discharged included patients suffering with soft tissue injuries and orthopaedic injuries who will continue to be managed on an outpatient basis. The remaining seven patients have minor injuries and are currently waiting to be seen. In addition, the Venue Operating Centre at Spring Garden informed it had seen one additional victim who received a superficial gunshot wound to the left side and was treated at the scene and discharged. There were also three persons who witnessed the incident and suffered from acute panic attacks. They have also been seen and discharged. (DN).

ONE MAN KILLED AND SEVERAL INJURED IN SHOOTING AT SPRING GARDEN - Police are continuing investigations into a shooting incident at Spring Garden, St Michael, which left one man dead, and several others injured. No details were given on the deceased, but Public Relations Officer of the Royal Barbados Police Force Acting Inspector Roland Cobbler revealed that a six-year-old child, who was grazed by a bullet, was among the injured. He did not disclose how many people were injured in total, but said that a number of persons had suffered non-life threatening gunshot injuries and had been transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) for treatment. In an emergency statement issued this evening, the QEH reported that 15 persons had been transported to the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E), including persons suffering from gunshot and stab wounds. One person was involved in a vehicular accident. Police are appealing to anyone with information about the shooting to contact the nearest police station or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477. (BT)

SHOOTING DEATH MARS CROP OVER CLIMAX - Police are investigating the shooting death of 20-year-old Taried Junior Rock of 3rd Avenue, Chapman Lane, St Michael. It occurred after 6 p.m. on Monday during the Grand Kadooment climax on the Spring Garden Highway. Lawmen say a number of gunshots were heard, and officers, who were on duty along Spring Garden at the time, subsequently discovered the victim’s lifeless body on a sidewalk with fatal gunshot injuries. As a result of the shooting a number of persons, including a six-year-old boy who was grazed by a bullet, suffered non life-threatening gunshot injuries. They were all transported to the state-run Queen Elizabeth Hospital by ambulance for medical attention. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact CID Central at 430-7189 or 430-7189; Police Emergency at telephone number “ 211”; Crime Stoppers at 1-800 –TIPS (8477); or the nearest police station. Lawmen say all information provided will be treated as strictly confidential. (BT)

QEH PRESS RELEASE UPDATE- Twenty people are being treated for gunshot wounds at the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) of the state-run Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) following three shooting incidents which occurred along the Spring Garden Highway during today’s Crop Over climax. In a second emergency statement issued this evening, the QEH revealed that one person was declared dead at the scene and 22 people were transported to A&E for treatment. Of these, 20 suffered gunshot wounds, one stab wounds and another person was involved in a vehicular accident. The QEH said one person had to undergo emergency surgery, four patients had to be admitted while ten were seen by medical personnel and discharged. The remaining seven patients suffered minor injuries and are currently waiting to be seen. The statement also disclosed that the QEH team at Spring Garden had treated an additional victim who had suffered superficial gunshot wounds to the left side. Three persons who witnessed the incident and suffered from acute panic attacks, were also treated at the scene and discharged. (BT)

OPPOSITION BLP CONDEMNS SHOOTING INCIDENTS - Following is the statement issued by Dale Marshall, QC - the Opposition Barbados Labour Party Shadow Attorney General on today's shooting incidents: "Today, the whole of Barbados was dealt another blow to our collective souls and minds. While we do not yet have the full details, we know that there have been multiple shootings in several locations, including on Spring Garden Highway, with the many thousands of revellers and spectators. There are reports of one fatality. The reports of the numbers of injured are rising steadily, and we are now hearing of as many as 13 people having been shot. By morning, the information will have crystalized, but what is certain is that a beautiful day has been marred beyond repair. This is not the Barbadian way, nor is it how we behave. We know that, but we want those of you visiting us to know that this is a total aberration. While the long-term effects of today’s incidents will now have to be reckoned with, our immediate concern is with the family and friends of injured individuals. We reach out to them and we urge all Barbadians to do the same. The injured people live in your communities, go to your churches, and are your friends. Reach out to them at this time and offer needed comfort and calm. The police, of course, will be busying themselves with their investigations. I do want to say that the men and women of the force put on an impressive showing today and made us all feel safe along the route. I wish to thank them for their hard work. I do not back away in any way from my statements made last week. Barbados and Crop Over belongs to us all and we must not surrender to the forces who would seek to destroy our country and our way of life. " (BT)

PRAYERS FOR REVIVAL IN BARBADOS – The music was infectious, the response was automatic and the celebrations were overwhelming.  But on a day when most of the island participated in Grand Kadooment, the climax of Crop Over, 21 pastors and close to 200 worshippers held a spiritual parliament at Restorations Ministries, Brittons Hill, seeking God’s “ratification” of a restoration of Barbados. Under the chair of Senator Rev. David Durant, songs and prayers were offered up for half of the day seeking a revival of Barbados’ economy and control of the moral and physical violence plaguing the country. While calling the elders to hold hands at the front of the church, Durant said that the holding of hands symbolised a coming together and a change in the church of Barbados. “This is a Spiritual Parliament where God will ratify the decisions we make here today. We pray for the revival of our economy, we pray for the sexual confusion in our country and the violence threatening our country.” (DN)

MAN CAUGHT WITH FIREARM, AMMO AND DRUGS DURING FOREDAY JAM - A 23-year-old St George man was due to appear in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court today after he was arrested and charged with firearm and drug related offences. Darron Denico Austin of Glebe Land is accused of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of two rounds of ammunition and unlawful possession of cannabis. The offences were allegedly committed around 4 a.m. last Saturday, during the Foreday Morning Jam. Lawmen, acting on a tip off, searched Austin while he was jumping in a band. (BT)

MISSING TEEN - Police are seeking the public’s assistance  in locating a missing 14-year-old girl. Shamia Simpson of Charnocks, Christ Church was last seen by her mother Tameisha Simpson at their residence, sometime around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday,  August 3, 2017. At the time she was wearing a white armhole shirt, a black acid wash short pants above the knees, and slippers.  Simpson is 5 ft 5 in height, of slim build, brown complexion, and has long straightened unkempt hair. Her ears are pierced twice, and she was wearing a pair of gold coloured bobs at the time of her disasppearance. She walks with an erect appearance. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the District ‘B’ Police Station at 437-4311; Police Emergency number 211, Crime Stoppers at 1-800 –TIPS (8477), or 4307242, or the nearest police station. (BT)

A GRAND CLIMAX TO CROP OVER 2017 - Thousands of revellers took a while to reach their final destination, but the 26 bands participating in this year’s Grand Kadooment managed to finish earlier this evening than in previous years. Today’s celebrations came to a fitting end when the final band arrived on Spring Garden just before 6 p.m. Revellers joined spectators in bringing down the curtain to the annual Crop Over festivities by dancing to popular calypso and soca tunes and partaking in a range of local delicacies. The last band, which was opened to just about anyone, was under heavy security, as energetic locals and visitors gyrated and danced their way to the final stop. (BT)

SUN BLAZES ON PARADE - The burning sun took its toll on revellers and spectators yesterday during the Republic Bank Grand Kadooment. Along Black Rock, spectators made use of all available shade while some hid under umbrellas as they endured the annual long wait times between the leading bands. Revellers took advantage of water stations along the route to get a quick hose down and keep cool as they made their way to Spring Garden. After all, the temperature had reached 30 degrees Celsius at the airport yesterday. Some revellers were unable to make it and were seen getting on board transportation provided for that eventuality while one young woman was seen fainting and another throwing up, although it is suspected alcohol also played a part in these cases. (DN)

WHAT A KADOO - Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association chief executive officer Rudy Grant gave this year’s Kadooment Day a passing grade, describing it as a positive day. Speaking to the DAILY NATIONjust outside of the Togetherness Social Group lime at Station Hill, St Michael, yesterday afternoon he said he believed the day went well. “Today has been a very positive and wonderful day. I’ve seen a lot of locals on the day, a lot of visitors as well. Kadooment is Crop Over’s signature event and it allows us to showcase our culture and the fact that we have locals and visitors participating is a positive thing,” he added. Grant said he liked the fact that Kadooment gave people the opportunity to experience what the island was like in a carnival setting. (DN)

RIHANNA TAKES TO THE STREETS FOR KADOOMENT - Superstar RIHANNA came home for Crop Over and she was not going to let Grand Kadooment miss her. She and best friend Melissa Forde were spotted along Black Rock, St Michael yesterday jumping with Aura Experience. The songstress appeared to be having a grand time as photographers and fans sought to get the perfect shot.  (DN)

SMALL IS FESTIVAL DESIGNER OF THE YEAR – Youthful bandleader Kevin Small of Fifth Element capped his Crop-Over festival by winning the prestigious Robert Weekes Festival Designer of the Year award at the conclusion of the Grand Kadooment today. This was the first time Small has won the award. Small, whose Junior Kadooment presentation 'Candyland 246' had already won Best Junior Band just over a week ago, took several of the top prizes for his Grand Kadooment presentation 'econoMoney'. The band won first place in the Historical, Topical, Community Costume and Best Presentation categories as well as prizes for Best Individual Male and the HIV/Awareness Award. The band also placed second in the Republic Bank Small Band of the Year category, behind Trevor Chase's Ooutraje. Ooutraje's presentation of 'Celebrating de Icons in de Mas' also won first place in the Traditional Category and Best Individual Female. (DN)

STIFFY IS KING OF THE ROAD – Bashment Soca King Stiffy is in winners row yet again for Crop Over 2017. His popular song Tip and Ben Ova was adjudged Tune of the Crop tonight for the most popular tune on the road during today’s Grand Kadooment parade, which signals the climax of the annual premier cultural festival. This is Stiffy’s first Road March title. For his win, he took home $7,500. Second place went to Red Plastic Bag with popular Boat Ride, which dominated last Friday’s Foreday Morning jump . For his second place, Red Plastic Bag, who is the reigning Sweet SocaMonarch, took home $5,000. Marzville was third with his equally popular tune Give It To Ya.  He took home $2,000. (BT)

LESS TRASH THIS YEAR SAYS SSA - When the feting and the fun of Kadooment were over yesterday evening, then came the hard work and the clean-up. However, workers at the Sanitation Service Authority reported that it seemed there was less work to deal with. Last night, an SSA supervisor said the garbage collected would have to be weighed before a final comparative assessment could be made. However, he said that initial observations suggested there was less trash on the road than the previous year. (DN)

CHÉ SURFS INTO BAJAN HISTORY BOOKS - Barbadian surfer CHÉ ALLAN finished fourth at the Vans US Open of Surfing in California over the weekend. In the process, Allan became the first Barbadian to make the podium at the event which was contested at Huntington Beach. Allan worked his way through the earlier rounds to the quarter-finals which featured an international mix including competitors from Brazil, Japan, New Zealand and United States. With his consistent high quality manoeuvres in the tricky beach break, he moved through the quarters and semis to the finals. (DN)

JOSEPH’S HAUL SLOWS DOWN KENT - Alzarri Joseph’s four-wicket haul helped West Indies rein in Kent after the hosts threatened an imposing first-innings total on the second day of their three-day game yesterday. The 20-year-old speedster claimed four for 72 as Kent, replying to West Indies’ 265 on Sunday’s opening day, declared in the day’s final over on 331 for nine. Opener Sean Dickson top-scored with 142 – his fourth first class hundred – while Zak Crawley struck 62, Will Gidman, 42 and Calum Haggett an unbeaten 29. Occasional off-spinner Kraigg Brathwaite supported with two for 22 as the remainder of the Windies attack toiled without much success. (DN)

TAYLOR, SMITH WIN ON ROAD IN BRIDGETOWN - RACHEL SMITH AND Damien “Force Ripe” Taylor won the National Cultural Foundation’s Bridgetown Road Tennis Tournament in contrasting styles when the event climaxed on Spring Garden on Sunday. Smith, who had ended second best in most of her finals, played impressively to defeat a growing talent in Maudlyn Blunt 22-20, 21-18 in front of a large crowd. The fit-looking Blunt had led 20-19 in the first game with some vicious turns through Smith’s forehand. However, a lack of experience saw Blunt folding at the critical juncture to give Smith an airline ticket to a Caribbean destination and $600. Blunt earned $400. Earlier Smith defeated the consummate defender Susan Scantlebury in straight games, while Blunt needed three games to get by the colourful Carlyn “The Model” Haynes. (DN)

MAKE UNDER-15 TOURNEY LONGER - The coach of the champion Barbados Under-15 team wants to see a longer version of the tournament at the regional junior level. Richard Clarke made the suggestion after Barbados lifted the title in the 50-overs-a-side competition by completing their fourth win in five matches against Trinidad and Tobago at the North Stars Club ground in Crab Hill, St Lucy, last Friday. “I would love to see the guys playing two-innings cricket. You have guys here who can concentrate for long periods of time. We’ve seen that from the Trinidadians. My guys can concentrate too,” he told NATIONSPORT. “To have them playing knockout cricket and chancing their hands . . . I prefer to see more stability. It would definitely help with their development as all-round players and the ability to bat for long periods.” (DN)

RETIRED ANGLICAN CLERIC HAS DIED - THE local Anglican community has been thrown into mourning with news this morning of the death of one of its longstanding clergymen. Retired Dean Frank Marshall had been ailing for sometime and was recently hospitalized. He passed away at home this morning at age 71. He leaves to mourn his wife Beverley, his son Paul, his daughter Claire, as well as his siblings and grandchildren. (BT)

That’s all for today folks there are 152 days left in the year Shalom! #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #bajannewscaps #newscapsbystephaniefchase

[concaholic]

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The nominees have been announced for the 2017 Nigerian Entertainment Awards.

Superstar singer Wizkid leads the pack, grabbing 11 nominations, including nods for Best Single and Best Afropop Male Artist.

Behind him was Sony signee Davido, who had 9 nominations. See the full nominee list below.

Best Single

Wizkid – Come closer ft Drake Phyno – Fada Fada ft Olamide Davido – IF Tekno – Pana Psquare – Bank alert Olamide – Who you epp Mr Eazi – Leg over Runtown – Mad over you

Best Africa Female Artist [Non-Nigerian]

Amanda Black [SA] Victoria Kimani [KQ] Becca [GH] Vanessa Mdee [TZ] Butera Knowless [RW] Sheeban Karungi [UG] Efya [GH] Queen Vee [ZIM]

Best Afropop Male Artist

Davido Mr Eazi Kiss Daniel Runtown Tekno Wizkid

Best Afropop Female Artist

Omawumi Niniola Seyi Shay Simi Tiwa Savage Yemi Alade

Best Album

Adekunle Gold – Gold MC Galaxy – MMM Falz & Simi – Chemistry Olamide – Glory Kiss Daniel – New Era Phyno – The Playmaker Mr Eazi – Life Is Eazi Davido – Son Of Mercy

Best Diaspora

Wale Rotimi Ayo Jay Bils Jidenna Jaycube Wurld Tinnie Tempah Black Excellence

Best Diaspora TV star

Rotimi [Power, Starz] Chike Okonkwo [Being Mary Jane] Uzo Aduba [OITNB] Yvonne Orji [Insecure] Dayo Okeniyi [Shades Of Blue] Okieriete Onaodowan [The Get Down]

Best Africa Male Artist

Casper Nyovest [SA] Stonebwoy [GH] Diamond Platnumz [TZ] Sarkodie [GH] Eddie Kenzo [UG] Sauti Sol [KQ] Nasty C [SA] Toofan [TG]

Best Actor

Blossom Chukwujekwu [Okafor’s Law] Gabriel Afolayan [Somewhere In The Dark] OC Ukeje [North East] Ramsey Nouah [76] Sambasa Nzeribe [Slow Country] Wale Ojo [The CEO]

Best New Act

Tjan Dremo Dotman Mayorkun Sugarboy Zoro

Best Actress

Rita Dominic [76] Funke Akindele-Bello [A Trip To Jamaica] Sola Sobowale [The Wedding Party] Ireti Doyle [The Arbitration] Adesua Etomi [Ayamma] Ivie Okujaye Egboh [Slow Country]

Best Lead Role In Film [Non-Nigerian]

Ama K Abebrese [Lotanna] Chris Attoh [The In-Laws] Korto Davis [Comfort Zone] Majid Micheal [Ayamma] Jackie Appiah [Sala] Yconne Okoro [Ghana Must Go]

Best Rap Act

Falz Ice Prince Mz Kiss Olamide Phyno Skales

Best Indigenous

9ice Adekunle Gold CDQ Flavor Olamide Phyno

Best Music Video

Aduke – Tjan [DIR: Kemi Adetiba] All Over – Tiwa Savage [DIR: Patrick Ellis] Bank Alert – Psquare [DIR: CP] Come Closer – Wizkid [DIR: Daps] IF – Davido [DIR: Q] YOLO – Seyi Shay [DIR: Maji Alabi]

Best Collabo

Come Closer – Wizkid Ft Drake Iskaba – Wande Coal FT DJ Tunez Ko Funny – CDQ FT Davido Only Girl – Adekunle Gold FT Moelogo Temper – Skales FT Burna Boy Up To Something – Iyanya FT Don Jazzy & Dr Sid

Best Picture

76 Ayamma Lotanna Oloibiri Somewhere In The Dark The Wedding Party

Best Director

Chris Eneaji [Ayamma] Eric Aghimien [Slow Country] Muyiwa Aluko [ North East] Steve Gukas [93 Days] Toka MCbaror [Lotanna] Walter Banger [ Cath. Er]

Best Supporting Actress

Adunni Ade [It’s Her Day] Ini Dima Okojie [North East] Judith Audu [ Not Married] Kehinde Bankole [The Dinner] Somkele Iyama [The Arbitration] Theresa Edem [Ayamma]

Best Supporting Actor

AY [A Trip To Jamaica] Gbenga Titiloye [North East] Nkem Owoh [Ghana Must Go] Richard Mofe Damijo [ Oloibiri] Rotimi Salami [Just Not Married] Jide Kosoko [Lotanna]

Best Inspiration

Cobhams Asuquo Frank Edwards Nathaniel Bassey Sinach Timi Dakolo Waje

Best Entertainment Executive

Don Jazzy [Mavin] Idris Olorunnimbe [The Temple Company] Emperor Geezy [GWW] Paul O [Upfront & Personal] E-Money [Five Star] Tobi Sanni Daniel [State Of Mind] Adetoro Fawoshere [Right Entertainment] Dbanj [Cream Platform]

Best Photographer

Kelechi Amade TY Bello Obi Somto Sunmisola Olorunnisola Tobbinator Anuel

Best OAP

Gbemi Olateru [Beat FM] Tosin Bucknor [Top Radio] Big Tak [Urban Radio] N6 [Cool FM] Osam [Naija FM] Yaw [Wazobia]

Best TV Show

Big Brother Naija Jenifa’s Diary Meet The Inlaws Nigeria Police’s Beyond Your Sight Our Best Friend’s Wedding The Life Of A Nigerian Couple

Best Lead TV

Efe [Big Brother Naija] Funek Akindele [Jenifa’s Diary] Lilian Esoro [Meet The Inlaws] Okey Uzoeshi [The Life Of A Nigerian Couple] Oreka Godis [Our Best Friend’s Wedding] Seyitan [Here & Now – The ADV of Tasa]

Best Online Comedy

Craze Clown Emmanuella Chief Obi Wole Arole & Asiri Foxy P Wowo Boyz

Best TV Lifestyle Presenter

Seyitan [The Sauce] Ehiz [MTV] Bolanle Olukanni [EL] VJ Adams [Soundcity] Stacy Ike [Own TV] Nancy Isime [Hip TV]

Best Afro Soca Artist

Fay-Ann Lyons Machel Montano Melly Rose Olatunji Yearwood Skinny Fabulous Teddyson Johnson

Best Dancehall

Burna Boy Cynthia Morgan Ketchup Harrysong Patoranking Timaya

Best Music Producer

DJ Soupamodel Kriz Beatz Masterkraft Spellz Young D Sarz Legendury Beatz Young John

Most Promising

Deshinor Gabzy Ike Chucks Moelogo Nonso Amadi Odunsi

Best Disc Jockey

DJ Jimmy Jatt DJ Neptune DJ Humility DJ TTB DJ Spinall DJ Prince DJ Xclusive DJ Consequence

Best Diaspora Disc Jockey

DJ Dee Money DJ Femsta DJ GQ Mike DJ EL G DJ Tunez DJ Cuppy DJ Ecool DJ Afoo

Best DJ Non-Nigerian/African

DJ Lebbie (SL) DJ Mensah (GH) DJ Bossman (LIB) DJ Joe Mfalme (KQ) DJ Slick Stuart & Roja (UG) DJ Vyrusky (GH)

Who do you see winning in the various categories? Drop your comment below!

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Big Bad Soca Gold 2017 party with @bunjigarlin & @fayannlyons. 📷: @shoshots. (at Ace Hotel New York)