Soca music is as much a part of Trinidad as roti or steel pan. This year there were so many great songs. I have a compiled a list of ten that I love, these are in no particular order.
1. Bend Over--Machel Montano
2. Come to Meh--Iwer George
3.Go dung--Lil Rick
4. Tow Ting--Cassi
5. Wine to the Side--Benjai
6. Illegal--Machel Montano
7. Ah Drinka--Ravi B
8. Iz A Trini--Benjai
9. Carnival Jumbie--Blaxx
10. Wotless--KES
Let me know what songs you like.
I hope you enjoyed this 5 part series on my trip, I really loved sharing parts of my culture with you. We will be back to our regular blogging this week.
Just to let you know that I am still training for the half marathon in May, next Sunday I will be running 12K. Now that the weather is getting nicer, it is a real pleasure to be outside and running.
I also came back from my trip 4 pounds lighter, it was all that dancing, I swear.
After the parade festivities, we headed to Tobago the next day. we took a two and a half hour ferry to the sister island of Trinidad. On the ferry I had the chanceto watch The Blind Side, I had never seen it before and thought it was an excellent movie, Sandra Bullock really deserved an Oscar for this role. If you have not seen it, I highly recomend it.
Our ferry.
We stayed at a beautiful place owned by a friend.
Beautiful pool
We then headed to the beach.
No trip to Tobago would be complete without eating Crab and Dumplings.
Near Pigeon Point Beach.
All in all my two days in Tobago was not enough. I would love to go back, maybe even have my wedding there one day. Tobago was so peaceful, it was the perfect rest after Trinidad, if you ever have a chance to go please do.
The last part of my Trinidad blog posts, will feature my top 10 favorite soca songs this season.
Carnival Tuesday in Trinidad is the day that everyone has been waiting for. We got up at 4 am to get our make up done for 5 am. We waited around for 4 hours to get everything done and then we set out to the parade. The climax of the parade is crossing the stage, where all bands are judged and there are photographers and videographers from magazines, newspapers and websites. I found this on Torontolime.com, yup that's me on the end on the right.
This is the male custom to our female colorful one.
Before the parade we posed for a few pictures. I love our costume so much! Masai Tribal Warriors was the theme of our section
Getting ready to cross the stage. Look at those abs!
A sea of color.
Another section from our band. Beautiful.
Do you recognize this actor? Hint, New York Undercover....I would have taken a pic with him, but this isn't 1998.
Before I begin, tell me why this guy at the studio I workout at tells me, " You know, you have a grerat body, you just need to tone up a bit." Thank you? I know that this was meant to be a compliment, but for some reason I couldn't help but think that it was a bit back handed...
Last time I left you, I wrote that we went to the wicked breakfast party at 7 am on Sunday. Monday at 2 am, the alarm goes off because IT IS J'OUVERT! J'Ouvert, stands for Jour Ouvert, which is French for Opening Day. J'Ouvert is basically the opening of Carnival Monday and Tuesday. You get up early and dance in the streets until the sun comes up (I will do a post on my top 10 soca songs of the season later this week|). J'Ouvert involves paint, mud and this year some bands even had chocolate, thrown around at the masqueraders. We wore clothes that could be thrown away, because we knew that it would get messy. We played with the Insomniacs. To be honest this was one of my favorite parts of the trip, I don't know why, I loved the fact that everyone was free and just getting dirty.
Getting ready in the parking lot
Another band dancing down the road
Mud and Paint all over
Chilling J'Ouvert Morning
After this, we went back to the hotel showered and got ready for Monday Mas (the Monday Carnival parade). This was a trial run for Tuesday. Some masquaraders wear parts of their Tuesday costume ( bra, headpiece) or they wear something totally different in the colors of their costume (this is kinda what we did).
Make up by me, didn't use the right glue so jewels fell off in an hour
My Girls and I--Hot!
We Ready!
Cool Zone--Feelin' hot, just take a walk in the cool zone!
For those of you that have just joined us, I was in Trinidad and Tobago for 2 weeks. Trinidad is located of the coast of Venezuala, although I was born in Canada both of my parents are from Trinidad and have raised me a Trini from day one. I love everything about Trinidad, music, food and their layed back attitude. Every year, the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, Trinidad has the biggest Carnival in the world. Music, costumes, scantily clad women and dancing that would but Beyonce and her booty shakin to shame. The following pictures will only give you a taste of what went on.
For the first week that I was in Trinidad I was hanging with my parents until my friends arrived, I went to a few parties with them and this gave me a taste of what soca songs I would be hearing for the next few days. Soca is a type of music that originated in Trinidad it is very fast and great to work out to. Every year an artist is voted Soca Monarch, awarded to one of the best soca songs of the season this year it was Machel Montano's "Advantage" (ignore the overly dramatic first minute).
Friday night we went to the Blue Range Cooler Fete. You were allowed to bring in a cooler of alcohol and other drinks as long as it was in plastic bottles and in before midnight. It was open air and had a few live preformances.
A and I so happy to be away from the snow.
The next afternoon we headed to Scortch all inclusive party (drinks and food included). To be honest the "food" was few and far between, but the drinks were great and even better when I found the margarita booth!
Please note that 1 Canadian/US dollar is about 6 TT dollars so this party was not 380$, but around 60$.
Sunday morning, yes, morning. we got up at 6am, to head to Diamond Vale Breakfast party. We got there around 7 am and the party was already bunmpin! Note that this was another all inclusive, bake and shark, pholourie, jerk chicken, drinks galore and soca music all at 7am! I still cannot believe that we were partying this early in the morning.
I had about 2 sips of this champagne and then I put it down, it was 7:30 am, after all!
The weather was gorgeous and the scenery was breathtaking.
Part 2, will look at J'Ouvert, Carnival Monday and Tuesday!
Hello Strangers! It is 5:30 in the morning and I am at the airport in Trinidad waiting to board my flight to Miami. In the next few posts I will try to describe to you the craziness that is Trinidad carnival. I had the best time, the pictures are on their way! I missed you!
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