TOP 10
SINGLES
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TOP 10
ALBUMS
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The Middle
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Psycho
Post Malone Feat. Ty Dolla $ign
Nice For What
Drake
Never Be The Same
Camila Cabello
Delicate
Taylor Swift
No Tears Left To Cry
Ariana Grande
In My Blood
Shawn Mendes
Meant To Be
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
God’s Plan
Drake
Mine
Bazzi
EVERYTHING IS LOVE
The Carters
Nasir
Nas
Youngblood
5 Seconds Of Summer
Liberation
Christina Aguilera
Post Traumatic
Mike Shinoda
The Greatest Showman
Soundtrack
SQUARE UP (EP)
BLACKPINK
Redemption
Jay Rock
?
XXXTENTACION
KIDS SEE GHOSTS
KIDS SEE GHOSTS
Presented by
wireless
HOUSE ON ‘FYA’
Caribbean L 52 ife, May 17–23, 2019 BQ
nis Titus, the dramatic comedy
returns an annual production
that entreats diasporans
to enjoy relatable Caribbean
comedy.
Slated for Wingate High
School on May 18, Brooklyn
gets first dib to the uproarious
production.
The following weekend, residents
of the largest borough
of Queens can bargain for an
outing of fun on the campus of
York College on May 24.
That same weekend, consecutive
showcases in Jersey’s East
Orange Campus High School
and Lehman College in the
Bronx stakes May 26 to find the
hilarious teaming of Samuels
with Volier Johnson, Lakeisha
Ellison, Audrey Reid and Titus
onstage to deliver the kind of
humor familiar to Caribbean
audiences.
Already tagged the “best
Caribbean play” of 2019,
the play follows the path
of annual productions Hall
has embraced as a producer
who understands the market
and sensibilities of Caribbean
audiences.
“It is not a Jamaican play,”
Hall explained.
“It is not a Grenadian play.”
“It is a Caribbean play that
will make you laugh regardless
of which island you identify
with.”
“And you don’t have to be
from the Caribbean to laugh
and enjoy the play,” he added.
Hall stated that Samuels is
renowned for penning patois
that is comprehensible to all
audiences.
An award-winning playwright
Samuels portrayed
a recurring character on the
BBC-TV series “Chef!”
A popular, Jamaican, comedian
who has sold audiences
with his “Oliver at Large” television
series in Jamaica his
stand-up routines and specials
sold on DVDs, paired with
Titus, Reid and Johnson, his
performance guarantees loads
of laugher.
While the rest of the cast are
familiar comedic actors, Reid
cemented her career with a role
in the Caribbean film “Dancehall
Queen.”
zies,” evoking boos from some
opposition New Democratic
Party (NDP) supporters; and
Man Kemmy, a former Junior
Calypo Monarch in Vincy Mas,
proclaimed “Ah Feel to Soca.”
Man Kemmy also brought
much poignancy to the event
when he collaborated with
11-year-old Zacary James, of
the Edmonton, Alberta-based
Melisizwe Brothers, for an
impromptu rendition of Machel
Mantano’s “Too Young.”
Man Kemmy told patrons
that he was at Zacary’s age
when he began singing calypso,
stating: “This is the next generation.”
The Melisizwe Brothers, with
their Vincentian-born parents
in tow, were surprise guests at
the event. The other brothers
are Marc James, 16, and Seth
James, 13.
Mom Sherry McDowall-
James, formerly of Argyle in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines,
told Caribbean Life that they
were in town for another event,
so they decided to drop by. Dad
Mark James hails from Upper
Fair Hall in St. Vincent and the
Grenadines.
The almost day-long event
also featured live steel pan
music by Brooklyn’s Century
Steel Orchestra, pannist Wayne
Commissiong, costume displays
and modeling. Popular
Brooklyn-based Vincentian DJ
Supa Eyes provided music.
In addition, food vendors,
offering authentic Vincentian
cuisine, and entrepreneurs
with Vincy products, beauty
products, fashion bags and
books, were on hand.
Other displayers included the
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
New York Tourism Office and
Caribbean Airlines.
A Kiddie Corner featured
face-painting, games, arts and
craft, photo booth, and costume
mask-making for children.
The Brooklyn-based SVG
Diaspora Committee of NY,
Inc. and its affiliate, the Cultural
Association of Vincentians
in the USA (CAVUSA), in
collaboration with the St. Vincent
and the Grenadines Carnival
Development Corporation
(CDC), hosted the event.
Sherrill-Ann Mason-Haywood,
chairperson of the SVG
Diaspora Committee of NY,
Inc., told Caribbean Life that
the launch “attracted scores of
Vincentians and non-Vincentians
alike.”
She said patrons experienced
“a taste of Vincy Mas,
the hottest carnival in the Caribbean”,
urging them to continue
supporting Vincy Mas,
and cultural artistes and practitioners.
In her remarks, Mason-Haywood
noted her group’s partnership
with the CDC to host
the launch of Vincy Mas in
New York, saying that it is in
its “embryonic stages and is
poised to get bigger and better
in years to come.”
She added that the Diaspora
Committee is “committed to
promoting all things positive
about SVG,” stating that St.
Vincent and the Grenadines
“has some of the best cultural
artistes, including musicians,
pannists and costume-builders
in the Caribbean, and are now
among the leaders of the soca
music industry.”
Continued from Page 51
Continued from Page 51
Ackermann, and being hosted
by actress and comedian
Franchesca Ramsey (Comedy
Central, MTV, Last Name Basis
Podcast), said the most motivation
that helped Patricia Louise
Holte blossom from a choir
member to lead vocalist for
Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles,
to a solo artist keeps her fire
burning at 74 years young.
According to www.bricartsmedia.
org, LaBelle remains an
advocate for many nonprofit
initiatives including adoption,
diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS.
“Each year I grow, and that’s
a blessing from God. I do what
I can do. I do what I feel God
has given me the energy to do,
so I just go out there and I do it
... It’s not about making money
because I don’t need money,
but I need to sing,” LaBelle, is
quoted as saying.
Adding, “With a voice or
without, I’ve got to get on that
stage.”
“We are thankful that Patti
is still doing her thing and
thrilled that she will help us
kick off the 2019 season of the
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival
with an epic free concert,”
said BRIC.org.
“Beautiful simply does not
describe the incomparable
force known to the world as
Patti LaBelle, and we’re thrilled
that she will help us kick off
the 2019 season of the BRIC
Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival
with an epic free concert,” said
BRIC of the upcoming opening
night, being sponsored by BET
Networks.
For tickets, go to www.
bricartsmedia.org/eventsperformances/
bric-celebratebrooklyn
festival/patti-labelle.
Continued from Page 51
The Melisizwe Brothers perform at the launching of Vincy
Mas in brooklyn. Photo by Nelson A. King
BRIC Fest Caribbean comedy
Singer Patti LaBelle performs
on the South Lawn of
the White House in Washington,
DC.
Associated Press/Charles Dharapak, File
/patti-labelle
/www.bricarts-media.org
/www.bricarts-media.org
/patti-labelle
/patti-labelle
/www.bricarts-media.org
/patti-labelle
/patti-labelle
/patti-labelle
/BRIC.org