SOCANEWS F ree
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CONTENTS DECEMBER 2019 | ISSUE 133
REGULAR
FEATURES
08. News
26. Vanya Reid, 'Pan Woman' 28. Maxine Collins, entrepreneur
REVIEW 07. Saint Lucians takeover Las Palmas 12. Ten Years of Chocolate Nation
EVENTS 23. Event listings
Where to go and what to do.
SOCA PEOPLE
COMPETITIONS
14. Brother B 16. Helena B
11. Win Carib, Tropical Sun USA Easy Cook Rice and Fete Tickets GET LISTED
If you’re a carnival organiser, promoter, mas band, steelband, soca sound, community group or other participant who’s feeling left out because we didn’t mention your event, or if you’d like to advertise in the magazine or online, the remedy is in your hands. Get in touch! Give us a call on 0333 012 4643. SN DEC 2019 5
EDITOR’S LETTER
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his is the season to be jolly. It’s also a time of reflection, a time to look back at the past 12 months, because the end of December heralds a whole new year. If this one's been a rocky road, hopefully steps can be taken, or solace found. With a new year brings a new calendar of carnivals, and going by the frolics and festivals of 2019 we expect the next year to be really busy. To help you along your way, you’ll find a comprehensive guide to carnivals and festivals in the January issue of Soca News. For 2020, as we're heading towards 25 years of Soca News, our mission remains ‘each one teach one’ as we work consistently towards ‘Spreading Our Culture Around’. To this end we’re giving away free postal subscriptions to anyone based in the UK who would like an issue. The process is easy; just submit your details at socanews.com/subscribe, and leave the rest to us. So, all that is left for us to do is wish you and yours a festive and fantastic season, and a very Happy New Year. Yours in Soca Parang Joseph Charles EDITOR
PUBLISHER & EDITOR Joseph Charles jc@socanews.com CREATIVE Joseph Charles SUB EDITOR Katie Segal katie@socanews.com CONSULTING EDITOR Stephen Spark stephen@socanews.com
SALES & ADVERTISING Rodney Wilson rodney@socanews.com sales@socanews.com
PUBLISHED BY Joseph Charles Publishing 86-90 Paul Street London, EC2A 4NE
WORDS Angela Gresham, DRM Jones, Joseph Charles, Katie Segal, Michelle Johnson, Sharon Buckley & Stephen Spark.
TELEPHONE + 44 (0) 333 012 4643
PICTURES Albert St. Clair, Bampson, Joseph Young, Rudolpho Louisy & Stephen Spark.
WEBSITE www.socanews.com
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The views expressed in Soca News are not necessarily the views of the editor or the publisher. All material contained within this publication is the copyright of Soca News. No material, written or photographic may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the publisher. No liability will be accepted for any errors which may occur within the magazine. © 2019 Soca News. All rights reserved. 6 SN DEC 2019
REVIEW
SAINT LUCIANS TAKEOVER LAS PALMAS
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WORDS | ANGELA GRESHAM
he weekend of 15 November 2019 heralded the launch of the 30th Annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria; the race begins there, and ends in Saint Lucia in mid-December. This year, the ARC race includes a youth team comprised of 12 young people; six of them flew from Saint Lucia to Gran Canaria to join six sailors from the UK. A contingency of twenty Saint Lucians arrived in Las Palmas for the launch event, where we were greeted by the rain - and no sun! As it was my first time there, and not knowing what to expect other than that I’d get to bask in the sun and enjoy my first visit to Las Palmas, I was grateful that at least I was away from the English cold - and continued looking forward to the rest of the trip. Throughout the weekend I attended several events: the official ARC Welcome Fiesta, an island tour of Gran Canaria, a drinks reception for the ARC sailors and, finally, the ARC Opening Ceremony. All events were well attended, and
enabled us to interact with the sailors and discuss their expectations of Saint Lucia and the best places to visit; we recommended the Sulphur Spring in Soufriere, Pigeon Island and the Pitons, just to mention a few. I also inspired a sailor from the UK to sample our award-winning Chairman's Reserve Rum when in Saint Lucia. The highlight of the weekend was leading the ARC Opening Ceremony, in the marina, where we exhibited our national costume and wore T-shirts adorned with our flag. We represented Saint Lucia in style. The weekend left me with such a buzz; on my return to England I was beaming with happiness and pride when recounting my experience to my family, friends and colleagues. A message to fellow Saint Lucians: be proud of your ‘Beautiful Island of Saint Lucia’, get involved, and represent your country. Mark this date in your diary for next year - you will not be disappointed!
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SOCANEWS.COM/NEWS SN DEC 2019 7
NEWS
CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION TO CLOSE ITS UK DOORS
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The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) announced in October that, as part of a major restructuring exercise, it will close its UK office at the end of January 2020. The New York office is scheduled to follow suit, and shut next December; the CTO also intends to carry out a ‘comprehensive audit’ of its Barbados office. The statement read, “Over the past two decades, there has been much discussion surrounding the promotion and development of tourism in the Caribbean, the world’s most tourism-dependent region. “While there have been many visions, plans, papers written and philosophies espoused, there has been widespread acceptance that much improvement is needed to elevate tourism development in the region.” The CTO notes that their restructuring exercise will inevitably lead to some displacement, but says that this is a necessity in their process to ensure tourism plays its most vital role as a means to bring about opportunity and prosperity for the people of the Caribbean.
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CUMMIN UP OFFERS A FREE CHRISTMAS MEAL
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hristmas is a time of giving, and Richard Simpson, owner of the Caribbean takeaway chain Cummin Up, takes that sentiment seriously. For the eleventh year, Cummin Up will be providing a meal at Christmas; they have recently received The Mayor’s Award from the Mayor of Lewisham for voluntary contribution. From 1pm until 6pm on Christmas Day, Wednesday 25 December, anyone in need of a meal can go along to Cummin Up at 389 Lewisham High Street, SE13 6NZ. If you would like more information, please call 020 8690 9167 or visit the Cummin Up facebook page at www.facebook.com/cumminup.
SOCANEWS.COM/NEWS
BEERAAHAAR BOWS OUT WORDS | STEPHEN SPARK
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otting Hill Carnival has lost another of its iconic mas bands. Carnival 2020 will be the poorer for lacking the beauty of Beeraahaar Sweet Combination. Band leader Christina Oree broke the sad news in a press release stating that she had resigned as the chair of the charity. The board unanimously agreed to wind up the organisation. The band was founded 40 years ago as a soca dance group. It became known for a distinctive style of mas that proved very popular with the crowds at Notting Hill and other carnivals. Beeraahaar’s children’s section was always especially appealing. In her statement, Christina said that Beeraahaar had, “committed decades of service offering workshops, classes, work experience and personal development to families and individuals of all ages, genders, sexual orientation, physical and cognitive impairments and culturally diverse backgrounds.” The decision to bring the curtain down on Beeraahaar’s masquerading and charitable work was driven by cuts in funding and also by the trustees’ advancing age (Christina is in her early 80s). Sadly,
said Christina, “there are no available members to maintain the organisation”. Beeraahaar is certainly not the first band to have succumbed to these pressures, and is unlikely to be the last. Soca News is aware of several bands that are on the edge of withdrawing for a range of reasons. Many are struggling to make ends meet in light of the funding squeeze caused by reduced grant aid for carnival arts. To this must be added the high cost of creating ‘real’ mas, lack of affordable and appropriate space for mas camps, loss of members to commercial party bands, the increasing age of the original band leaders and a lack of ‘succession’ to take over from them, the administrative burden of complying with ever more stringent rules on health, safety and safeguarding, rising insurance costs, and difficulties with policing and security-related restrictions. With so many challenges to face, it is scarcely surprising that many younger carnivalists – Carnival’s potential leaders of the future – are wary about getting involved. While regretting the passing of another band, Soca News thanks Christina and all at Beeraahaar for the pleasure they have given us over the years. We wish them well for the future.
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NEWS
MISS WORLD TRINIDAD & TOBAGO SPEAKS TO THE HOUSE OF LORDS
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iss World Trinidad & Tobago, Tya Jane La Shon Ramey, was chosen by the organisers of the Miss World competition to speak at the House of Lords on behalf of the Caribbean. Upon arrival, fellow Trinidadian, Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE, greeted her and other contestants. Baroness Benjamin spoke to the contestants about her life and explained what being a member of the House of Lords means to her, as the first woman from Trinidad & Tobago to be a member. She also spoke of her personal philosophy for success, ‘consideration, contentment and confidence’, and urged them to all make a difference – to make the world a better place. The final of the Miss World 2019 competition takes place on Saturday 14 December at ExCeL London. To view all the contestants, visit www.missworld.com.
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SOCA NEWS AWARDS IN 2020
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oca News has confirmed that their annual awards ceremony will take place in 2020. There will be a re-focus and rebrand this year, as the event becomes the Soca News Awards, in place of ‘Soca Music Awards’. Editor Joseph Charles says, “These awards are really about shining a light on those out there who are really putting their all into promoting their culture, whether that's in the form of soca, calypso, mas or pan.” The award ceremony is scheduled for September 2020. For more information, visit socanews. com/socanewsawards.
FOR MORE NEWS
SOCANEWS.COM/NEWS
COMPETITIONS We're joining in with the spirit of joy and giving.
PLAY TO WIN WITH CARIB
In celebration of its new campaign, ‘The Way We Play’, Soca News has teamed up with Carib to help unleash your playful, festive spirit. Together we’re giving you the chance to win a case of your favourite Carib flavour, whether it's Sorrel, Lime or Ginger Shandy with 1.2 ABV or the original flavour with 5% ABV. Tell us what your favourite Carib flavour is and why, in 50 words or less. HOW TO ENTER
Submit your answer at socanews.com/competitions. Our team will select the best answer and the winner will receive a 6-bottle case of their favourite Carib flavour. To enter, you must be over 21. Terms and conditions apply. CLOSING DATE & TIME MONDAY 6 JANUARY 2020 MIDNIGHT
WIN A YEAR'S SUPPLY OF
TROPICAL SUN USA EASY COOK RICE
Enjoyed by more than half the world’s population, did you know that rice is the most popular grain on the planet? In honour of this small but mighty food, Soca News with our friends at Tropical Sun USA Easy Cook Rice are giving readers a chance to win a years's worth of rice. Whether your dish is jollof, pelau, rice and peas or egg fried rice, you can win by sending us your favourite rice recipe, with images of the dish. Be creative, be daring but most of all have fun when sending in your entries. HOW TO ENTER
Submit your entries to competitions@socanews.co.uk. Our favourite recipe/ dish will appear in the next edition as well as winning a year’s supply of Tropical Sun USA Easy Cook Rice.
GREENZ FETE 2 TICKET GIVEAWAY
Looking for a fete to warm you up this January? Then join us at Greenz Fete 2 on Friday 31 January, at Fire. To help you get there, we have two tickets to give away; to win is as simple as this: Tell us what country is referred to as 'Greenz'. To enter, email your answer to competition@ socanews.co.uk HOW TO ENTER
Submit your answer at socanews. com/competitions. Terms and conditions apply. CLOSING DATE & TIME FRIDAY 24 JANUARY 2020 MIDNIGHT
CLOSING DATE & TIME MONDAY 13 JANUARY 2020 MIDNIGHT
FOR FULL COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS VISIT SOCANEWS.COM/TERMS-OF-USE SN DEC 2019 11
review
Ten Years of Chocolate Nation AND CHEERS TO MANY MORE
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WORDS | SHARON BUCKLEY IMAGES | ALBERT ST. CLAIR
aturday 23 November saw Chocolate Nation Mas celebrate their tenth anniversary, which they combined with their thank you party for Notting Hill Carnival 2019. The event took place at 229 The Venue, an old stomping ground for many of us from back in the ‘good ole days’ when it was known as ISH (International Students’ House). This was a busy night on the soca circuit, which meant a smaller turnout than in previous years, but who was there was there. Those that came were out to wine and jab jab the night away – first to Ms Desire’s energising performance of hit songs, which prepared revellers for the next act, top Grenadian 12 SN DEC 2019
favourites Lil Natty & Thunda. The crowd went wild at every song, and when hits such as Top Striker, Tomorrow and Get In Your Section were performed there was stomping, jumping, running from side to side like crazy. No behaviour - in the best possible taste. DJ Mike Forbes thanked all the people who have participated and been part of Chocolate Nation’s growth over the past ten years. It’s admirable to see how massive Chocolate Nation has become - and it’s still going strong. A thank you goes out to host Danny D and all the other great DJs on the night, who were all on point with fantastic tunes of past and present.
FULL GALLERY @ SOCANEWS.COM/PHOTOS
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soca people
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Brother B WE ALL NEED SOME BROTHERLY LOVE
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WORDS | SHARON BUCKLEY
s we sit down to talk about life, soca and, in particular, his new album, you cannot help but notice the tall, elegant and masculine stature of Grenadian artist Lesly 'Brother B' Modeste. With a mystifying, calm aura, smooth, coffee-coloured skin and teeth like piano keys, in the animal kingdom he would easily be a black panther or jaguar. It's no wonder the girls go wild when he hits the stage. Over the years, Brother B has consistently delivered big hits, including Whine And Go Down, St Marks Day and Ah Little Wine. Full of talent, 2020 is about to see him unleash some of his most meaningful songs to date. Proudly born and bred in St. Mark’s Parish, Modeste’s stage name stems from his older brother, who at age two desperately wanted a brother; he was so excited by Lesly’s birth that he wouldn't stop saying, "Brother, brother" all day. The ‘B’ was added by a community who described his bold and brave manner. Modeste expressed to me how the locals could see his talent from a young age, and would tell him, "You're gonna make it." His endless passion for music would especially lead him to make songs to uplift his village, he says, because it was considered ‘grampor’, meaning poor. This spurred him on to fight against the odds - and to highlight his village through his music. Currently in London to record and shoot videos for the upcoming album, Lesly tells of his 13 years in the soca arena. This year, he says he's, "heavily motivated with a boost of inspiration to do great things again." "We are all here to do something great and it's important to call upon the creator; we have the secret inside ourselves so the human side of
things should never phase you." Stating that he always likes to "keep it real", it's from this moral and spiritual stance that the title of the album Complete stems. The title is a direct reflection of how he feels at this stage in life. He says, "Who am I fighting? I'm not fighting anyone. At one time I really wanted to be popular, but now I feel growth. It's a journey. With everything I have done and achieved, all the places I have been and all my blessings, right now I feel complete." Modeste has also tried to capture the different styles of soca. As he says, "You have your jump up and whine crew, jab jab crew etc, so I want to give them a piece of everything." He explains of the song Fighter that it reflects that the music arena is not an easy one; it’s not all smiles and acceptance. He's never been one for following the crowd, and says, "If you follow a crowd, who's leading it?” He prefers to be an individual, staying true to himself. The song Behind The Truck is about Brother B making the people that have grown up around him and his fans feel happy. There's also a collaboration on the album with Guyanese artist ACE, with a song about their wonderful Caribbean cultures. The song entitled Legends Tribute speaks for itself, as Modeste pays homage to all the Grenadian greats who have passed; they may be gone, but they’re not forgotten. Always conscious of his lyrics, Modeste says, "It's not always about the sexual innuendos; plenty artists believe it sells more music." Complete reflects his growth and maturity and his now being at one with himself - something that is more than evident in his company. His spirit exudes warmth, love and peacefulness, making him a great ambassador for Grenada and soca music. One thing is for sure: Brother B is in a league of his own.
FOLLOW BROTHER B ON INSTAGRAM.COM/BROTHERB11 SN DEC 2019 15
soca people
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Helena B There wasn't a dry eye in the Tabernacle, Ladbroke Grove, as Helena B (Helena Bedeau) sang her moving song, A Mother's Tears. This was a signal to the audience that, as the only female contestant at the London Calypso Tent 2019, she had climbed the twin mountains of the Groovy Soca Monarch (with Sugar In Between) and National Calypso Monarch titles. She held off strong challenges from reigning king De Admiral, veteran Lord Cloak and the ever-popular G-String. INTERVIEW BY | DRM JONES IMAGES | STEPHEN SPARK
Congratulations, Helena; you've done the double! Yes I have! I'm so excited, I can't even talk right now! Your song, 'A Mother's Tears', is so topical at the moment and it really, really moved the Tent. How did you come up with the song? Did you write it yourself? Or if not, how much input did you have? I did not, Alexander D Great wrote it, and then came to me and said, “Helena what do you think of this?” I had given him the topic, and told him I specifically wanted to write about gang crime and parental suffering because it's ridiculous what's happening out there. I told him what hurts me, what moves me about what this world is coming to. In fact, it's not only about London, it's America, it's happening everywhere. You know the kids are just getting shot down, killed, like by the police. But we didn't want to make it too drastic, so we said, “Okay, we're going to target the parents. How are they’re going to feel when their kids get killed? And when they come home and they hear that their son is out there dead, or shot, it hurts a lot of families. These children need to know that their
parents think about them and care about them, and that they don't want to be the one out there burying their kids. So I didn't want to focus too much on the killing, but more on the parents trying to protect them. There's a lot of crime with the youths out there, and I'm going to record it because I really want it to be put out there, and let [the youths] start making a change now, because I myself have a son and I don't want him to grow up into that, so I thought of that topic and I said to Alex, “Write that tune for me.” And he's so proud. So this has resulted in your historic double win. How will you celebrate? Oh my God! I don't know, but I'll be selling food for Carnival, that's what I'll be doing! Good stuff! De Admiral did the Windrush Song last year and he won, so this year it was down to you and him, with his Brexit song. But he also had a powerful song; he could have gone on to win. I also thought G String could have won.
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“Alexander D Great wrote it, and then came to me and said, Helena what do you think of this?” You won the Groovy Soca Monarch with a great song, 'Sugar In Between', a smoother song with a different message... Helena B, [cutting in] …a message in there, but with more sexiness. That's why I called it Sugar In Between; it's sweet but has a message. Are your songs going to stay in this serious vein now, or are you going to mix it up? I'm very versatile, so I'll sing soca, reggae, hip hop, calypso for you - anything I can. I will enter any competition and smash any competition, with the best I can. Everyone is very happy with the song that you won with. Is there any particular message that you want to send out to the youths? Yes. I just want them to be safe for this carnival and be careful, and just go home alive. That is the most important, because around this time is a more hectic, drastic time, and these are the times that they tend to get into trouble at the carnival. I have nephews as well, they're into drill music and I tell them to stay away from carnival to live longer. Because they're so young and they're the future of England, and they need stay alive and be protected. They don't need to kill each other. It will work itself through talk. This postcode gang crime- they need to stop that! This country is for everyone to enjoy. If there's a problem, talk it through and reason, but don't kill. Everybody has a mum, a dad, who's out there worried for them. You have to think about that. So be safe for carnival. As far as the Calypso Tent, it has to have a future, because great artists like you came through it. You sang at the original Yaa Asantewa Centre where the London Calypso Tent began, and here you are, the new Calypso Monarch. Yes, so I hope that next year will be bigger and busier. When we have meetings I will discuss how we can bring more people into the tent. More sponsorship, more advertising, so we can bring in more people.
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Maybe to keep them off the streets we could do more things for the youths. So maybe they could start singing calypso, so they could take over from our generation. So we could look into those things. We used to have youth calypsonians and my daughter used to perform - until she won all the trophies [laughs]! Maybe we could look into finances and do more things to get the youth off the streets, and let them know their culture in calypso and soca. It doesn't specifically have to be calypso, but they can bring a next vibe into the Tent. Maybe a mix with soca and groove, hip-hop and ting, to make it more interesting for the youths. The founder of the London Calypso Tent, calypsonian The Mighty Tiger (Ashton Moore), is sadly no longer with us. How do you think he might have felt about your double win tonight? He was always there for me to win. He was always like, “Helena you must win! You must win!” I don't know, there was something about him that liked me. How happy would he have been? I think the tent would have been much bigger if he was alive, because he would have done so much to try to get more people involved. But sadly he's gone, so we, as calypsonians, are supposed to encourage people in and contribute more to get the youths coming in. Even my kids, all of them come to support me. Once again, congratulations for your win. Thank you very much. Thank you.
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events
Don’t know where to go, or what to do?
Our events listing is all you need to keep you in the know. We cover predominately London, but whenever or wherever we hear about a soca fete or caribbean related event, we’ll list it. If you’re a promoter, then to ensure you get listed please send us your event details and a print copy of your flyer to events@socanews.co.uk. For full event listings, please visit socanews.com/events.
SUN 1 DECEMBER UCOM CARNIVAL
NHC 2020 BAND LAUNCH @229 The Venue, 229 Great Portland Street, W1W 5PN. Music By DJ Chris Vee, Jamzy, Juscallmebaz & Mr Hype. Time 6.30-12pm. Price £8-£20. DJ LOKDWN
SOCA MEETS AFROBEATS
@The Golden Anchor, 16 Evelina Road, SE15 2DX. Music By DJ Lokdwn. Time 8pm-1am. Price ree.
SAT 07 DECEMBER PARANG SOCA NIGHT
@Trude Restaurant & Bar, 91 High Street, South Norwood, SE25 6EA. Music By DJ Lokdwn
& Zoomer D. Time 8-12pm. Price £12-£20.
FRI 13 DECEMBER PSV EVENTS
SOCA FRENZY - SANTA WEAR FETE
@Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, N1 9NL. Price £8£16. Time 11pm-5am.
SAT 14 DECEMBER JUST VIBEZ
THE CARIBBEAN CHRISTMAS FAMILY FETE @Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, Lambeth, SE1 8XX. Music Live steel band, parang, calypso, soca, reggae and more! Price Free. Time 3-7pm.
PAN NATION WINTER CONCERT
@Gladesmore Community School, Tottenham, N15 6UG. Price £5-£10. Time 5.30-9.30pm. UNITY OF UK ST LUCIAN ASSOCIATIONS
ST LUCIA NATIONAL DAY
@The West Indian Cultural Centre, 9 Clarendon Road, Turnpike Lane, N8 0DJ. Price £3-£10. Time 8pm-2am. ONE THE BAND
1 FETE - THE CHRISTMAS AFFAIR
@Favela London, 65 Crowndale Road, NW1 1TN. Music By DJ Dale, DJ Lokdwn, DJ Paulie, Hyper Spice & Team 246 (Lex Lion & Terrah Dan). Price £7.50 - £15. Time 10pm-4am.
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events WESTSIDE ENTERTAINMENT
#473 CAMOUFLAGE WEAR FETE
@Ashiana Banqueting Hall, Hounslow, TW3 3PB. Price £25£30. Time 10pm-3.30am. BUSSPEPPER PROMOTIONS
CUCHI LA LA - A CARIBBEAN CHRISTMAS JAM
@Revolution - Leadenhall, 140144 Leadenhall Street, EC3V 4Q. Price £15 - £25. Time 10pm-4am.
SAT 21 DECEMBER GOLD RUSH
RUM & CRUISE
@Festival Pier, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XZ. Price £25-£35. Time 8pm-1am.
HUSH - THE CARIBBEAN SILENT PARTY @The Alice, 133 Houndsditch, EC3A 7BX. Price £20-£25. Time 10pm-4am.
HAPPY PEOPLE X UPWARDS PROMOTION
JAB WITH CLASS (THE ALL BLACK AFFAIR)
@Club KTM, 32 Railway Approach, Harrow, HA3 5AA. Price £10-£15. Time 10pm-4am. GRENADA BENEVOLENT SOCIETY UK
SPARKLE WITH THE GBS UK NYE 2019
SUN 15 DECEMBER
TUE 24 DECEMBER
DASSA
@St Marys Centre, Ladywell Road, Lewisham, SE13 7EP. Music By DJ Scooby. Price £25£45. Time 9pm-2am.
TUDOR ROSE IN CONJUNCTION WITH INFUZION PRO
RUK-A-TUK PROMOTIONS
NOEL DOMNIK
@Rileys Sports Bar Haymarket, 80 Haymarket, SW1Y 4TE. Music Live performances by Paddington Arts steel pan, operatic/gospel singer Nicole Fleary-Griffiths and the Tab Parise Choir Group. Price £10-£25. Time 5.30-9.30pm. EBONY STEELBAND
EBONY ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CONCERT
@The Tabernacle, 34-35 Powis Square, W11 2AY. Price £5-£8. Time 7-10pm. TOUCHDOWN SECTION
ISSA SNACK
@Floripa London, 91-92 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3HZ. Music By DJ Majikal, DJ Matchiz, DJ Tate, Kal-I, Supa Nytro & T-Bone. Price Free B4 5pm, £10-£15. Time 2pm-1am.
FRI 20 DECEMBER REMEDY EVENTS
DUTTY SANTA
@Hoxton Basement, 12-18 Hoxton Street, N1 6NG. Featuring Live Wetty Beatz & Triniboi Joocie. Music By Armani Hic, Deejay Dee, DJ Nate, DJ Tate, DJ Tripel M & Prince Vern. Price £10-£15. Time 11pm-6am.
TO ADVERTISE SALES@SOCANEWS.COM 24 SN DEC 2019
THE ULTIMATE TOUCH OF RED
@Tudor Rose, 68 The Green, Southall, UB2 4BG. Featuring Live Shortpree & Vghn. Music By DJ Bones, DJ Desktop, Selecta Spice & Tippa D. Price £30-£35. Time 10pm-4am.
FRI 27 DECEMBER SOCA PARTY UK
CLIMAXXX LDN 2019
@Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, N1 9NL. Featuring Live Lil Rick & Jagwa De Champ. Price £12.50-£20. Time 11pm-5am.
SAT 28 DECEMBER LAVA EVENTS
WINTER LAVA
@The Alice, 133 Houndsditch, EC3A 7BX. Music By Jamie Rodigan, DJ Nate, DJ Markee, DJ Tate, Joni Rich & Hypez & Jamz. Price £20-£30. Time 10pm-4am. TUDOR ROSE
NO LIMIT - BROTHER B ALBUM LAUNCH
@Tudor Rose, 68 The Green, Southall, UB2 4BG. Featuring Live Brother B, Vibez King, Merzy, Terrah Dan & Jab Moses. Music By DJ Bones, DJ Desktop & QT 2Hype. Price £25. Time 9pm-4am.
RUK-A-TUK NEW YEAR'S EVE
@All Bar One, 107 Houndsditch, EC3A 7BD. Price £25-£45. Time 9pm-3am.
FRI 17 JANUARY MISS EAST LONDON GALAXY. SHONA MURALDO-PARKS
321 SOCA!
@Bar 512, Kingsland Road, E8 4AE. Featuring Live Triniboi Joocie. Music By DJ Markee, Ras Kenny & Mike Forbes. Price £12. Time 10pm-3am.
SUN 26 JANUARY COCOYEA LONDON
KARNIVAL LIME
@The Fiddler, 229 Kilburn High Road, Kilburn, NW6 7JG. Price Free.Time 5pm-midnight.
FRI 31 JANUARY BACCHANAL PROMOTIONS
PURE BACCHANAL GREENZ FETE
@Fire, 39 Parry Street, SW8 1RT. Featuring Live Kulchaman, Shawty RP, Merzy, Terrah Dan & Sky. Music By Calypso Dan, DJ Bliss, DJ Desktop, DJ Sparky, Lex Lion & Ryan Rose. Price £8-£12. Time 11pm-5am.
FOR MORE EVENTS SOCANEWS.COM/EVENTS
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feature
Vanya Reid 'Pan Woman'
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1977 - 2019
WORDS | DEBRA ‘PAN DIVA’ EDEN AND KATIE SEGAL; WITH THANKS TO PAN PODIUM (ISSUE 7, 2003)
anya was born, in 1977, with an appreciation of music way beyond her years; with an ear that spanned time and genre. At the age of five she began learning the piano, soon graduating onto a tenor pan. After joining Eclipse Steel Orchestra in 1989, by the time she was 19 Vanya had input into their Panorama music and was arranging all their other songs. As an adult, Vanya was also playing the guitar and violin, and owned all four instruments. She spent quality time composing, often incorporating jazz, soul and Latin music into her pieces; the original, innovative compositions of this pan woman reflected her gifts, and were the outlet for the talent she shared generously with the world. Between 26 SN DEC 2019
2003 and 2009, Vanya penned three different bands’ Pan Explosion entries, all of which won first or second place in the competition. A proud lover of steelpan music, she was widely respected as she contributed her talent to many bands, both national and international. Over the years, she played in the UK with St Pauls and All Hallows, Eclipse, Mangrove and Ebony Steelbands. She also played in Trinidad with no fewer than eight bands: Laventille Sound Specialists, Petrotrin Phase 2 Pan Groove, PCS Silver Silver Stars, TCL Skiffle Bunch, Crescendos Musical, Tamana Pioneers, San Juan All Stars and BP Renegades. Vanya was also part of Women of Steel, a collective for female pannists deserving of recognition for their individual talent, and a platform spotlighting
them and their musicality. The inaugural performance was at the Trinidad and Tobago Cultural Olympiad during the London 2012 Olympics, in collaboration with the then Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner Garvin Nicholas. Vanya was a true pan woman, credited for her versatility and ability to play well and learn almost anything with pure, natural passion and drive. Her gifts were demonstrated throughout her life as a musician, arranger, mentor and friend - and they gave her the pleasure that only pan can give. She loved to inspire and encourage other musicians, often taking the time to discuss their development whilst willingly sharing her own experiences. She later used her considerable mentoring skills to work as a keyworker for young people for Haringey Council - many of whom also ended up playing pan. Radiant, talented, stylish and affectionate, Vanya was caring and expressive
in everything she did, to everyone she encountered. Vanya ' Pan Woman' Reid will be remembered by the pan lovers of this world, who will love her and talk about her long after she has left our presence, because her presence was everything to so many. The funeral of Vanya Reid will be held on 13 December, when a collective of pannists from different steelbands will play together to represent this woman of pan, and to pay their respects. May she rest in music, love and peace.
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MAXINE COLLINS ENTREPRENEUR
M
WORDS | KATIE SEGAL
axine was born in Hackney, to Trinidadian and Jamaican parents, but spent her early childhood in Couva, Trinidad, with her maternal grandparents. Since returning to the UK, Maxine has come full circle – and it has indeed been a very full circle. From growing up wishing for a career as a journalist or fashion designer, she went on to study textiles and surface design. She became discouraged by the difficulties of making a living as a creative, and since she also excelled at the organisational side of things Maxine enrolled for a degree in Design Management. Juggling several part-time jobs, she had to leave the course before the end – but nonetheless found a job in fashion, in a children’s wear manufacturing house. The job was production and sales, but she would end up helping with an embroidery design here, an ornate dress hem there. Working her way up through the rag trade, she began to feel the burnout of a field that felt shallow, lacking meaning.
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Pregnancy and maternity leave, for many a chance to take some time and space, was for Maxine an opportunity to change career. She completed an IT course at a local training college, where she also began volunteering on reception. Whilst there, her eyes were opened to the persisting low levels of adult literacy - and she decided that it was her mission to teach the world to read. So Maxine re-trained as a teacher, and has spent 14 years introducing the world of the written word to hundreds, maybe thousands of people. But there was a void in her life, which felt it lacked creativity, and Maxine enrolled in a refresher course at Fabrications textile studio in Broadway Market. Once she’d invested in her own sewing machine, she began to make things for herself, often using African prints because she’d always loved them. Then in January this year, following a gentle push from her sister Tricia, who urged her to follow her dreams, Maxine began to research market stalls. She decided to give herself until the end of this year to see whether a business that makes her heart sing could also feed her. The choice of having African wax prints illustrate her dream was a no-brainer for Maxine: “I love the meanings of the Andrinka symbols on the fabric and how they communicate a message”, she says, and “The vibrant colours definitely take me back to happy memories of my early childhood growing up in Trinidad, and going to carnival with my grandmother. Even down to the colourful pot of fry rice she would cook and bring!” Her logo, a stylised Sankofa heart, is very important to her; a perfect union of a beloved heart symbol and ‘Sankofa’, meaning to learn from the past. Kese, pronounced ‘Kessie’, means ‘great’ in Akan, a Twi language. Alongside the main line of the eponymous wax print cushions, Maxine also makes a range of unique, upcycled pieces, representing her attitude toward society’s wastefulness as well as exemplifying her creativity; she’s now added tableware to the collection, too. More recently, inspired by the intersection of an interest in natural products and essential oils and her own insomnia, Maxine has created her own pillow spray to aid restful sleep. ‘A Kese Goodnight’ is recommended by many too sleepy to raise their hands in agreement, and a teenage son whose exam nerves were calmed when he asked his mum to ‘put the sleeping gas on’ so she would switch on the diffuser.
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You can find Maxine and Kese Cushions on Saturday 14 December at The Tabernacle Christmas Market in Notting Hill. The products are also stocked at Hair by Chi, 340 Lea Bridge Road, E10 7LD, and online at Shpock (Kese C.) and etsy (kesecushionsboutique). facebook.com/kesecushions instagram.com/kese_cushions kesecushions.co.uk
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