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ATLANTA
CARNIVAL 2013 COVERAGE
Happy 25th Anniversary Atlanta! So it has been another year of carnivals, and like clockwork, ATL Carnival has followed T&T, Jamaica and Cayman; and without a doubt, in fine style. For the 25th year in a row, the Atlanta Caribbean Carnival Bandleaders Association (ACCBA), have managed to show steady growth and has continued to be the home of a callaloo of Caribbean immigrants and descendants. In 2013, their 25th Anniversary has stood out above all the rest. ACCBA and their managing team, have diligently grown the number of people that attend their events exponentially. Complimenting the carnival committee of course, are the premier promoters that continue to bring in the class acts of the carnival season, and produce some of the best parties around. As usual, the carnival celebrations kicked off a week prior on May 18th with the 9th Annual Demolition Crew Cooler Fete. And what a fete it was! Coolers, refrigerators, drums and even ice cream carts were the theme for this party. Remember... if you are planning on attending the 26th Atlanta Carnival, come the weekend before. Besides, I hear they already planning for their 10th Anniversary and I know it will be nice. As the week progressed with a few parties here and there, ACCBA kicked off the carnival weekend with their customary King and Queen of the Band competition. This was held at the famous Atlanta Underground. This was a fun evening where the Kings and Queens paraded in front of a welcoming audience. The show eventually concluded with results and the soothing voice of Kenny Blessing, blessing the audience. Great job Kenny! From the underground, we headed to two events; DJ Stephen's Anti-Stush ft. Bunji Garlin and Krushmore's Annual Flag Party. Bunji, considered one of the most popular and versatile soca artistes to date, gave a fantastic performance. Beaten and battered, we just had enough time to indulge in a little wine or two at Flag Party. This event truly stands on its own year after year. On Friday May 24th, we had a full day. From picking up Daddy Juice and Breathless Juice with airport runs, the TJJ fam got invited to a little surprise party, that almost led to someone having their eyes poked out... lol. Don't ask and I won't tell. Before that pit stop, we went to 'Day Dream' hosted by Krushmore at Atlanta's #1 Adult Entertainment Club, Magic City. Sorry people.... NO CAMERAS were allowed. Anyways, post ice cream and cake, we split the team up, to maximize our efforts. Joy Juice and Bago Juice headed to ACCBA's 1st Annual Jouvert and then I AM SOCA 2 promoted by Poundaz Entertainment, while Breathless Juice covered Krushmore's 9th Annual Jouvert. Daddy Juice headed to the GBM Showcase - Ladies First Atlanta featuring Kes, Ravi B and a few others. Needless to say, each event had its crowd. They were all well attended with the promoters solidifying their place in the ATL Carnival party scene. I must however, give credit to ACCBA on their first outdoor Jouvert. It was indeed a success. I'm still picking paint out of my hair. The I AM SOCA, 9th Annual Jouvert and GBM Showcase, were all hits and will surely do well in 2014. After checking into the hotel room at 6ish in the morning, we know we needed to be on the road by 10AM... geeezannn, no rest for the wicked! But at the end of the day, that's what we do! WE ARE CARNIVAL!! From the hotel (The Westin @ Peachtree) we took a short walk and ended up right into MADDFlava mas band. This was no doubt a good start to the day. After spending some time there with Kevin, Krista and some of the other crew members, we headed to beat the road hard. But not before hailing up actor Tommy Strong (Tommy from 'Martin') who was sitting atop the Flavantology truck. The TJJ team was in full effect on the road! Btw, be sure to look out for our "You, TJJ and Carnival" Atlanta Carnival 2013 show on TJJ TV, WIN TV and CaribVision. We also spent some time with probably the winningest band in ATL Carnival history.... 'We Kinda Ting'! Great costumes, beautiful people and a world of fun. With a few stops here and there in every band ... MaddColors, Island Fusion, Inferno, Prizm International and a host of others, all represented very well. 2013 was actually the first year that so many bands, and in large quantities, participated in Atlanta Carnival. From the Carnival Parade, we made our way to the Morris Brown Herndon Stadium, for the Carnival Village. This was a beautiful site to see as the multitudes flocked into the stadium. Whether you were a masquerader or just a patron, there was room for you. Literally thousands gathered for the after parade festivities. Once the last band crossed their judging point, the most popular singing MC in the business ... MC Wassy of NY took to the stage. After DJ Kevy Kev introduced some of the smaller and local acts, MC Wassy, took charge of the mic and worked the thousands in front of him. And when one would think he was over, he was just getting started. To kick of the soca artistes, soca sensation Bobby Redd of Richmond, VA was introduced and took hold of the audience in fine style. After that, it rained soca artistes.... Jadine, Rudy, Edwin Yearwood, Kenny Blessing, Pumpa, Iwer George, Talpree and more all took to the stage and performed well. Worthy of being mentioned is the re-birth of Tizzy of El-A-Kru (you guys remember big chune "Expose" right?). Tizzy, not only rocked the house with her beauty, but gave an exhilarating performance, after being away from the carnival scene for two years. Great job Tizzy! Nice seeing you again. As darkness fell, we needed to get back to the Westin to catch a cat nap before heading to Krushmore's Rags and Flags. Sadly, the cat nap lasted longer than expected here. But no worries, we still have two more events to attend... Sunday Morning Breakfast Fete and Annual Wear White! For the second year in a row, OneDrop's Sunday Morning Breakfast Fete was the weekend's highlight. I'm not going to write too much on this because I will be here all day..... let's just say that that last wine cost us all, but was bloody well worth it! Guaranteed!! As for the 14th Annual Wear White, they have remained consistent and for a long time, will be the place to go after all the events are done and over with. Even on Sunday, we must credit Unity Fest that featured Kerwin Dubois and Rupee. Also respect goes out to Mr. Machel who performed in ATL for the second year in a row. To conclude, Atlanta Carnival has grown into a power house carnival and has earned a solid spot on our annual Carnival Calendar. Pat, Karen and the entire ACCBA Team, congratulations on another successful carnival. See you in 2014! Worthy of mention though are the events by Unitec Entertainment, and Thrive (by Ceasar). Big up to D'Bandit from Toronto, Private Ryan, Patrick from Houston, our homegirl Sharri from Alabama and our new reps (by default) ... Bago Juice and Breathless Juice!! Daddy Juice, thanks for blessing ATL Carnival this year with your presence. And last but not least, to my empress.... thanks for the support and love. From Atlanta Carnival 2013, TJJ Out!
As Always, << View Carnival Photo Gallery >> >> Atlanta
2012 Carnival Coverage |
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