Caribbean Carnival Parade
in Hollywood?? No way! Yes folks, this is the 1st Caribbean Carnival on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame and it was brought to you by Regulaz Entertainment
who has gone above and beyond as well as against the odds to promote the
culture in the mecca of entertainment; Hollywood, California. The
promoters with special mention of Keron Adams, took the first step in
highlighting the carnival in Hollywood and showcasing the Caribbean cultural
diversity to the world through music, costume and dance. Big up Keron!!
They incorporated the carnival with the National Caribbean-American Heritage
Month and dubbed it the 1st annual LA Cultural Festival. Lights, camera
and action which we have grown to know Hollywood as will now be combined
with Soca, Feathers and Bachannal. It can only get better from here on.
It was a pleasure for TJJ to be amongst the participants and spectators
which consisted of mainly residents and business owners of Hollywood,
various other cities within the US and the Caribbean as well as tourists
from around the world.
The
crowd was intrigued and stunned at the various costumes and dance moves
(wining) both naughty and nice that the revellers were showing them. All
shapes and sizes adorned in glitter, bling, beads and feathers showed
the spectators what the Caribbean carnival was all about and with various
flags representing each individual country. The warmth of the Caribbean
burnt up Hollywood Blvd and left its mark of better things to come. Some
of the celebs spotted were Nia Long (waving a large Trini flag), Lorraine
Toussaint, Antonio Fargas, Mark Ridley-Thomas just to name a few.
The parade started at Hollywood Blvd/ Berendo at 11.40am
and went all the way to the venue which was in a primetime location in
Hollywood at the corner of Hollywood Blvd/Vine. The shuttles provided
allowed masqueraders to park near the Village and ride to the beginning
of the parade. The weather was great…..75-80
degrees and the warm sun lit up the colourful costumes. Parade was incident-free
and the streets were left clean. Everybody thinking green nowadays even
the masqueraders. No trash or pieces of costumes left behind.
The accessibility into the Carnival Village seemed to be a little difficult
and disorganized due to the number of people trying to get into the event.
Some were in line while others were taking a last lap wine on the streets
much to the amusement of the police officers and cleaning crew.
DJ
Stephen, D Wassi One, Eternal Vibes, D Governor and some other local Los
Angeles DJ's were definitely keeping the vibes uplifted with their own
totally different style of delivering our cultural music to both Caribbean
and non-Caribbean people. It was level waist and constant pace throughout
the parade and in the Carnival Village. People
waving rags, flags, drinks, umbrellas, costume pieces…anything they
could get their hands on. Mad vibes!! The tourists and onlookers had a
great time and it was heart-warming to see them attempt to wine down low
and dance to the pulsating rhythms. Some may not have understood
the lyrics but they sure followed the rhythms and sang their own versions
to the songs. Regulaz Entertainment supported the artistes especially
the younger generation and gave them a chance to perform onstage: Angelica,
Dylan Hyde, Caligrafi, Lex Lane, Hollywood High Drill Team, Sistas wit
style, Justice and Michael Wagner/ Elijai and the Roots band.
Food,
Food, Food… there was a variety of food available and my favorite
was the Bake and Shark. It was on point! No wonder it was sold out in
3 hours. Yes folks I made sure I tried every single item: food at the
beginning of the parade, VIP and at the Carnival Village. Masqueraders
and patrons had to refuel themselves after the mad vibes on the street
and it was evident from the food lines which remained constant for a few
hours but moved along quickly. Vendors served Trinidadian, Jamaican and
Belizean cuisines just to name a few. Event was cash only.
Thanks to Regulaz Entertainment especially
Charisse, Cece and Keron for my wire bra costume, breakfast, lunch along
with the fluids aka Jungle Juice. That juice was dangerous but ah like
it. Love you guys! Colin (Trinifeters) ….. thanks for sharing your
pelau and allowing me to eat all the meat in the plate.
Promoters and committee members did their best to ensure the patrons had
a great time. It was a lil hectic at the entrance to the Village with
numerous people trying to get in but the promoters promised an improved
plan for next year’s carnival.
The
cost was $10 to enter the Carnival Village which included a wide range
of cultural entertainment stemming from the US and various Caribbean countries
and an array of food, drinks and delicacies. Great seeing the younger
generation performing and highlighting the culture as well as their talents.
Nice idea combining the Hollywood life
with the Caribbean culture. Keep flying the flag and reppin’
the culture in the Entertainment capital of the world. Would love to see
more Caribbean artistes and performers in next year's celebrations.
Much love goes out to Giselle "D Wassi One", and DJ Eternal
Vibes for making the trip to Hollywood and ensuring everyone had a great
time with non-stop music and vibes. Tempo from beginning to end. Regulaz
Entertainment, you carved your star on Hollywood Walk of Fame. Job well
done!! Very impressed with the turnout and support. Looking forward to
June 22nd, 2013. Also BIG UP to the
Machel Montano puppet who made headlines and probably took the most pictures
and did the most interviews. Very Original. Much respect to DJ Stephen,
DJ Kerwin “D Governor”, Flash da Jagwar, Trinifeters, Joyce
Productions, CFTT, Super Sonic Samba School, Sexy Soca Sailors, 3Ni Productions,
Sistas-wit-Style and Extacy Mas for showcasing a wide range of colour,
splendor and fantastic display of Caribbean culture in the 1st ever Hollywood
carnival parade. Yuh light up the Boulevard! Special thanks
to Regulaz Ent. for going the extra mile to ensure TJJ was well fed and
hydrated.
Mark your calendars folks, you don’t
want to miss it next year. I envision it to be bigger and better. Hollywood
+ Caribbean culture = Bachannal on d Boulevard!
