Written by: David Lawrence
Orlando, Florida is going to be hot like fyah this Memorial day weekend as the Orlando Carnival Downtown festival continues to bring the joys of Caribbean culture and music into Orlando for the 33rd year. Carnival and soca-lovers besides being able to rival in the main events of J’ouvert and the Parade of the Bands will be thoroughly entertained by some of the biggest names in soca today; Machel Montano, Kes The Band, Patrice Roberts, Nadia Batson, to name a few.
The annual festival brings pageantry, parties, art vendors, and foods from Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, and other Caribbean nations. According to the Orlando Carnival Downtown organizing committee: “the festivals have seen amazing growth over the past few years as we continue to improve our event to maintain its status as the largest celebration of Caribbean culture in Central Florida. Record numbers of attendees have surpassed 20,000, with an ever-growing demographic. For the past 33 years we have successfully presented our cultural showcase celebration in Orlando and we are on target to transcend those numbers with the continued support of our community.”
Apart from the Orlando Carnival Downtown organizing committee, Culture Fete which is part of Central Florida Multicultural Association & Tourism Board is hosting two mega-events that will be showcasing several top soca artistes.
For more information and tickets: https://orlandocarnivaldowntown.com/
MAY 27 – 8PM – 2:00AM
R9 RONALDO ACADEMY
3516 PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA PKWY.
ORLANDO, FL 32811
For tickets and information https://culturefeteweekend.com/
Hailing from the Caribbean twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in the West Indies, Machel Montano, known as the King of Soca, is celebrating 40 years of sharing his music with the world! Machel has collaborated and shared stages with Global music icons like Ariana Grande, Pitbull, Drake, Rihanna, Major Lazer, Shaggy, Sean Paul, DJ Khaled, Ashanti, and many more.
MAY 28 8pm – 2am
R9 RONALDO ACADEMY
3516 PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA PKWY.
ORLANDO, FL 32811
For tickets and information https://culturefeteweekend.com/
Hashtags #OrlandoCarnivalDowntown #Culturefeteweekend #MachelMontano #Kes #PatriceRoberts #NadiaBatson
Mikey Spice: The Forgotten Treasure of Reggae
By: Taneika ThomasKnown most popularly for his remake of Barry White’s “Practice What You Preach”, Michael Theophilus Johnson, most popularly known as Mikey Spice, is the “one man band” of reggae music.
Read more ...Trinidad Dancehall And The Zesser Movement
By: Nekisha Cyrus‘Zesser’ a term that was initially coined and heavily associated with the Trinidad Dancehall community has now evolved into a movement. Today this movement, which was birthed within the streets of Trinidad’s ghettos is now making its way to some of the main stages, not just locally but internationally as well.
Read more ...Terri Lyons Is Calypso Royalty
By: Nekisha CyrusHands down, Terri Lyons is one of the most dynamic vocalists in the game with the musical versatility to match. Even though she hails from soca royalty as daughter of a soca legend, the one and only Super Blue, she has been determined to create her own legacy in the music industry
Read more ...Caribbean Folklore With Illustration
By: Lesandra ScottSince it was way too early for bed and with her four teenage children, without any internet and evidently growing restless, Mother decided to use this inopportune moment to tell us tales and stories about entities of the night, the Caribbean folklore that she was told of when growing up as a child.
Read more ...