Her fans call her “Saucy Wow”, her performances are electrifying and scintillating. Denise Ann Sinoda Belfon was born on November 23, 1968 and started singing at the age of 9.
She is commonly known by Caribbean locals as the “Soca-Dancehall Queen” due to her high energy, complex, exotic, and highly controversial on-stage performances in addition to her powerful, husky, and sultry vocals and her high stamina. Her career, although very well-established, exploded after the release of her 2003 smash single, “Saucy Baby,” which is considered to be her signature song by many
Over the years, the name Denise Belfon has become synonymous with a feel good energy and riveting feting experience. Versatile, unique and certainly a master at her craft,
The nickname ‘Saucy Wow’came about because of Denise Belfon’s sexy performances.
Her performances have been criticised but despite the negative comments from some quarters, it is her female fans that have remained the most loyal.
For years Denise Belfon has mesmerized audiences worldwide with her stage show. Her music, strong vocal ability and sensual moves have propelled her to the heights of success- making her one of the most sought after Trinidad and Tobagoentertainers across the Caribbean and the United States.
In 1990, Belfon was discovered by the bandleader of Roy Cape. She started singing professionally with the soca band Black Sheep, before moving on to Sound Revolution. Her first solo recording was the soca single “Ka Ka Lay Lay.” Belfon went on to record the singles “Hard Wuk”, “De Jammette“, “Saucy Baby”, and “Indian Man”. Read more about Denise Belfon on Wikipedia.
Commonly known by Caribbean locals as the “Soca/Dancehall Queen” due to her high energy, complex, and exotic (and highly controversial) on stage performances in addition to her powerful, husky, and high stamina vocals. Her career, although very well established, exploded after the release of her 2003 smash single, “Saucy Baby”, which is considered to be her signature song by many.
Toronto’s Caribana festival began in 1967 when the Canadian government asked the Caribbean community to get involved to help celebrate the Centennial year. It was organized by a group of ten Caribbean individuals living in Toronto. Their goal was to develop a platform to showcase the beauty, joy and music of Caribbean culture. Caribana weekend usually coincides with Simcoe Day (the first weekend in August), marking the abolishment of slavery in Upper Canada.
Toronto is rich with street festivals, parades the liveliest of the lot has to be the grand parade of the festival formerly known as Caribana. The 45th such spectacle had all the requisite elements: pounding dancehall, soca and steel pan music, outrageously hot weather, feathered costumes of every colour, and coconuts, sugar cane, corn and jerk chicken at the finish line.
Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto is an exciting three-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, revelry as well as visual and performing arts. Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto is an expression of Toronto’s multicultural and multiracial society.
Vibrant costumes and unceasing, infectious rhythm are hallmarks of Toronto’s Caribana Parade. The most well-known event of the Caribana Festival, the parade is just one more way that Toronto celebrates Caribbean culture for two weeks every summer. If you’re not a fan of crowds the parade may not be the place for you, but if you are a fan of joyous dancing, beautiful displays of artistry, and pure, unadulterated celebration, then read on and get ready to have a whole lot of fun.
The entire event, which is one of the first Caribbean Carnivals along with those in New YorkCity, Notting Hill and Boston to be held outside of the Caribbean region, brings in over one million people to the shores of Toronto and over $400 million into Ontario’s economy, annually
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I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly running into so many cool websites I want to remember or recommend to people but I don’t always have time to make a note of them, add them to favourites, bookmark them etc. Some of these sites are pretty cool while others have been around for a while now, but they are all awesome right now in 2013. So whether you are looking for a way to catch up on the latest Carnival trends, want to find some exciting new news, videos or are just bored and need to waste some time online, I would like to mention the following bloggers & content sites in particular who stand out to me and whose wonderful posts and content I have had the pleasure of visiting time and again.
I’m forever indebted to my friends in the Trinidad Carnival community: from the on-going conversations in our Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook groups to the brilliant contributors and commenters on these sites, you continually inspire us, enlighten us with informative and compelling content, smart navigable design, engaged communities and, of course, a voice that speaks to and for the Trinidad Carnival reader that’s kept fresh, timely and in-the-know by savvy staffers and impassioned writers. You all provide a quality that inspires us to share–with our social networks and in e-mails and conversations with our families, friends and colleagues.
I cannot echo enough what a privilege it is to enjoy the time spent on so many great sites. I really enjoy being engaged and being in the same orbit as other Passionate People. I really enjoy being in the presence of others who are pursuing their passions in a positive way. They seem to have a positive energy about them, ultimately they also serve as a conduit for the view of the many on the outside of their world, who surf through their websites whether by accident or by design every day, on their way getting on with their own lives on the internet highway. Special thanks to Kevin & Kristel @Triniscene.com, Saucy (@carnivaldiary), Dre (@junglejuiceintl), Aba @EtceteraBuzz, Thank you all so much….
Saucy @carnivaldiary Question ; do you see committee members of the so called “it” bands as being influencers on your decision to play… http://fb.me/1tqVRdEHc
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The Mighty Sparrow(born Slinger Francisco) and affectionately known as ‘Birdie’ is known for provocative and often salacious lyrics, In a career spanning nearly six decades he has risen to the upper stratosphere of Trinidadian calypso.
Sparrow, although not the first to expose calypso to the world, has been a dominant force in the music reaching all four corners of the Earth. Sparrow throughout his career local and internationally has pushed back many barriers for the social acceptance and recognition of this indigenous musical art form. He has never been afraid to innovate, and challenge the establishment, and has pioneered the way for new genres of calypso that did not previously exist….
With his ultra-sweet vocals and lyrics that speak of romance and topical politics, Mighty Sparrow (born Slinger Francisco) rose to the upper echelon of Trinidadian calypso. Best known for his hits “Jean and Dinah” in 1956 and “Carnival Boycott” in 1957, Sparrow is an 11-time winner of the calypso monarchy and an eight-time winner of Trinidad and Tobago‘s Carnival Road March competition. Born to a poor working-class family in Gran Roi, a small fishing village in Grenada, Sparrow moved to Trinidad at the age of one. Learning to sing in the boy’s choir of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, he became the head choirboy. At the age of 14, he formed a steel band to perform at the Carnival, sparking his interest in calypso. Teaching himself to play guitar, Sparrow began to write his own songs. Winning the Carnival competition with “Jean and Dinah,” he received a grand prize of 40 dollars. In protest, he wrote a scorching indictment of the Trinidadian music industry, “Carnival Boycott.” Despite his refusal to compete in the Carnival contests for the next three years, Sparrow became one of the Caribbean’s most successful artists. ~ Craig Harris, Rovi
Sparrow’s lyrics are famous for being witty, ironic, and ribald. He sings flirtatiously of the attractions of Hispanic women in “Magarita,” and of East Indian women in “Marajhin.” He tells some outrageously frank tales of sexuality in “Mae Mae,” “The Lizard” and “Big Bamboo.” And there is humorous commentary on West Indian culture to be found in “Obeah Wedding” and “Witch Doctor.” Robert Christgau called his controversial song “Congo Man” “a wildly perverse piss-take on African roots, interracial revenge, interracial sex, male-female relations, and cannibalism. The 1965 song was criticized for its attitudes toward women and Africans, and banned from radio airplay until 1989.
Sparrow also frequently comments on social and political issues in his songs. During his early career he was a supporter of Eric Williams and his People’s National Movement (PNM), which formed in 1955 and led Trinidad and Tobago to independence in 1962; songs such as “Leave The Damn Doctor Alone” and “William the Conqueror” mentioned Williams directly, while others such as “Federation” (blaming Jamaica for the breakup of the short-lived West Indies Federation), “Our ModelNation” (celebrating Trinidadian independence), and “PAYE” (supporting the PNM’s pay-as-you-earn tax system) echoed PNM positions. Sparrow did express discontent in 1957’s “No, Doctor, No,” but it was comparatively mild, and aimed at holding PNM politicians to their promises rather than replacing them. Sparrow cleverly combined political criticism with sexual innuendo in his mid-1960s song “BG Plantain”, which decried the ban levied by PM Williams on imported plantain from British Guiana (BG); plantain, a large banana-shaped vegetable, is a staple of West Indian cuisine, and Sparrow praised the BG plantain as larger, sweeter, and superior to the home-grown Trinidadian variety.
As soca began to supplant calypso in popularity in Trinidad during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sparrow embraced the hybrid of Calypso and cadence with the Local (Chutney) music. In 1984 he won his eighth Road March title with the soca-influenced “Doh Back Back.” Also around this time, he began to spend at least half the year in New York City, finding an apartment in the West Indian neighbourhoods in Jamaica, Queens. Sparrow continues to write, perform, and tour into the 21st century; in a 2001 interview he mentioned that he had been singing and performing a “Gospel-lypso” hybrid. In 2008, he released a song supporting Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, “Barack the Magnificent“. He also did a remake of his “Congo Man” song with fellow Trinidadian Machel Montano on the Flame on album.
The Mighty Sparrow has proved himself as the Quintessential Calypsonian, par excellence, with over seventy (70) albums to his credit. He is richly endowed with many gifts. He possesses an amazing ability not only to put into works and tempo the exploits of society, but to crown it all with showmanship and appeal. His great contribution to the art form and our lives has unravelled the mysteries of Caribbean life, leaving the professionally trained sociologist and economist befuddled. A combination of talent, hard work and opportunity enabled Sparrow’s ascendance to Calypso King of the World. He brought honour, glory and dignity to an indigenous art form that was once scorned upon by the elite of Caribbean society.
Good morning. THE MIGHTY SPARROW AT A TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN! fb.me/B5MIK6pS
Back in 2008 the Caribbean and Florida radio stations were playing Sparrow’s ‘Barack The Magnificent’ several times a day. Is he still relevant now in his twilight years? Yes absolutely as for ‘CANABALISM’ its all in good taste (No pun intended). Long live the King and may he reign for many years to come…..
The Mighty Sparrow Calypsonian Extraordinaire Hon. Dr. Slinger Francisco, ‘Birdie’ we tip our hat’s to you Sir …..
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Ok, so we are in the middle of may and next month is june and if you are a true carnival/mas lover like me you would know that most NY mas camps launch there band’s in June in New York….
Brooklyn’s famed Caribbean American Labor Day Parade is Mardi Gras in the Big Apple. It’s not a day, really, but rather a week of preparatory events, celebrations, and even a preview of parade steel drums at the Brooklyn Museum.
Labor Day in Brooklyn New York City, is synonymous with the West Indian Carnival Parade, held on the Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, New York. It is the time when the spirit of Trinidad Carnival comes to New York and people gravitate toward Brooklyn, Crown Heights where all roads lead to Carnival. Anyone who has not experienced or taken part in a Labor Day/West Indian American Day Carnival is missing one of the most exciting and memorable experiences of a lifetime. The rewards that await the five senses, individually and collectively exceed your wildest imagination.
The earliest known Carnival street parade was held on September 1, 1947. The Trinidad Carnival Pageant Committee was the founding force behind the parade, which was held in Harlem. The parade route was along Seventh Avenue, starting at 110th St.
TRINIDAD CARNIVAL
West Indian American Labor Day Carnival Parade
New York West Indian Carnival Parade
NEW YORK LABOR DAY CARNIVAL PARADE
NY Labor Day Carnival like many other Trinidad Carnival spin offs are absorbed into the very fabric of popular culture most easily through various art forms…
Many Calypso and Soca songs from Trinidad make reference to the Labor Day Carnival, including “Gunplay on the Eastern Parkway” by Calypso Rose, “Melee (on the Eastern Parkway)” by Maestro, and “Labor Day in Brooklyn” by the Mighty Sparrow. Jay-Z mentions the Labor Day Carnival on his hit song “Empire State of Mind” (2009), when he says “3 dice Cee-lo, 3 card monte, Labor Day Parade,rest in peace Bob Marley”. peace Bob Marley”.
The West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA), the organization that has been producing this spectacular event since 1964, will present four days of entertainment and activities for children and adults beginning Thursday, Aug. 30-Monday, Sept. 3.
Revellers on floats representing each Caribbean island, party trucks, live bands, and stilt walkers will perform along Eastern Parkway from Utica Avenue to Grand Army Plaza. Be forewarned—the music is loud and the dancers are very sexy. It’s like a revved up combinedRio de Janiero and Trinidad Carnival—New York style! Yes, it’s safe.
The New York Post reports Bloomberg even went so far as to say the (viral )>>>videowas a great advertisement for New York City.
Credited with generating millions to the City’s coffers, the event is also magnet for politicians and incumbents courting the Caribbean vote. In past years, some officials have included Bill and Hillary Clinton, Congressman Charlie Rangel, Gen. Colin Powell, (Jamaican ancestry) a former parade grand marshal, NYC Mayor MichaelBloomberg, and NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo
The tone is set by colourful costumes, the pulsating sounds from the Caribbean and the effervescence of revellers and those who line the route. You hear and see it in the bouncy music from all over the region, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Haiti, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Sty. Kitts-Nevis, you name it. Of course, it was also present in the wiggle of the behind as men and women bounce up on each other and dance. That’s the essence of carnival.
Carnival did something else that is distinctly Caribbean: the calypso, reggae and steel band music were integral parts of the celebration. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, pan music is a gift from the Caribbean. So are soca and reggae and their inevitable fusion with the other genres. Carnival, pan music, reggae and soca are national symbols of the Caribbean.
If they are inextricably linked so are the joys and the colour associated with them. When they come together in an exhilarating mixture the result is a magnetic appeal that attracts and holds people’s attention and becomes a kind of an unshakeable grip on their imagination. That’s why it is so difficult to understand why carnival and its organizers, the West Indian American Day Carnival Association, don’t receive more support state and local financial assistance from Albany and City Hall.
This is New York City’s largest parade, and over 2/3 million revellers turn out every Labor Day for this entertaining and extravagant celebration of Caribbean culture. The Carnival is an assertion of pan-Caribbean culture, bringing together people from different island nations under one umbrella, and demonstrating to the rest of the world the power and vibrancy of the peoples of the Caribbean.. It really is a pristine day of music, food and costume fantasies enjoyed by millions along the tree-lined Eastern Parkway.
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Welcome to my Soca Music Radio Station blog post. In this post I feature some of the webs best soca radio stations playing the best in groovy/ power soca & chutney soca releases for Trinidad and Tobago carnival 2013. You can check out the links below and listen to music from all your favourite artistes. You can also search the other resources and enjoy listening ….
From Machel Montano drawing at Soca Monarch finals Trinidad Carnival 2013 to Destra causing bacchanal down in Jamaica, Soca radio stations have never been bigger. They can help elevate soca artists status and take down government officials while simultaneously celebrating the minutiae of our everyday obsessions. Here are the 21 best reasons to tune in….
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many thanks….
Trini Carnival Soca All Stars Radio Stations Disclaimer
Live streaming available to you through TriniCarnivalSocaAllStars.com will allow you to listen to your favorite stations live and free of charge. The streaming available through these links and the material that you listen to, are not under the control of TriniCarnivalSocaAllStars.com. Therefore, TriniCarnivalSocaAllStars.com cannot and does not make any representation to you about these stations or the materials available there. The fact that TriniCarnivalSocaAllStars.com has made these links available to you is not an endorsement or recommendation to you by TriniCarnivalSocaAllStars.com of any of these stations. TriniCarnivalSocaAllStars.com is providing these station links only as a listening pleasure to you.
Trini Carnival Soca All Stars 