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Is there a Rihanna Concert in the making for Guyana?

From left to Right: Kerwin Bollers, Robyn "Rihanna" Fenty and Rawle Ferguson

Guyana and Barbados share a special bond, a bond that Pop songstress Rihanna is obviously the living proof of!
Since this little sun-kissed beauty touched the international music scene in 2004, rising to stardom and now being described as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, she has proudly owned her Bajan and Guyanese roots.
This was most recently exhibited on social media over the weekend when Rihanna celebrated her grandfather’s birthday in the sunny island of Barbados where she grew up. The Directors of Hits and Jams Entertainment, Kerwin Bollers and Rawle Ferguson, were pleased to have been invited to the private function which was hosted at the songstress’ mother’s home for relatives and close friends on Sunday, November 03. During their visit, they used the opportunity to speak with Rihanna and her team about a possible concert in Guyana.

From left to right: Kerwin Bollers, Jay Brown and Rawle Ferguson.

Rihanna’s Manager, who is also the Co-Founder and President of Roc Nation, Jay Brown, was also present at the Birthday celebration and discussed with Directors of Hits and Jams Entertainment Rihanna’s interest in performing in Guyana. Brown said that he is very opened to the proposal especially since Rihanna is thrilled to perform here.

It was gratifying to discover that Rihanna and her family are still very much in tune with Guyanese culture and are proud of their heritage. In honour of her grandfather’s birthday, Rihanna posted on Instagram “Happy Birthday Grandfadda Bravo!!!!! You are so special to all of us!!! If it wasn’t for you buying out the whole tray of mangoes from gran gran Dolly that one day you got off your ship in Guyana, and charmed her with that smile laced with a gold cap, NONE of us would be here!! So I’m saying a special thanks to you for having a heart of a lion, my Scorpio Kind, Legend!!! They will never know what it took for you to get us here!! I love you way past unconditional!!! You’re true as steel BRAVO!!!!”

The Pic-Collage Rihanna posted on her official Instagram page of herself and Grandfather Bravo.

Rihanna’s mother, Monica Braithwaite, took pride in the Guyanese dishes she prepared for the birthday function which included pepperpot and curry. “She said she cooked this curry the real Guyanese style with the Guyanese spices aggi and geera,” Bollers recalled with a smile.

Monique Braithwaite dishes out Kerwin Bollers a mean curry and dhal puri!

Meanwhile, Rawle spoke about his encounter with the megastar and stated that she struck him as a “very calm, very down to earth and very natural person”.
Rihanna is one of the leading Pop artists with a total of 238 awards from 540 nominations. Apart from awards for her work, Rihanna has also received awards as an artist, including 22 Billboard Music Awards, 17 Barbados Music Awards, six NRJ Music Awards, three MOBO Awards and two BRIT Awards. She was also named the most liked celebrity on Facebook at one point, ranked as one of Forbes Magazine’s top-earning women in music and even third most googled woman!
Earning herself some of the biggest acknowledgements this generation of artists have ever seen, Rihanna definitely lives by a demanding schedule. However, a concert headlined by Rihanna is foreseen in Guyana! “The perfect time has to be set but a performance in Guyana is not too farfetched,” Bollers said.

Hits and Jams Entertainment has worked with international Grammy Award winning artists such as R. Kelly, Rick Ross, Neyo, Trey Songz, Akon and Eve and is in the process of organizing a January 04, 2014 concert with John Legend and Beres Hammond.
Rihanna and her family have not returned to Guyana in several years and are looking forward to returning soon for a huge celebration in the form of a concert with the Guyanese fans.
Hits and Jams Entertainment is very optimistic and excited about the possibility of bringing yet another, and one of our own, back to Guyana! The entertainment giant also believes that this can possibly be the artist’s biggest Caribbean concert since Guyana is located in South America and bordered by countries which are home to a large portion of Rihanna’s fan base! This will therefore result in a large influx of tourists benefitting this sector greatly.

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John Legend and Beres Hammond for “Night of Love” concert in Guyana January 2014

John Legend

R&B Icon John Legend, who recently released his fourth album ‘Love In the Future’, will be performing in Guyana on January 04, 2014 alongside Reggae genius Beres Hammond!
This concert, which is dubbed ‘Night of Love’, will see the fusion of R&B and Reggae but what is for certain, both Legend and Hammond are strong advocates of love and their music surely identifies with this trait.

The news of this grand event came soon after the conclusion of the ‘Redemption Concert’ which was also referred to as ‘The Night of Legends’ Concert which was hosted on October 19, 2013. Headlining that show was R&B King R. Kelly. Also performing were Morgan Heritage, Kes the Band, Karma the Band, Jumo and Rkhty. On this evening, R&B, Reggae, Soca, Chutney and Dancehall were fused together. The response was overwhelming. As a result, Hits and Jams Entertainment and McNeal Enterprise decided to team up once again for the ‘Night of Love’ event.

Beres Hammond

John Roger Stephens, who is better known by his stage name John Legend, has recently resumed his position within the eye of the public with the successful launch of his fourth studio album ‘Love in the Future’. The third single off the album, ‘All of me’ impacted American mainstream urban radio and became the highest charting song of the album.

Meanwhile, Hammond, being no stranger to the Guyanese audience, was unquestionably a sure pick for the ‘Night of Love’ concert. With songs like ‘Tempted to Touch’, ‘Sweet Lies’, ‘Sweetness’, ‘They gonna Talk’ and ‘Angel Eyes’, Beres can be described as the Reggae voice of love in his own right.
The organizers promise yet another unforgettable evening with quality entertainment that most would be able to witness only once in a lifetime!

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Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto Grand Parade

Scotiabank Caribana Parade 2012
Scotiabank Caribana Parade 2012

The Caribana parties and events are great but the main attraction of Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival is the Grand Parade (North America’s largest Caribbean Parade). With over a million people set to attend, this year’s Caribbean Carnival Parade will start off inside Exhibition Place as the competing Masquerade Bands (also known as Mas Bands) will fill the stadium with live Soca, Calypso and Steeplan music! The elaborate costumes, props and lively dancers bring everything to life and add to this incredible experience that happens only once a year.

You can of course catch the Parade free of charge by lining up along the Lakeshore Parade route. However, if you want a comfortable seat within Exhibition Place (200 Princes’ Blvd.) where you can catch the whole performance up close, tickets are affordable ($20 before tax) and considering the parade’s length (approx 4-6 hours), it is definitely worth it.

The Caribbean calypso beat has been a staple at the Toronto Caribbean Carnival Parade since the festival’s debut in 1967. Soca is newer to the scene, popping up about 15 years ago. For those not familiar with this sexier cousin of Calypso, its sound is faster and lyrically can be sexually charged or just plain comedic, depending on the song. Steelpans will be all over the parade route and Toronto’s Caribana attracts some of North America’s most skilful players.

The most important and biggest event of the the Caribana weekend is the Caribbean Carnival Parade and it kicks off August 3rd, 2013 starting at 10am and ends at 6pm (just enough time to get ready for one of Saturday’s many Caribana nightlife celebrations). The Parade route begins at Exhibition Place, travelling down Lakeshore Blvd West and ends at Lakeshore and Parkside Drive (approximately 4.5 kilometres).

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Jamzone Summer Break officially launches this Saturday!

Jamzone Launch Party

It’s finally that time of the year when the drinks get colder, skin gets darker and the parties get a whole lot crazier! Jamzone Summer Break officially kicks off at Palm Court this Saturday when Hits and Jams Entertainment will host the Summer Colours Party!

The launching party will allow patrons exclusive insights of the official Jamzone schedule which will be displayed on monitors around the venue! So come out and start marking those calendars as the dates will officially be disclosed.

Also, our three finalists in the Miss Guyana Jamzone 2013 competition will be present for photo opportunities and interaction with patrons!
Entertainment will be provided by the 94.1 Boom FM DJs and Fusion Sound System.
Ladies are free before 11pm so come out and enjoy the vibes in your SUMMER COLOURS!

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Conscious Minds November to Remember 2 – Night of Divas

Soca Queen Destra Garcia
Soca Queen Destra Garcia

Divas, both big and small (and fluffy and slim) congregated at the Guyana National Stadium for Conscious Minds’ “November to Remember 2 – Night of the Divas” concert last Saturday, November 17, 2012.

I understand that with November being the month to raise awareness for Domestic Violence, head of Conscious Minds thought it wise and timely to hold an event showcasing Caribbean Dancehall & Soca Divas. However, he neglected to include his own Guyanese divas but I guess we’ll discuss that later, first let me tell you about the show.
The show was hosted by Lisa Punch and Mondale Smith. Lisa, though not slated to perform opened up with a song (a song the DJ took forever to find) before she introduced the first act of the evening. Rags up! Flags up! If you’re not a soca loving diva then you would really find it hard to appreciate Destra Garcia’s music. Bringing the revelry and excitement of Carnival, Destra took us from hits to hits of her sweet sweet soca music. Many of the stiletto wearers decided to forego their ridiculous heels for flats to jump and frolic around to hits such as Max It Up, In D Air, Carnival, Jumpin’ and many more. She had patrons moving from one side of the stadium to the other. She even called a young lady from the crowd to represent for the Guyanese ladies. No one from the VIP opted to represent so a very willing young girl from General jumped the barricade to join Destra on stage. Her jumping did not go in vain because she surely didn’t disappoint.

Denise "Saucy" Belfon

In the middle of her performance Destra introduced on stage with her another one of Trinidad’s soca sensations, Denise ‘Saucy Wow’ Belfon. Saucy wasted no time in getting down to business and displaying her agility as she did the bicycle and many other gyrations. She even schooled the divas on what to do to their men when they got home, I hope many took notes. Saucy Wow’s energetic performance featured hits such as “Saucy Baby” and one of the best impersonations of Tina Turner’s song, “Private Dancer”. Destra got back on stage and the soca duo performed “Obsessive Winers” together before Destra finished off her performance and culminated the soca aspect of the show. Yes, I can tell you that many persons were dripping at the end of all that wining.

Tanya Stephens
Tanya Stephens

From Trinidad to Jamaica, from soca to dancehall, from the revelry of Carnival to stimulating social commentary, from the soca queen to the dancehall queen, from Destra to Tanya Stephens. The ladies (and surprisingly some men) all rushed to the front of the stage to get a little closer to Tanya. Women respect Tanya because they can relate to each and every one of her songs, some of the few she shared included “Yuh Nuh Ready Fi Dis Yet”, “Tek Him Back”, “Boom Wuk”, “It’s a Pity”, “What a Day”, “Good Ride”, “These Streets” and many more. A for Amazing Tanya!

Spice

The show got a little hyper when dancehall diva Spice came on stage, the very vulgar Ms. Jim Screechie , who looked much better in her outfit last night then the clown suit she wore in August belted out the few tracks she has and then invited fluffy Pamputae on stage with her. Pamputae might be fluffy but she can move thus her recent single Slim vs. Fluffy which she sang with help from Spice and two girls, one fluffy and one slim from the crowd. The fluffy girl outdid the slim girl just like the song says. LOL. Pamputae ended her performance with her signature “Pat Yuh Pu$$y” and left Spice on stage who did an amazing but very raw rendition of the Power of Love.

Dancehall Queen Lady Saw
Dancehall Queen Lady Saw

The last diva to grace the stage was the Queen of Dancehall, the one, the only Lady Saw who got right down to business by taking off her heels and belting out hits such as “If Him Lef”, “Woman Mi Name”, “Sycamore Tree”, “Gal No Worry”, “Wife a Wife”, “Hardcore (It’s Raining)”, “It’s a Pity”, “Push

Over” and concluded with her very recent “Heels On”.
The show was an epic one I must say. Kudos to the Divas!
But I would have really liked to have at least two Guyanese divas on stage maybe Timeka Marshall & Jackie Hanover (sticking to the dancehall genre) and one last thing before I go, why was the show so scarcely attended?

Click to view album –> November to Remember 2 – Night of Divas

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Chow Pow Comedy Jam Face Off Inevitable

Comedians

KERWIN “SIR MARS and MR. CHOW POW will finally FACE OFF at the garage bar and grill tomorrow night in what is anticipated as the biggest comedy showdown ever to be staged. The Local comedy scene was transformed into a “war zone “of jokes when the two first performed at the second staging of the now popular “uncensored two” show. It started when CHOW POW, in his routine stated that he will never send his son to SIR MARS class. Mars responded by saying he don’t teach HIMS he teaches HERS. And the audience loved every minute of their respective performances.

While Chow Pow can boast that he is the most popular actor/comedian In Guyana, Sir Mars has quite a huge following of his own. He first tried his hand at stand up comedy back in November last when he entered the” Uncensored” comedy competition. His super performance won him the title of best uncensored comedian and since then his stand up comedy career is one that he is proud of. He however states that he is in no competition with chow pow and is looking forward to the event and doing what he loves
best, making people laugh.

The COMEDY JAM will also feature, MIRANDA AUSTIN, LEZA SINGH, CHUBBY and, for the first time out of the theatre guild, actors TASHANDRA INNIS, KIJANA LEWIS, SEAN THOMPSON AND MARK LUKE EDWARDS with support from GRANNY IVELAW and special host MONDALE SMITH.

Party fans that are coming out for the “after party” will also be enthused to know that the fusion DJ’s will be in attendance. The show gets underway at 20;00hrs and the “GARAGE” management and staff is ensuring fans that tight security will be in place. The actors are set, the stage is set and all is in place for CHOW POW’S COMEDY JAM. Ya’ll will need treatment when this one done.

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Pulse Entertainment: Thriller Halloween Party

Out of a possible 10 points for conceptualizing, bringing to fruition and executing while sticking to a proper theme party with relevant décor Pulse entertainment would score 9 ½ for the masses supported Halloween ‘Thriller’ Party.

Saturday last the group managed to pack almost to capacity the Princess Poolside as the pirates of the world, mermaids, goons, goblins, sexy fairies, mummies, Princesses et al assembled in full costume for a magical night of make believe. So creative was the concept party that patrons such as Sexy vampires and werewolves abandoned their parties at other venues and showed up to enjoy the ‘pirate’ themed concept party. But this should not be a surprise as the group is noted for staging some of the most creative events in Guyana such as cooler fete, summer fete etc. Amongst those in attendance were local celebrities such as media operatives: Michael Younge who was a sexy blood thirsty vampire with pink make up while Mondale Smith was dressed as a pimp and designer Trevor Rose was a freaky pirate. The events coordinator was rock star pirate.
Thriller was born four years ago and has since grown into a tradition of Guyanese party goers, Halloween is a celebration derived centuries ago as a Celtic Festival also known as the day of the dead and beliefs that the soul of the deceased would be available and roaming, this festival was mostly celebrated in the north Americas. However apparently there was not too many who celebrated that concept.

 

Pulse entertainment has taken this dark festival and converted it into an annual event that everyone looks forward to, being able to dress in costumes of all characters, this year’s theme: Pirates was inspired by the movies Pirates of the Caribbean. Pulse Entertainment’s Chief Executive Mr. Robbie Singh clung to the concept months ago and called on Three (3) times Costume Designer of the year Mr. Trevor Rose to bring his vision to reality, they both wanted to make patrons feel like they were a part of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean so work commenced on Monday October 22, just five days before the event it would seem like a miracle was needed to pull off the construction of a sixty (60) plus feet Black Pearl Pirate ship and convert the princess poolside into a breathtaking masterpiece.

Pirate girls and Swappi

Pulse Entertainment opened the doors of princess poolside to patrons around 20:00hrs (8PM) as party lovers were amazed by the life sized props. Some even commented saying it was the most creative work ever done by an entertainment group leaving patrons spellbound.
Patrons was also treated to Mermaids swimming in the pools and painted characters from the movie created by Bravo arts, the venue was almost to capacity in less than two hours after the doors was opened as everyone danced to the music by Pulse Entertainment’s Dj Ryan Ramroop and Trinidad Dj Marcus Williams; not long after soca sensations Swappi and Shal Marshal of Trinidad graced the stage and sent the crowed poolside into a frenzy, it was indeed an experience that will have patrons talking for a long time.

Pulse entertainment would like to thank our Production team at Image Marketing: Gaitri Roopnaraine, Andrew Mendes and many other too numerous to name. Also without the support from our sponsors this event would not have been such a success so thanks to Banks DIH limited under the Banks Beer and XM Rum Brands and GT&T Blackberry Service, Gizmos and Gadgets, Glamour Designer Brands, Purple Dash Boutique, Computer High Tech, Hallmark, Lifestyles, Charisma Styles, BM Soat Auto Sales, Zoon Online Shopping, Giftland OfficeMax and Princess Hotel & Casino. The next Pulse event: TEASE this Saturday November 3rd at Palm Court.

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HJ Black in IMAX a huge success

Last Friday night, Everest Ground quaked beneath eight thousand dancing feet at Hits and Jams’ fourth ‘All Black’ mega-party. It would be an understatement to say the event was successful. The most outrageous, creative and eye-catching black outfits were on display that night. People arrived in cliques. Some even came by the busloads from every corner of the country to experience this truly remarkable event.

The DJs were probably the most popular people of the night. They controlled the party and the crowd with the precision of a classical music conductor directing an orchestra of thousands. No matter what they played, the crowd danced. It was an amazing thing to see.
There were no known incidents. Everyone went to have fun and they did just that.
Hits and Jams would like to thank all those who attended the ‘Black in Imax’ party. Your support has inspired the team to make the next ‘Black’ party an even greater event. If you missed this one, there’s always next year.

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Bank of Guyana celebrates 47 Years with Fashion Extravaganza

Some Dresses by ShaSha Designs

The Bank of Guyana presented Fashion Extravaganza last Saturday, 20 October 2012 at the Theatre Guild. The celebration was held in honour of the Bank’s 47th Anniversary and featured designs from three local designers and performances by some of our very gifted local ladies.
The show began with the colourful and very jovial designs by Sha Sha Designs’, Keisha Edwards. The line called Summer Fun featured pieces that screamed cosiness, fun and excitement.
It was kind of hard to distinguish the seasoned models from the Bank of Guyana models because they all moved like professionals. Who knew Central Bank had all that talent, but more importantly who knew that they were interested and very willing to support local talent? The evening’s extravaganza is testimony of the Bank’s attentiveness and readiness to promote local talent.

Models exhibit elegant fashion

The almost packed Theatre Guild was serenaded by two of Guyana’s most remarkable singers. They were both given much exposure during this year’s Jamzone Summer Break and it was pleasing to see them both appearing at Central Bank’s Fashion Extravaganza. Lisa Punch treated the audience to two of her very own songs, Secret Admirer and How We Party; the latter inspired by her three year old brother. She has a captivating voice (and will one day grow up to make millions).
The next designer to present her pieces was Patricia Helwig. Her line called Ethnic Fusion featured an eccentric mix of ethnic clothing for both men and women. Her African pieces were displayed with suitable head wraps to match. So if ever you’re looking for exquisite African pieces and/or head wraps, Mrs. Helwig is the woman to contact.  Jackie Hanover is the second exceptional singer I alluded to earlier. She’s a screamer, but her notes are constantly on point and Adele and Etta James would both be very pleased to know that she sings their songs brilliantly.

Ethnic Fusion by Patricia Helwig
Ethnic Fusion by Patricia Helwig

A special appearance was made by Miss Guyana Universe, Ruquayyah Boyer who treated the audience to her spoken word piece which speaks to social issues affecting society.
The final designer to showcase her pieces was Zarinah Hameed with a line called Natural Mystic. Her line is a synthesis of cultural and contemporary designs. She caters for both men and women and outfits for any occasion.

The evening wasn’t just modelling and singing, the audience was also treated to an enthralling interpretative piece by two dancers from the Classique Dance Company.
And to end the show, Keisha Edwards got another chance to wow the crowd with more pieces from Sha Sha Designs. The event though dubbed a Fashion Extravaganza featured much more than just fashion – outstanding, laudable, Guyanese talent was on display.

The very lively Mondale Smith was the MC for the event.
Kudos to the Bank of Guyana for coordinating this event, the performers and designers for providing the entertainment and the audience for celebrating with the Bank! Evening well spent.

By Schemel Patrick