GuyanaLive.com Blog

On August 23rd 2008 Banks DIH held a Super Concert at the National Stadium as part of the CARIFESTA X celebrations. Crowds poured in from all parts of Guyana and other parts of the Caribbean to witness performances by local and world famous artistes.

Our very own Illaman started the live performances with some of his upcoming hits. Then one of Brutal Tracks’ greater performers, Alabama, stunned the audience with his well appreciated song “Dem don’t care” and others that the persons in attendance weren’t so familiar with. The crowd then rocked to the sweet sounds of World Famous First Born with their tracks such as “Irits”, “Got we own style”, and “How are we going to survive”, just to name a few. After enjoying a few minutes of First Born’s talent the multitude was then laughing to the comical lyrics of Dave Martin and the Trade Winds. After more than thirty minutes of amusing entertainment the highly anticipated soca singer from Barbados, Biggie Irie came on stage to get the crowd moving their waists. Biggie Irie is best known for his smash single “We nah goin home” and he thrilled the masses with his voice and musical antics. He also gave tribute to fellow Barbadian Peter Ram and Jamaican Taurus Riley for their influence on the music industry by singing their current hits. Eventually, Barbadian super star Rupee, teased the mob with excerpts from his hits before making his way to the stage in front of thousands of screaming fans. Rupee enticed persons in attendance with a great list of songs that filled the air with peace, love, harmony and fun. The ladies were going crazy at several intervals and some even managed to get on stage despite attempts by security to control them. The soca super start however soaked up every minute of it and encouraged fans to be safe and enjoy life to its fullest. After a short intermission the level of excitement peaked as the MC announced the next artiste, Mr. Vegas. The noises from the crowds were so loud those at the back could hardly hear Mr. Vegas voice as he performed songs like “Daggerin” and “Hot wuk”. He even got the fans involved by having a small dancing competition on stage between a few ladies. The masses gave their approvals as the ladies showed what they have and Mr. Vegas was enjoying every moment of it.

The event came to halt around 3:00am and as fans left they expressed their views on the evening’s activities. The number of persons in attendance was estimated at 10,000 but some sources say much more. Rupee had visited Guyana before and was asked to return soon to entertain us again. Biggie Irie made his first appearance here but Mr. Vegas has graced us with his presence once before. Rumors have it that the Banks Super Concert is the biggest and best of all for the CARIFESTA X period.

By Patrice Wishart

The highly publicized, most anticipated and most talked about event of the summer was undoubtedly Jamzone Summer break 2k8. Well Jamzone has come and gone and for those of us who attended can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that the event lived up to the hype that was created over the past few weeks. The event was held at Splashmins Fun Park and Resort on Linden Soesdyke Highway on Sunday August 17, 2008.

Judging from the turnout and the views expressed by persons attending the event, the promoters and sponsors lived up to expectations and delivered an unforgettable, incident free event.

During the daylight hours the event was filled with activities and games namely; beach games, water sports, swimming,  jet ski rides and canoeing. Finding persons to take part in the activities was no hard task considering the large crowd at the location, in addition to the incentives being offered to the winners. The winners of each event were given five thousand dollars and free credit compliments of GT&T. In an effort to ensure maximum participation the only stipulation was persons were only allowed to participate in one event.

The were several games organized for persons to win prizes. One of which was “basody”. The object of this game was simple;

Two teams of three, each person had to put their head on a short pole and go around it 10 times then run fifteen metres to tag the other partner without getting “basody” and falling to the ground. I must admit this was hilarious to watch. Another activity that attracted a lot of attention was the ugly man contest. I doubt there’s any explanation required for this contest. To see who won feel free to check out our gallery. The crowd was given a treat when three couples were put on stage with whipped cream. The girls were decorated with whipped cream and the guys had to lick them as clean as possible. The most bizarre game was the fear factor segment where several food items were blended for consumption by participants. In order to give you an idea of what was in blend, these were some of ingredients: salt beef, salt fish, eggs, corned beef, mushrooms, sardines, mustard, milk and ham, just to name a few. Hopefully the mixture did not cause more than a momentary discomfort to the persons consuming them. Though the events were fun filled for those watching and participating there was a slight hiccup. In a drinking game organized by a sponsor, the instructions were to drink the shots off using a straw faster than the other team. One person, however choose not to follow this instruction and suffered a minor burn on his face, causing the game to discontinued. This did not throw a damper on the proceedings since it was recognized that the rules were not followed by that individual.

The evening part of the event saw the staging of the Miss Jamzone Pageant. The evening was colorful and saw an outstanding display of local beauty, talent and potention as portrayed by the contestants as well as performances by some of Guyana’s best music artiste.

Bearing in mind the coming home of Carifesta to Guyana, the designers sought to incorporate the national colors of various Caribbean countries into the costumes worn by the contestants.

The likes of Fojo, Celeste David, Lilman, Platinum Mobbs, Ballys, First Born, Allabama and overseas based Guyanese Monica Greene were apart of the musical entertainment of the evening. The main live performance of the evening was that of First Born. Fresh from a tour out of Europe and the US, First Born provided those in attendance with some of their most popular selections much to the delight of the large crowd gathered.

The pageant was a display of some of Guyana’s most beautiful young ladies. Though beauty and talent were essential to the outcome of the pageant, intelligence played a critical role in the selection of the winner. In the end only one could be crowned Miss Jamzone 2k8. In the end it was Lavonia Springer was crowned Miss Jamzone 2k8.

Taking everything into consideration the event should be hailed as a success and based on the support received, it would be fair to assume that the Guyanese public was in full support of the event. Check out our gallery for all the great pictures from the event.

Press Release

Dear Editors,

The Organising Committee of the Miss Guyana-World Pageant are pleased to invite you to the ‘Selection Night’ of Miss Guyana-World 2008 on Wednesday August 13, 2008 at Zoom Inn International Hotel on South Road from 20:00 hrs

The night will feature fashion pieces up for auction from the newly appointed official designer of Miss Guyana-World, Michelle Cole-Rose. The young lady selected will represent Guyana at the Miss World Pageant in Ukraine in September and she will fly out to London next week accompanied by the new local Co-ordinator Mr. Ghalee Khan to meet with franchise holder Mr. Kenneth Chung before winging out to the Ukraine for the competition.

Several other international pageants are slated for the rest of the year and we intend to have representation at these also:

MISS CARIBBEAN WORLD in the IN THE B. V.ISLANDS.

MISS EUROPE & WORLD JUNIOR Pageant from 20/SEPT. to 5/OCT/08 IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC.

FACE OF THE UNIVERSE Pageant in Ghana from 6-19 OCT 2008

MISS GLOBE INTERNATIONAL 2008 from 4-19 OCT 2008 in ALBANIA AND MACEDONIA.

MISS YOUNG INTERNATIONAL 2008 from10-30 OCT 2008, in TAIWAN.

There will therefore be a sashing and crowing exercise of the selected model to represent us at the Miss World Pageant tomorrow night. Your presence is highly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Stan Gouveia
Public Relations Officer
Miss Guyana-World Organising Committee
Tel: 667-8757, 218-4776

WWW.MISSWORLD.ORG
WWW.MISSSTAR.ORG

The Guyanese Gospel popular Trio Kester D, Eddie Neblett and Solid Youth is set to be part of the 3rd event from dancehallgospel.com and Turning Point Promotions. The promoters have had great success in their last two events at the Main Big Lime last Boxing Day and on the Sea wall band stand Easter Monday. Both events thus far has included international Gospel sound systems and artiste such as L-egant ( New York) DJ Evangelist ( Canada) Baby C ( Trinidad ).

The Third installment titled the Holy Ghost P.A.R.T.Y which will be kept at the new improved Ocean View Poolside promises to be a great night filled with clean entertainment, games, music and much more. When asked why such an event, the promoters responded by saying “Christians have no where much to go and fellowship where the atmosphere can be glorifying to Jesus.” He elaborated by saying “if you go to a regular eatery to fellowship the music and conduct of many is out of order and we cannot afford to compromise our walk with the Lord.”

As many would know the word “party” is associated with things contrary to the lifestyle of a Christian, it was made very clear that it’s not the same at the Holy Ghost P.A.R.T.Y. The promoters highlighted that P.A.R.T.Y is an acronym for Praise And Reverence To Yahweh.

At the Holy Ghost party there is no alcoholic beverages being served and a dress code of fashionable and modest attire is in effect. The event which seems to attract many also includes DJ Evangelist from Toronto Canada and Craig C from Kingston Jamaica. There will be live video taping by Guyana’s popular gospel T.V. show Things Gospel.

When you think the entry fee for an event such as this would cost over a thousand dollars think again, The Holy Ghost P.A.R.T.Y tickets is only 500 dollars and is available at Swansea and Everything Music outlets.

Arrowhead Promotions, Press Release, Thursday, July 31, 2008. - As Accolade aims for one of the most classy and picturesque productions in modern Guyana, local designer of Facts ‘n’ Roses, Michelle Cole-Rose has won the coveted title of Official Designer of the Music Awards of Guyana.

Accolade Executive Committee unanimously voted in favour of Cole- Rose, convinced that her experience, ability and commitment to the fashion world would add to the radiant elegance and dramatic statement intended for the Music Awards of Guyana.

Cole-Rose was formally notified of this nomination which she has since accepted. She will now be appointed an Ex-officio member of the Executive Committee of the Accolade.

The decision to name her the Official Designer represents a symbol of accomplishment and aspiration in the career of this young dynamic Guyanese woman with great potential.

The Executive Committee is anxious to have her on board, confident that her artistic skills and ability will definitely contribute to the overall success of the music awards.

A true representation of success, since the day, in her eleventh year, when she had gotten her first sewing machine, Michelle’s innovation grew; making uniforms for school friends by the age of twelve, then onwards to making a living from her creations by fifteen. Many years after, Michelle Cole still strikes the iron as hot as she had then, for now her clothes are carried in some of the best boutiques in the Caribbean and in the United States.

Michelle is a nature and fun-loving gal, this can be evident in her designs, with natural fibers, earth tones, stones, wooden beads, shells, paintings and raffia; for her goal as a fashion designer is to ‘Recreate nature through celebration, as nature itself is a celebration of life’. Indeed this is true for her clothes expresses nothing short of comfort, vibrancy and beauty.

Her first stage performance was at Michelle’s high school fashion show. Thereafter came her ‘big break’ in 1999 when she won the best gown award at the Miss Guyana Universe, which gave way to her being the designer of the queen’s wardrobe. She then also designed for the queens of the Miss Guyana Talented Teen, Miss Guyana World, Miss Guyana Mashramani, Miss Queen of the Caribbean, Miss Carnival and Miss Model International Pageants. Her designs were also presented at the Folk Festival celebration in Brooklyn, New York, the Fashion Caribbean Showcase in St. Vincent, the Barbados Fashion Week, Caribbean Gift and Craft Show in Barbados, the Fashion Showcase in St. Lucia, MODA in New York, Caribbean Fashion Week and the Fashion Week of the Americas in Miami among others.

Arrowhead Promotions, Tuesday, July 29, 2008, - Executive Members of Accolade today met with local music producers as preparations intensify for Guyana’s first-ever Music Awards on November 30. The meeting which was held at Vizion Sounds, Anira Street Queenstown was designed to raise awareness and strengthen support for the Awards.

Executive Director of Accolade, Kwame Mc Coy described the engagement as fruitful, noting that the producers unanimously share the vision of the music awards as an excellent avenue for further growth of the industry. Ms. Teesha Mohabeer and Mr. Burchmore Simon were also present.

Mc Coy said ‘’the local music industry has exciting growth potential, but there must be greater unity among musicians if we are to excel and compete at the international level.’’

The accolade will significantly boost the music industry’s confidence in initiating steps towards achieving and sustaining quality, he assured.

He believes there is growing respect and support for the local industry which stands to benefit Guyana by creating new and exciting jobs, expanding our economy and encouraging the growth of our local culture.

Accolade coincides with the strategic efforts to ‘’promote Guyana’’, by showcasing its rich and diverse arts and cultures. The unique exhibition of our local talent (at another level) is the continuation of the unleashing of our vast potentials in the music industry.

Once again Guyana will be making its mark in the international arena by rewarding artistic excellence in the music industry through a premier event comparable to international Award shows such as the Grammy’s and the one produced by BET.

There is a line up of fantastic performances will represent a climax for the local entertainment diehards and at the same time promote and represent a hype for the local music industry. Guyanese are asked to prepare themselves for an event which can only be billed as an excellent experience - from red carpet entrances to outstanding local and regional performances from a mind blowing awards ceremony to international celebrity endorsements.

The music industry is at a critical crossroad and deserves every effort to highlight its achievements, motivate its artistes, elevate standards, encourage artistic excellence and utilize talents that may be inclined to engage in negative endeavours.

This celebration of achievements in the music industry will be Guyana’s most prestigious gala event.

Only one year after the launch of the website we have established ourselves as a premier authority in the coverage and reporting of events and news of significance to the entertainment industry in Guyana. Birthed out of an idea started by a few idle souls taking pics everywhere they go to catalogue and document their liming and partying activities during the summer, guyanalive.com has rapidly become the place where memorable occasions are captured and stored for your viewing pleasure. Though this is not the first such site of its kind in Guyana it must be recognized that we have rapidly become #1 in the coverage of entertainment activities in Guyana. Placing such activities before an international audience has given Guyanese entertainers and Guyanese culture a platform for exposure and expansion never before experienced locally.

For those who have been following our progress over the past year the following information would be nothing new, but for the befit of those unfamiliar with our progress thus far this will serve to bring you up to speed.

The website was launched at “Into the Night- Music of the 70’s & 80’s” held at the Everest Cricket Club on Camp Street on July 28 2007.The event was organized by the Everest Hikers Hockey Team. This event proved to be an excellent launching pad for the site since the event was, as always, a tremendous success and before 6am the following day all the pics from the event were already uploaded onto the site. This standard has been maintained over the past year and will be continued.

Initially the aim of the site was to provide coverage of parties in and around the city, but some decisions at management level as well as due to the response received, it was decided that events out of the capital would be covered as well. This decision was taken in recognition of the fact that events of significance take place beyond the boundaries of the capital, thus giving coverage to these was aimed at being an adequate representation of Guyana, not just Georgetown. The decision was also taken to cover events related to the entertainment industry which may not necessarily be party related in order to give an holistic view of the entertainment climate in Guyana. This fact is evident in the coverage of the Rodeo held in Lethem which shows the dedication with which we seek to bring the best and wide ranging coverage of events in Guyana.

Over the past year the website has evolved into a place to not only view pics and videos, but into a meeting place for Guyanese worldwide through our forum. Other features of the website that have gained attention and which have also put us miles ahead of the competition include; artiste profiles, guyanalive.com top ten, free sms, music, videos, news, and the recent addition of the Guyanalive.com Blog.

These and other features have given Guyanalive.com a very important role in the promotion of the entertainment industry here in Guyana and internationally. This is a role which will be undertaken and executed with the highest standards possible. Despite a few hiccups that were as a result of circumstances beyond our control we remain the premier website in the promotion and distribution of Guyanese talent here in Guyana as well as putting everything Guyanese, in a positive way, on the international scene.

If all of this has been done within the time frame of one year, imagine what can be done over the next year! Thank you for your overwhelming support because without you we would just be another url on the world wide web. On this our first anniversary we will continue to be “Not just a site but A way of life!” bless and thank you.

SALUTATION

It is an absolute honour and privilege to stand before you wonderful people this evening to share the vision of Accolade- the music awards of Guyana.

But first I would particularly like to welcome all those gathered here to celebrate with us the achievements in the music industry, especially those partners who have demonstrated their confidence in us by coming on board with resources that are necessary to make this event successful. The achievement I refer to represents a continuous journey by dozens of artiste, music producers, and DJ’s whose talent, immense hard work and absolute passion has driven us to this point.

Bringing people to a love of music and encouraging them to participate in and enjoy musical experiences is a special gift given to mankind unfortunately not to all of us in this room. It is the legacy of great sons of music of Guyana that dedicated their time, talent and enthusiasm to this new generation of musicians who in turn are expected to emulate the generosity to encourage the musicians of tomorrow.

I am personally delighted that this effort to host the music awards of Guyana is most timely as it coincides with a period of an upsurge in recorded music by industry veterans to the latest surge in fresh and new unsigned talent on the local music scene.

The vision of the Accolade is to create a product of excellence to showcase our rich and diverse art and cultures. It is the unleashing of vast potentials in the music industry.

These awards gives Guyana another opportunity to make its mark in the international arena by rewarding artistic excellence in the music industry through a premier event comparable to international Award shows such as the Grammy’s and the one produced by BET.

In November at the actual awards there will be a line up of fantastic performances which will represent a climax for the local entertainment diehards and at the same time promote and represent a hype for the local music industry. Guyanese are asked to prepare themselves for an event which can only be billed as an excellent experience - from red carpet entrances to outstanding local and regional performances from a mind blowing awards ceremony to international celebrity endorsements.

The music industry is at a critical crossroad and deserves every effort to highlight its achievements, motivate its artistes, elevate standards, encourage artistic excellence and utilize talents that may be inclined to engage in negative endeavours.

I would like to urge all stakeholders of the music industry to come together to collectively shape the industry. There are still challenges which we have to work collectively to confront, such as modern copyright legislation and improving the quality of our production to compete at the international standard. We are aware this is a huge task ahead of us but not one impossible to achieve with the cooperation and support of Guyanese including those in the business sector.

Importantly there is rising expectation by Guyanese and musicians themselves which is inevitable in an emerging competitive environment of increase quality and standard. The Accolade seeks to unleash the potential of musicians by first of all recognizing, appreciating and rewarding them for their contributions to the striving music industry in Guyana. We aim also to extend motivation and provide exposure for local artistes, all relevant to the growth and development of the industry and to provide them an opportunity to market and highlight their talent as a product.

We believe these objectives will encourage and promote quality as well as increase meaningful involvement in an effort to ensure the overall development of the music industry in Guyana.

The Accolade will live up to the expectation of all Guyanese. We thank you all for coming out this evening as an endorsement of Accolade- the music awards of Guyana. We look forward to seeing you November 30.

Arrowhead Promotions, July 23, 2008- An enticement  awaits music lovers, industry professionals, fashion designers, press officials, recording agents, sponsors and potential sponsors when they converge for the Official Launch of Accolade — the music awards of Guyana, on Friday, July 25, 2008, at Zoom Inn Hotel.

The launch is the commencement of a celebration of the music industry in Guyana culminating into an annual music awards to promote the achievements by industry veterans to the latest surge in fresh and new
unsigned talent on the local music scene.

Among light entertainment and cocktails, the evening will introduce patrons to those who are part of our strategic partnership including private sector, commercial brands and public sector organizations.
Additional plans for activities including celebrity endorsements and participation by those with Guyanese roots and connections will also be revealed.

This is the second major activity leading up to November 30 where the red carpet will be rolled out for Guyanese and visitors who are expected to dress in their finest local designer clothing and be
photographed by celebrity photographers before they enter what is slated to be the biggest awards gala the country has ever seen.

This Music Awards of Guyana seek to reward artistic excellence in the music industry that has definitely shown signs of growth and development over the years. These awards coincide with strategic
efforts to “promote Guyana”, through its rich and diverse arts and cultures. Exhibiting our local talent at another level is the continuation of the unleashing of vast potentials. Email:arrowheadpromotion@gmail.com)

Wild Fire Fest 2k8 is about to kickoff and the preparations are on fire! The artists will be in the country as of Friday July 25th and there are a few events where party fans can get a glimpse of their favorite artists before the Wild Fire Fest 2k8. First off, everyone can see the artists live via NCN ch 11 on Friday July 25th at 9 pm and simultaneous broadcast via 98.1 hot fm radio. They will be at the Black and White party which will be held at Palm Court. This is invitational BUT patrons can get access simply by wearing a Black and white outfit and paying the entrance fee. However, they must fulfill both requirements. Interviews will be done, as well as autograph signing, and picture opportunities. Then during the day segment of the Wild Fire Fest 2k8 the artists will be in and out of the National Stadium to hype and interact with the crowd. The Wild Fire Fest 2k8 kicks off officially at 12pm Saturday July 26th 2008 and entertainment starts then. Then from 2pm to 5pm kids can get to see Spongebob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer perform every hour! These characters comes with the compliments of Tons of Fun Entertainment company. They will also have a fun station set up with standees of WWE characters such as Rey Mysterio, John Cena and others which kids can take pictures with. In between performances the crowd will be entertained by popular sound systems, Emcees Mr Chow Pow, Malcolm Ferreira, Shurwayne Winchester, Serani, Ce’cile and others! These intermittent performances will only be short interactions and not the actual performance that the artists will be doing in the evening segment. Lucky persons will also be able to meet these artist throughout the day at the National Stadium. The official after party will be at the Stadium View Bar with special guests from the Wild Fire Fest 2k8. The live performance segment of the Wild Fire Fest 2k8 will begin at 6:30 pm SHARP and this will have to start on time as there are quite a number of artists who will give quality performances. So if you don’t want to miss out on any of the action, make sure you are in the ground by 6 pm for the evening performances. Children under 12 are free, adults are $3,000, and limited VIP’s are $20,000. VIP Tickets are available at Nanda’s Boutique and the first 100 persons can get a 10% discount on their purchase when they buy a VIP as well as a FREE invitation to the Black and White Party. The VIP ticket allows parking inside of the stadium parking lot and the entrance will be the southern gate of the National Stadium. The northern gate will be the general entrance. The VIP area is around the stage and the tickets also entitles the holder to free drinks, free finger foods and seating. However the VIP bar and service is not open until 6pm. All patrons, except children, will be given special security Wildfire wristbands which is durable even in water and will allow access in and out of the National Stadium throughout the day.

Tickets are available at Upper Level Barber Shop, Nanda’s Boutique, Nigel’s Supermarket, JR Burgers, Matt’s Record Bar, White Castle Fish Shop, and Stadium View. Early bird tickets are already sold out and limited VIP’s are available Nigel’s Supermarket, Gifltand Officemax, Nanda’s Boutique, and Upper Level Barber Shop. We would like to extend thanks to our sponsor F&H Printing for their support in all our activities.