Take a look at a contributed article from Jodi-Ann Aleza  about some of what goes into going FRONTLINE!

“So You Want to Jump Frontline…”

Carnival Sunday in Jamaica, look around and you’ll see women upon women upon women, all scantily-clad and gyrating their bodies. When you’re on the road, they’re all around you. Most of them are in identical costumes, maybe a little spruce here and there to make things interesting. And then, there is the frontline.

Whether they are in intricate wire bras or are sporting extravagant plumage upon head, shoulders and arms, these women tend to be some of the sexiest on the road. I and a few friends would like to join these ranks for 2014. Thinking about this, I came up with a few things to keep in mind if you too are hoping to stand out Carnival day.

SORT OUT YOUR BUDGET

Jumping frontline is not cheap. This is fact. These costumes and embellishments are guaranteed to up your budget if that’s the route you’re choosing to take. Cost depends on what exactly you want and trust me, there are several options. There is wire versus normal bra, headpieces, shoulder pieces, arm pieces, collars, bejewelled panties… And then the design and intricacy of whatever you choose is going to affect the price as well. These costumes take added time and money to make so if you’re not willing to shell out that additional cost, there are still gorgeous and more economic backline costumes to choose from every year.

THE RIGHT MIND-SET

First and foremost, if you do not have the confidence to back it up, do not go for a frontline costume. Confidence is absolute key. You simply must ooze self-assuredness and comfort in your own skin. There are few things less off-putting than a woman clearly uncomfortable in her costume. So ladies, boost up that ego from now.

Secondly, prepare for the attention. You will get lots of it. If you’re the type to enjoy yourself as long as you’re not the centre of attention, the frontline is not for you. The whole point is to stand out. When you pass in a frontline costume, your fellow revellers, the photographers and the spectators will all notice. Be prepared for unwanted attention as well. You may get some lewd comments, but the best thing you can do is take it all in stride and have fun regardless.

THE BODY TO MATCH

Fact: frontline costumes are gorgeous. It should go without saying then, that you make sure your body is too. Set a realistic goal and strive for it. Lose what should be lost, tone what should be toned. It is best to start working out from now (if you don’t already). Starting months in advance of the big day is a good way to not only lose weight healthily, but also helps you to get into a routine and develop discipline. That way, after road march is long and gone, you will (hopefully) still be maintaining that frontline body. Aim for overall fitness as well. There’s no point in looking sexy and then you pop dung barely halfway through the march. Also, getting fit, healthy and sexy is a great way to boost your confidence so that helps with the getting the right mind-set.

In all of this, REMEMBER that ordering of costumes, both frontline and backline, is months in advance of Road March. So whatever your goal is, strive for it with that timeline in mind. You don’t want to order a certain size and then lose more weight and have an ill-fitting costume.

WHAT’S YOUR BODY TYPE?

Weight loss/gain or no, it is essential that you know your body type. The type of frontline costume you choose should enhance your body and your best features, not highlight your less than ideal ones. Additionally, to put it simply: it should fit. Wire bras are simply not for everyone. I single that out specifically because I know that is what most people think of when they think frontline. If your bosom- whether large or small- is not on the perkier side of things, a regular bra is probably the better option. You can still get frontline additions like a collar or headpiece that will make you stand out and look fabulous. Then there are the different designs for wire bras. Some offer more coverage, others offer only the most minimal. You should know your breasts, so choose accordingly.

As for all the pieces (head, shoulder, etc.), choice is also important here. If your head is small, a larger than life headpiece is not the best of ideas. If you’re insecure about your arms, the design of arm pieces can flatter them or bring negative attention to them. It is simply about knowing your body type and knowing what will compliment it.

So yes, okay, I know carnival is many months away. And of course, there are other factors apart from these to consider. These however are the ones worth considering from now, no matter what you want to jump in. As far as frontline goes, you’re going to want to have more money, more confidence and a banging body. So starting now, plan your budget, work on your self-confidence and achieving that banging body and know what looks good for you.

There you have it…From the pen of an aspiring Frontline Diva. 

Dont forget to check out www.Facebook.com/lehwegofrontline  the quick and easy way to make any costume frontline quality!

Will YOU do frontline next carnival??

First up is a cooler fete by S.O.S (Soca on Sunday) .  This one is coming this weekend.  SOS has been growing from strength to strength and is slowly getting a more lively  and loyal  crowd.  I expect this one to be good.  See the flyer below.

Next is Cabana city.  This is a Super all Inclusive affair in a super new venue.  Why am I pushing this party?  Well “PP”,  one of the promotors of Sunrise breakfast fete has a hand in this one and he has informed me talks are well underway to get a world famous Dj we know we can rely on to hit us with some great soca music.  Thats All I will say about that for now and I REALLY hope the deal with the DJ goes through.  See the flyer below  Lehwego Recommended.

Right after Cabana city is one of my Favorites, Soca vs. Dancehall.  Despite the name, the party is about 80% soca and full of Socaholics looking for a good Drink of Johnny  and a good wine.  This year they have a new venue in Hope Gardens…A place which has quickly become one of the best venues in kingston to have upscale parties.  We look forward to seeing you there.  Lehwego Recommended.

These should hold you over for a little while.  After these its Cropover!

For years we have argued the Pros and Cons of the stage.  But do the same thing every year expecting a different result.

Instead, try this.

When the drinks trucks pull off and pass along side the savannah to meet the band on the other side, PLEASE just send one or even maybe 2 music trucks with them.  Those who do not care about the stage (LIKE MEEEEE!) can take a nice chip down that relatively shady street with 8 drinks trucks and lots of hydrated, drunk people to party with while the “stagers” char-broil over there in living hell on the savannah to cross the stage.

I have a hard time believing that no one has thought of this before so I am sure there is a VERY good reason it has not been implemented yet.  I would really love to know that reason though.

In any case I would LOVE all the powers that be to really give this plan a bit of consideration as it would make both sides of the fence content.

What do you think?

All inclusive Mas bands in Antigua range from $ 275 us – $500 us in cost. For the two-day road experience this packages includes Monday Wear, Costumes, Drinks and Lunch. How ever the one factor that sets us apart from the other carnivals I’ve been to is the variety of soca music. Sure to please the die-hard socaholic, soca from  Antigua, Trinidad, Barbados, St. Kitts, Dominica, USVI, Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia just to name a few, you also get some Dancehall and Techo thrown in on the side for a dash of flavour. So you can wink up, wuk up, wine, dash out, juk up, break dance (hahaha) or Allllllll of  the above.

Now Leh we go…..

1. Myst

This is one of the most popular bands with the main focus  being the road experience of the masquerader. Myst has managed to raise the status quo of the mas game, as it were, in Antigua being the first to offer Monday Wear, Cool down zone, Emergency Medic, Sitting lunch spots  etc. Their presentation this year is named Adrenaline so you can only imagine what the road will be like. To see this years costumes and register check them out here www.mystcarnival.com.

2. LIME Dynamics

Lime Dynamics boast over 20  years in the mas games and  are known for being a family oriented band. This year the band underwent a total revamp in order to respond to market trends and have promised a more enticing product. Their theme is All that Jazz. Check them out on facebook  at http://www.facebook.com/mysticcarnival#!/pages/LIME-Dynamics-Mas-Troupe/544573562248836?directed_target_id=0

3. Solid International

Solid  is a medium-sized band and has been on the mas scene for over 5 years. Perk! The band leader is also the designer and builder of the costumes and is always willing to accommodate special orders. If you want a one of a kind costume with out all the fuss of a  large crowd this is the band for you.  . Check them out on facebook

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/470449436366766/photos/

4. Beautiful People

For the more mature crowd or the masquerader that wants more coverage without losing the sexy edge I would suggest Beautiful People.  For more info check them out here http://www.facebook.com/#!/BeautifulPeopleMasBand

5. Xtreme International

I think the name says it ALL.  This medium-sized  band is known for holding back nothing at all on the road, not for the faint of heart. To view their 2013 production check them at http://www.xtremeintl.com/

There are a few other bands, however I was unable to source a website/ facebook page. Will update you as more info comes to hand.

Hoping to see some new face jammin next to me on the road this year :)

I decided that I should follow the carnival commandment of know the music!
I took to google, searching for a good mix from the island of Barbados and strangely had great difficulty finding anything.
Barbados, is one of the few carnivals apart from Trinidad to use its own indigenous music to a great extent and I want to hear more.

To this end I used up the links having an active Facebook page provides to get me some mixes

This post will highlight mixes from Bajan DJ’s focussing on Bajan music from this year 2013!
I will post them in the order I get them and will update this page with them as time goes by and I get more.

JUNE 6 2013

Dj Scott Le Roc
Cropover 2013 sweet mix

Download (IOS devices click here and then click download….the file will stream!)

OR

Stream (desktop only–flash)

Alternative for mobile. Here
BOOKING INFO:
246-822-6968
Irocmedia246@gmail.com
Scottheadley24@gmail.com
@scottleroc246 (twitter)
Gridlocked Radio show- 4-8 Weekdays HOTT 95

While many people can motivate themselves to work out hard just for the sake of working out I am not one of them. I need a goal. Something to work out for!
Carnival is a great motivating tool but it’s time to take things to a higher level now.

I have already hired a trainer and have decided to set myself a long term goal of competing in Jamaica’s amateur body building associations competition next year.  By that time I will qualify for the masters section (which is no walk over) and I will also compete in the open category for all comers.

It’s going to take some balls (no pun intended) to go up there in a pair of speedos but I KNOW that I am a goal oriented person and once the goal is set….the work WILL get done!

As for this year I will try to get my feet wet.  I have been asked to simply go on stage and demonstrate for next years inaugural Physique section.  This is a competition where the guys wear board shorts (like in carnival) and are only required to walk up on stage and look “aesthetically pleasing”.  Much less balls will be needed (or visible), but it’s great practise for next year and I need practise cause I HATE going up in front of large audiences!

This is the path I have chosen.  It is not the path you must choose.  Find something you like, a sport, a local competition of some kind.  Set your mind to it and commit yourself to it (financially).

For example, join a local Crossfit club!

In the end it will be one more step towards being the best you can possibly be and fulfilling your promise for 2014!

June 4, 2013

Bands haven’t even started to launch yet but I’m already on your backs to start your carnival prep. The main reason for the early start this year is Caribbean airlines. This year they seem to be having “issues” and flight prices are already significantly higher than last year this time.
So if you have the funds available, buy your ticket NOW! As in open another tab in your browser now and buy your ticket!

Phew! Now that your flight is all taken care of, the next step is to sort out your accommodation. We started looking much earlier his year but, despite having cash in hand, the place we stayed at last year seems reluctant to confirm room availability. We are not hitching…we are ready and have been saving our pennies and come hell or high water we will be booking a room in the next few weeks!

Oh, and don’t forget to ramp up your excercise and workout regimes from now. Carnival is best enjoyed with the pride and confidence that comes from a hard earned hard body!

Those are the main things for now. Get those sorted and then line up your laptops to see the various band launches from Trinidad. After those launches things get serious….save your pennies!

As a man, how do you choose the band that you’re going to jump with for Kadooment? It depends on the experience you’re looking for, I guess.

Generally, when it comes to choosing a Kadooment band, the major considerations in making my decision are as follows:

1. Company 2. Vibes 3. Drinks 4. Service 5. Costume

In that order. Some people may be surprised at the order, so I will explain:

1. Company

Being at home for the greatest summer festival is a luxury and the greatest aspect of that luxury is being around people you’ve known all your life, people who’ve seen you at the worst and your best. Ultimately, I make the decision of who I jump with by leaving that decision to my friends; where they, I go. It’s impossible for me to have a bad time in even the crappiest band if me and my people are there to make fun of the situation together.

2. Vibes

Company tends to help make the vibes, but real vibes are when you are surrounded by complete strangers who are happy, smiling, drinking and wining indiscriminately. No sourness, no stushness, no drama; Kadooment only comes once a year, no reason to spoil it!

3. Drinks

When it comes to the bar, I just ask for 2 things: (1) premium drinks, (2) served efficiently. Premium means something different to everyone, but for me, I like to have a choice of Hennessy (or Courvoisier as an alternative) and Johnny Walker Black and up…if your bar does not have these, I will not be pleased. Also, keep water and energy drinks running efficiently to keep revelers hydrated and alert.

4. Service

The first indication I get of the vibes on the road is from the service I get from the band. Service is low down on my list for the simple reason that I’ve never really had a bad service experience per se; costume collection has always been pretty efficient, service reps have been polite and engaging and security, bartenders et al are generally quite friendly and funny. I think the day I have a really bad service I might change my mind about this, but for now, no worries.

5. Costume

For many women, playing mas or jumping is all about the costume. Not for me. A good costume is the icing on the cake or the tiebreaker. Many men feel the same way. A direct quote from a fellow jumper: “gimme muh boardshorts and muh drinks and I good.” A nice costume is always a plus, but considering how rear they are in the bands with a really good experience, it has to take a backseat in the decision-making considerations.

This is of course just one way to choose a band, but so far in my experience it has worked.

How do YOU choose a band to jump with? Let us know!

REVIEW CONTRIBUTED BY NAJ

I have so many thoughts jumbled in my head about this party, but don’t worry they’re like 99% good. So I figure I should tackle this in a deconstructed way. My opinions on Rewine might be different from other persons who went because I’m possibly going to make some bold statements. So let’s get to it :

1) Venue:

Venue was the same but totally transformed , it goes to show what a lil asphalt can do. If you remember last year where it was just a random plot of land in the middle of New Kingston. There was steel coming out of the ground, that I was sure was gonna kill somebody eventually. Not to mention the dirt that was surely fogging up the place and our lungs. But this time around the venue got an A+, the ground was paved the tents were put up in the right areas, the bars were positioned correctly and just overall there was rightness in the universe.

2) Atmosphere/Crowd:

I dunno if this was a good thing or bad thing for the promoters, but I know it was good for me, the party was not full to capacity. This was one of the greatest things of the night for me. Not to say it was empty, far from it, but there was enough space to back off and take a breather. It felt good to go absolutely crazy and not have to worry about mashing nuhbody cawn lol. The bars were put in in easily accessible places, even though it’s not like the venue was huge, but the places were strategic. You could just walk up to the bar get a drink and leave, everything was easy to get to.

The crowd was clearly awake from the get go. People were dancing having a good time, it’s clear what they came out to do; get that Soca fix. They were singing and chippin’ to the oldies and bunxing to the latest. All I know when the DJ said ‘IT’S TIME TO FOG UP THE PLACE’ the place turned into a mad house, powder was flying everywhere (they were giving out powder closer to this time, even though some patrons brought their own jumbo sized bottles) people were fogging up the place, my hair kind looked like Rogue from X-Men. The crowd was definitely enjoying themselves.

3) Drinks

The promoter’s of Rewine got it right for me with the mixed drinks they had, there were options to suit everybody. I was inebriated quicker than at any party I’ve been to, due in part to the mixes tasting damn good. With the vodka in my veins I was in the perfect state of mind to enjoy the following

4) Music

Let’s get to what DEFINITELY made Carnival Rewine a success. There was never a dull moment! When I got there Dj Richie Ras and Kurt Riley played some oldies but certainly goodies…faluma ding ding ding *wines up body*…oh, got a lil bit carried away there. They tugged at our heart strings with every selection! They played songs that I didn’t even hear/barely heard during the season like “Wickedest Wine”. They played a good mixture of all the years, there wasn’t a heavy concentration on 2k13 songs or even 2k12, it was very well balanced.

Also, another great point is that, there was no heavy repetition of any song. The cow didn’t wake up 50 times, we didn’t die of fog inhalation and certainly didn’t die from the bunxing. We were kept on or toes the entire time, listening out for what the Djs would draw for next and we were never disappointed. If you managed to not dance at this party you were not there to party.

5) Overall Experience

This is where people might call me mad or inebriated. But I came to the following conclusion using simple logic. Carnival Rewine was better than any Bacchanal Friday I went to (excluding the performances of course). Simple logic. I often had complaints about Bacchanal, Rewine I barely had any if any, that must mean it was better. You could say I feel like this because of Soca withdrawal BUT if you compare them, on each of my previous points, Carnival Rewine wins. I hate to do this right now, but I have to prove it to you. Drinks; better. Music; better. Crowd & Atmosphere; better. Therefore it is better.

I enjoyed myself totally, I danced till my chest hurt and I still went on. This is the kind of party I like, good vibes, good music and good people. I don’t think I can explain how I feel effectively; I’m still hopped up on adrenaline and I’ve slept for 6 hours. I’m ready to go back, why is it over?

–NAJ

SEE FULL ALBUM HERE!

Click on the photos below for the full albums!

Pj Party–Baby Bleu

Beach party–Sky Bleu. Click here for a bigger album.

Club party–Electric Bleu Full album here

Pool party–Bleu

 
see a second pool party album here
 

We know the organizers have great things planned and we look forward to being BLEU!