Alison Hinds blasts Miami carnival organisers

Miami Carnival may be over, but it ended on a sour note for Barbadian singer Alison Hinds.

The “Queen of Soca” music is awaiting a public explanation from Miami Broward One Carnival organizers about why she was unable to perform Sunday after days of heavy concert promotion.

Hinds was supposed to headline the annual celebration of Caribbean culture at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. But at 11:20 p.m., a visibly upset Hinds clad in tight black shorts and strapped up black heels took to the stage and stunned thousands of fans with news that she was not being allowed to perform.

Apologizing, she blasted event organizers for “disorganization.” It was supposed to be Hinds’ first appearance at the carnival in two years.

Hinds said she wanted to limit her public comments, for now, to give organizers a few days to explain what happened. Her disappointment and anger, however, were visible in Tweets she sent out to her 14 226 followers.

“Soooo disappointed that I didn’t get 2 perform 4 my ppl in Miami 2nite!!Utter disrespect & total disorganization!!!” she Tweeted at 12:30 a.m.

Twenty minutes later, Hinds sent out another Tweet: “I did everything I was asked 2 do. All kinds of promo... radio, tv etc & then ur headliner doesn’t perform?? Shame on the carnival committee!!”

Sources told The Herald newspaper in Miami that the show was stopped after it passed the 11 p.m. ending time and organizers declined to pay venue charges to extend it.

It was the second time in two days that Hinds, who is known for her tunes trumpeting female empowerment, was unable to take to the stage. The evening before, organizers of the International Soca Fest, where she was also to headline, canceled the outdoor show at 11:53 p.m. because of rain and lightning. On Monday afternoon, promoters issued a statement explaining why they had to cancel and promised to honor patrons’ tickets at next year’s show.

“Saturday night was act of God. Last night, they had control over it and didn’t deal with it properly,” Hinds said.

Van Gibbs, Hinds’ manager, said they arrived at the stadium at 9 p.m. and were supposed to perform an hour later as the closing act. At about 9:55 p.m., he told organizers “There’s a problem.”

They aren’t fit to be running any committee,” Gibbs said. “They give soca and the culture a bad name.”

Equally disappointed was Calypso Rose, a legend in Caribbean music. She, too, was unable to perform.

Toronto Revellers sets the stage for Caribbean Carnival

Toronto Revellers

More than 2,000 junior masqueraders bared the Toronto heat as they jumped down Jane Street in the annual Kiddies Carnival this past week. After last year’s successful event, organizers decided to move the parade onto the main road anticipating the larger turnout.

“On Shoreham Road there isn’t the room to accommodate all the spectators,” explained Junior Carnival Parade organizer Greta Best. “By moving the reviewing stand to Jane Street literally thousands and thousands of people can see the kiddies performing
their routines in front of the judges.” For the past 10 years, the bands have been judged at the start of the parade along Shoreham Drive (Black Creek Pioneer Village).

However, this year the parade started on Shoreham Drive with the review stand about half way along the route which travelled from Shoreham to Jane, ending in the parking lot of the Yorkgate Mall (Jane & Finch).

While each band had three marshals per 20 masqueraders, a panel of five volunteer judges marked each band by visual impact, authenticity, creativity, mas on the move, clarity of theme, presentation and craftsmanship.

After all the jumping and waving, Jamaal Magloire’s Toronto Revellers band took the main prize for Junior Band of the Year, beating out Dexter Seusahai’s Tribal nights and Marcus
Eustace’s Carnival Nationz, who came in a close second and third respectively.

Toronto Revellers’ Jalen Gause won the Junior Male category for his portrayal of “The Timid King” while fellow Revellers’ Anastasia La Rose won the Junior Female category for her “Good
Witch of the North” costume.

Meanwhile, Tribal Knights’ Calena Seusahai and Carnival Nationz’
Demeko Minott took home the Junior Queen of the Bands and Junior King of the Bands awards respectively.

Here are the official results:


Junior Parade of the Bands
(Band Leader, Band, Theme, Points)

• 1. Jamaal Magloire - Toronto Revellers - Welcome to Oz - 261
• 2. Dexter Seusahai - Tribal Knights - Legends - 260
• 3. Marcus Eustace - Carnival Nationz - Mythical Creatures - 259

Junior Male Individual
(Contestant, Portrayal, Band Leader/ Band, Band Theme)

• 1. Jalen Gause - The Timid King - Jamaal Magloire/Toronto Revellers . Welcome to Oz
• 2. Maven Lee - Symphony of D’ Sea - Mark Deleon/Mas Toronto - Mas in Atlantis, A Carnival Mythology
• 3. Courtney St. Louis - Guardian of the Rainforest - Dexter Seusahai/Tribal Knights - Legends

Junior Female Individual
(Contestant, Portrayal, Band Leader/ Band, Band Theme)

• 1. Anastasia La Rose - Good Witch of the North - Jamaal Magloire/Toronto Revellers - Welcome to Oz
• 2. Canisha Edwards - Lost Treasures - Dexter Seusahai/Tribal Knights - Legends
• 3. Sariah Seon - Jelly Jamboree, Shake and Wine - Mark Deleon/Mas Toronto - Mas In Atlantis, A Carnival Mythology

Junior Queen of the Bands
(Contestant, Portrayal, Band Leader/ Band, Band Theme)

• 1. Calena Seusahai - Cleopatra - Dexter Seusahai/Tribal Knights - Legends
• 2. Rebecca Martinez - Hope and Tranquility - Narisa Ali/Blues Carnival Fusion - Mirage of Drums
• 3. Shanisse Kaola Jackson - Arabian Dancer - Will Morton/Fantazia International - Come Dance With Me

Junior King of the Bands
(Contestant, Portrayal, Band Leader/ Band, Band Theme)

• 1. Demeko Minott - The Gryphon - Marcus Eustace/Carnival Nationz - Mythical Creatures
• 2. Fabion Lee - Young King Neptune - Mark Deleon/Mas Toronto - Mas in Atlantis, A Carnival Mythology
• 3. Ty Williamson - Tin Man - Jamaal Magloire/Toronto Revellers - Welcome to Oz